Sure, scoring is important.  Afterall, the team with the higher amount of points wins the game, so getting the ball in the basket is a big deal.  However, don't sleep on the defensive side of things as stopping opponents from scoring is just as important, maybe more important, than scoring points yourself.  Below, check out the best individual defenders in the NBA.

10. Kevin Garnett, PF, Boston Celtics - While his offensive numbers have been on the decline since joining the Celtics two years ago, Garnett’s defense still has been right where it needs to be. And the Celtics couldn’t ask for much more from their leader. The same year KG won his first Defensive Player of the Year award just so happened to be the same year he won his first NBA title. After a season cut short by injury, I’m sure his effort will still be there to take Boston back to the top.

9. Shane Battier, SF, Houston Rockets - Battier’s defense is so good that the New York Times once labeled him the No-Stat All-Star, after his ability to affect a game in so many ways while posting such low numbers (less than one block and one steal per game). Battier is one of the most hated players around the league because of his in-your-face defense and ability to take the charge. He’s the younger Bruce Bowen.

8. Ron Artest, SF, Los Angeles Lakers - You saw what Ron-Ron did against Kobe in the playoffs. Now let’s see how he’ll do playing alongside the league’s best overall player next season. Artest will likely be a step slower next year as he approaches his 30th birthday, but he is one player I’d still choose to guard the best in the game.

7. Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers - Bean is the closest we’ve seen to Michael Jordan. Like MJ, Kobe can single-handedly take over a game on offense while still having enough energy to lock down the opposing team’s best player and do the little things on defense to win games. But while Jordan was named Defensive Player of the Year once in his career, Kobe is still looking for that honor.

6. LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers - LeBron’s size and quickness alone is enough to put him on my Top 10 list. He has the ability to guard just about anyone along the perimeter and he has the bounce to disrupt shots, but my favorite quality about LeBron is that he rarely takes plays off on either end of the court.

5. Marcus Camby, C, Los Angeles Clippers – When you’re on the Clippers, people tend to forget you exist. But that wasn’t quite the case for Camby last season. The former Defensive Player of the Year ranked third in the league in blocks per game (2.1) and fourth in defensive rebounds per contest (8.5). And I also have to note that he had a career-high 27 boards against Chicago on Dec. 27, 2008 at 35 years old.

4. Chris “Birdman” Andersen, PF/C, Denver Nuggets – He was never really in the running for Defensive Player of the Year last season, but the Birdman deserved some recognition. Priding himself on his high-flying defensive play – even counting his blocks throughout the games – Andersen ranked second in the league with 2.5 rejections per game. Oh, and did I mention he played only 20.6 minutes per game, about 15 fewer than the league’s block leader, Dwight Howard (2.9).

3. Dwyane Wade, SG, Miami Heat – Wade came back from two injury-plagued seasons with a new defensive mindset. Not only did he create turnovers with his extraordinary perimeter defense when the game was on the line on numerous occasions, but he also became the first 6-foot-4 player to post 100 blocks in a season. Not too bad for the league’s best offensive player last season.

2. Chris Paul, PG, New Orleans Hornets – He’s not only the best at distributing the ball, but he’s also the best at taking it away. Paul, who averaged a league-leading 2.8 steals per game last season, set an NBA record with a steal in 106 consecutive games when he recorded three against the Spurs on Dec. 17, 2008. His streak ended three games later in a loss to Orlando on Christmas Day. That’s a record that won’t be broken any time soon.

1. Dwight Howard, C, Orlando Magic – There’s no argument of who the best defender in the NBA is. Howard, perhaps the most athletic big man of all-time, was the league’s top rebounder (13.8 rpg) and shot-blocker (2.9 bpg) last season. He recorded 23 boards in a game twice and had a career-high 10 blocks last December as he became just the fifth player in NBA history to finish the season leading the league in both rebounding and blocks.

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