NBA Progressive Playoff Leaders and Records for Defensive Win Shares

Active players are listed in bold.
Members of the Hall of Fame are marked with an asterisk (*).

Table
  Year-by-Year DWS   Active DWS   Career DWS   Single Season DWS
1946-47Stan Miasek 5.65   Don Carlson 0.86   Don Carlson 0.86   Don Carlson 0.86
1947-48Howie Dallmar 4.57   Howie Dallmar 2.61   Howie Dallmar 2.61   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1948-49Andy Phillip* 4.34   Howie Dallmar 2.75   Howie Dallmar 2.75   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1949-50George Mikan* 5.80   Joe Fulks* 2.17   Howie Dallmar 2.75   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1950-51George Mikan* 7.43   Joe Fulks* 2.20   Howie Dallmar 2.75   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1951-52George Mikan* 7.97   George Mikan* 3.57   George Mikan* 3.57   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1952-53George Mikan* 6.90   George Mikan* 4.93   George Mikan* 4.93   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1953-54George Mikan* 6.57   George Mikan* 6.41   George Mikan* 6.41   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1954-55Dolph Schayes* 5.68   Jim Pollard* 5.39   George Mikan* 6.41   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1955-56Maurice Stokes* 5.86   George Mikan* 6.51   George Mikan* 6.51   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1956-57Maurice Stokes* 6.81   Vern Mikkelsen* 4.27   George Mikan* 6.51   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1957-58Bill Russell* 7.68   Vern Mikkelsen* 4.27   George Mikan* 6.51   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1958-59Bill Russell* 8.19   Vern Mikkelsen* 4.53   George Mikan* 6.51   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1959-60Bill Russell* 8.93   Bill Russell* 5.99   George Mikan* 6.51   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1960-61Bill Russell* 11.33   Bill Russell* 7.57   Bill Russell* 7.57   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1961-62Bill Russell* 11.64   Bill Russell* 9.72   Bill Russell* 9.72   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1962-63Bill Russell* 12.55   Bill Russell* 11.53   Bill Russell* 11.53   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1963-64Bill Russell* 15.96   Bill Russell* 13.69   Bill Russell* 13.69   Howie Dallmar 2.24
1964-65Bill Russell* 14.41   Bill Russell* 16.05   Bill Russell* 16.05   Bill Russell* 2.36
1965-66Bill Russell* 11.37   Bill Russell* 18.30   Bill Russell* 18.30   Bill Russell* 2.36
1966-67Bill Russell* 9.22   Bill Russell* 18.98   Bill Russell* 18.98   Bill Russell* 2.36
1967-68Wilt Chamberlain* 10.73   Bill Russell* 20.54   Bill Russell* 20.54   Bill Russell* 2.36
1968-69Bill Russell* 9.87   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1969-70Willis Reed* 7.45   Wilt Chamberlain* 12.00   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1970-71Elvin Hayes* 7.06   Wilt Chamberlain* 12.40   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1971-72Wilt Chamberlain* 7.90   Wilt Chamberlain* 14.18   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1972-73Dave Cowens* 9.85   Wilt Chamberlain* 15.81   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1973-74Elvin Hayes* 8.07   John Havlicek* 7.18   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1974-75Elvin Hayes* 8.16   John Havlicek* 7.30   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1975-76Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 7.19   John Havlicek* 8.02   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1976-77Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 5.92   John Havlicek* 8.34   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1977-78Truck Robinson 5.02   John Havlicek* 8.34   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1978-79Jack Sikma* 5.74   Wes Unseld* 7.09   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1979-80Larry Bird* 5.61   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 7.63   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1980-81Larry Bird* 6.10   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 7.87   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1981-82Jack Sikma* 6.74   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 8.54   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1982-83Rick Mahorn 6.20   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 9.23   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1983-84Larry Bird* 5.62   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 10.25   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1984-85Mark Eaton 6.75   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 11.22   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1985-86Larry Bird* 6.17   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 11.91   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1986-87Hakeem Olajuwon* 6.02   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 12.74   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1987-88Hakeem Olajuwon* 6.32   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 13.43   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1988-89Hakeem Olajuwon* 7.81   Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 13.74   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1989-90Hakeem Olajuwon* 8.74   Larry Bird* 10.65   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1990-91David Robinson* 7.64   Larry Bird* 11.00   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1991-92Dennis Rodman* 7.00   Larry Bird* 11.05   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1992-93Patrick Ewing* 8.05   Robert Parish* 8.97   Bill Russell* 21.76   Bill Russell* 2.36
1993-94Patrick Ewing* 7.98   Robert Parish* 8.97   Bill Russell* 21.76   Patrick Ewing* 2.43
1994-95David Robinson* 6.74   Robert Parish* 9.01   Bill Russell* 21.76   Patrick Ewing* 2.43
1995-96David Robinson* 7.19   Scottie Pippen* 10.01   Bill Russell* 21.76   Patrick Ewing* 2.43
1996-97Patrick Ewing* 6.87   Scottie Pippen* 11.36   Bill Russell* 21.76   Patrick Ewing* 2.43
1997-98Tim Duncan* 7.17   Scottie Pippen* 12.91   Bill Russell* 21.76   Patrick Ewing* 2.43
1998-99Tim Duncan* 4.68   Scottie Pippen* 12.96   Bill Russell* 21.76   Patrick Ewing* 2.43
1999-00Shaquille O'Neal* 6.99   Scottie Pippen* 13.99   Bill Russell* 21.76   Patrick Ewing* 2.43
2000-01Tim Duncan* 7.07   Scottie Pippen* 14.05   Bill Russell* 21.76   Patrick Ewing* 2.43
2001-02Ben Wallace* 7.24   Scottie Pippen* 14.17   Bill Russell* 21.76   Patrick Ewing* 2.43
2002-03Ben Wallace* 7.85   Scottie Pippen* 14.12   Bill Russell* 21.76   Tim Duncan* 2.67
2003-04Ben Wallace* 9.08   Scottie Pippen* 14.12   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2004-05Ben Wallace* 6.72   Tim Duncan* 9.08   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2005-06Tim Duncan* 6.88   Shaquille O'Neal* 10.24   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2006-07Tim Duncan* 6.78   Tim Duncan* 11.04   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2007-08Dwight Howard* 6.45   Tim Duncan* 12.45   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2008-09Dwight Howard* 7.56   Tim Duncan* 12.57   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2009-10Dwight Howard* 7.13   Tim Duncan* 13.03   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2010-11Dwight Howard* 7.68   Tim Duncan* 13.36   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2011-12Josh Smith 4.90   Tim Duncan* 14.06   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2012-13Paul George 6.28   Tim Duncan* 15.45   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2013-14Joakim Noah 6.63   Tim Duncan* 16.67   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2014-15DeAndre Jordan 5.39   Tim Duncan* 17.02   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2015-16Paul Millsap 6.04   Tim Duncan* 17.38   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2016-17Rudy Gobert 5.98   LeBron James 14.95   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2017-18Andre Drummond 5.73   LeBron James 15.92   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2018-19Andre Drummond 5.86   LeBron James 15.92   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2019-20Giannis Antetokounmpo 5.02   LeBron James 17.16   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2020-21Rudy Gobert 5.23   LeBron James 17.51   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2021-22Jayson Tatum 4.61   LeBron James 17.51   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2022-23Evan Mobley 4.84   LeBron James 18.45   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2023-24Rudy Gobert 5.85   LeBron James 18.75   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2024-25Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 4.80   LeBron James 18.99   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76
2025-26Victor Wembanyama 5.02   LeBron James 19.33   Bill Russell* 21.76   Ben Wallace* 2.76