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Ranking NBA's Top 10 Defenders So Far in 2018-19

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

OrlandoMagic.com's Josh Cohen ranks his top 10 Defensive Player of the Year candidates to this point of the season. Click through this slideshow for full rankings and analysis.

Note: The contents of this gallery have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic and do not reflect the opinions of the Magic’s Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

Tied #10 Mike Conley, Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball

Probably the most overlooked and underestimated player in the NBA is Conley, a stifling defender who has shut down several of the league’s elite point guards this season. Damian Lillard shot 4-of-18 against Conley on Dec. 12 and Chris Paul went 3-of-10 against the 31-year-old three nights later. Holiday, another underrated guard, currently leads the NBA in deflections and ranks in the top 10 in steals. And Ball, while not yet a prolific scorer, has been tenacious on the defensive end, accentuated during his recent triple-double against the Hornets in which he also recorded five steals.