Shot Blocking/Interior Defense: Mark Eaton
Look at the vine! LOOK AT IT!
While some will bemoan this pick, suggesting that Rudy Gobert was snubbed, allow me to retort. Mark Eaton is the Godfather of Utah Jazz paint defense, and while Gobert is experiencing a meteoric rise, he still has a long ways to go before he catches Eaton.
At seven-foot-four, Mark Eaton used his height and length to terrorize and punish anyone foolish enough to come at him. In fact, Eaton still holds the NBA record for most blocks in a season (456) and career average blocked shots per game (3.50).
THAT’S AN AVERAGE OF 3.5 BLOCKS A GAME FOR AN ENTIRE CAREER!!!! HOLY SMOKES!!!
In the 1984-85 season, Eaton swatted an average of 5.56 shots per game. That’s damn near unbelievable.
By the time Eaton called it quits, he was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and was named an All-NBA Defensive First Team member three times. He also finished with 3064 blocked shots, good for fourth all time and the title of the Utah Jazz’s “Sultan of Swat.”
Next: Perimeter Defense/Versatility