The Art of Defense: A Steal Artist with 9 All-Defensive Teams

To talk Frazier, you must start with defense. He was among the first guards to turn the "steal" into an art, making 9 All-Defensive Teams (including first team) on elite anticipation and quick hands.

His defense relied on positioning and reading the play, not brute force: he would strip the passing lane the instant an opponent committed, then push the break himself. Against guards like Oscar Robertson or Isiah Thomas, Frazier's pressure made life miserable.

The 1970s had no steal stat (officially introduced in 1973-74), but those who watched said Frazier's hands were a nightmare for opponents. He defined another shape of the "winning point guard" through defense.

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