The Thunder being the best NBA defense, and by far, it is yet another Oklahoma City player who is thus designated “Defender of the Month” in the Western Conference, since Chet Holmgren succeeds Cason Wallace!
The interior is thus second in its conference in blocks (2.0 per match) and is also in the Top 10 in contested shots (8.5). In its wake, Oklahoma City displays the best “Defensive Rating” (points conceded over 100 possessions) in the West over the period (106.2), the conclusion of a collective machine which protects the circle while always remaining extremely aggressive on the passing lines. Despite the defeats against Spurs.
In the East, it is Isaiah Stewart who is chosen for his impact near the basket, with 2.2 blocks per game (second in the East) and 9.4 contested shots per game (also second). What to keep Pistons among the benchmark defenses in their conference, ranking second in “Defensive Rating” (109.8), behind the Nets.
Beyond the numbers, the distinction highlights two ways of putting weight in the racket: Chet Holmgren, long and mobile, deters by remaining vertical to feed the recovery, while Isaiah Stewart is more into the fight and taking a position. Two interiors still young, but defensive barometers of their respective projects.
