The top five defensive teams heading into the Asian Qualifiers' fifth window

BEIRUT (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - As the fifth window draws closer, a handful of teams have arisen to be among the top defensive teams of the Asian Qualifiers.

These are the squads that have really worked to put the clamps on their foes and given them a very tough time to score.

Here are the top defensive teams as we approach the fifth window of the Asian Qualifiers.

Australia

- 42.0 points allowed per game in the 4th window.
Everyone knows the Boomers are among the best teams not just in the region but in the world. So far, in these Asian Qualifiers, they have really proven their mettle. Coming off a split result in the third window, the Aussies bounced back big time in the fourth window, beating Qatar and Kazakhstan by an average of 52.5 points. With the exception of Japan, no team has scored more than 68 points against Australia, and with two home games coming up in the fifth window, chances are they'll play defense at a very high level again when they face Iran and Qatar.

New Zealand

- 63.0 points allowed per game in the 4th window.
Apart from their first game, which they dropped against Korea, the Tall Blacks have been pretty stellar. Yes, they nearly lost to a very game Lebanon squad in their previous home game, but they still managed to prevail. Much of it was thanks to pretty good defense, especially in the second and fourth quarters, and if they continue to do that in the next window, they should notch two home wins at the expense of Jordan and Syria. New Zealand are not among the top teams in steals and blocks, but they switch really well off screens and make good use of their size at every position to disrupt their opponents' offensive flow. Playing great defense in the fifth window should mean the Kiwis will finally punch their tickets to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019.

Japan

- 63.0 points allowed per game in the 4th window.
Japan are among the best shot-blocking teams in the competition, and much of that is due to the length and athleticism of the ultra-talented US-based tandem of Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe. Those two young stars can guard multiple positions and make it extra difficult for opponents to get to the rim, and that has done wonders for their recent Asian Qualifiers results. The Akatsuki Five are red-hot right now, winning their last four games and beating their foes by an average of 17.5 points in that span. They will be tested in their two home contests in the fifth window, however, as both Hachimura and Watanabe will be unlikely available to see action. That means more pressure on Nick Fazekas, Joji Takeuchi and Atsuya Ota to step up and protect the basket.

Korea

- 70.5 points allowed per game in the 4th window.
Korea usually has a bit of a size disadvantage, but even if that's the case they are still able to play really good defense. They aren't among the elite in terms of steals and blocks, but their quickness enables them to shadow their foes and make it really tough for them to get going. Like Japan, the Koreans are on a four-game winning run, including nice wins over bigger teams China and Jordan. In the fourth window, Korea limited their opponents to a combined 38% shooting from the floor, shutting down guys like Mahmoud Abdeen (3-of-12 field goal shooting) and Tarek Al-Jabi (6-of-18 field goal shooting). Lebanon and once again, Jordan will test them in the fifth window, but odds are that Korea's great team defense will carry them to two more wins anew.

Iran

- 71.5 points allowed per game in the 4th window.
Some will say the only reason Iran limits opponents to 71.5 points per game is because of their slow pace, but that would not do justice to how aggressive Iran is, especially in terms of putting pressure on opposing ball-handlers. This is the third-best steals team in the entire Asian Qualifiers with a team average of 11.3 thefts per contest. There are actually eleven Iranian players who average at least 1.0 steal per game, including big men like Arsalan Kazemi, Hamed Haddadi and Mohammad Hassanzadeh. That versatility not only on the offensive end but more importantly, on defense is makes Iran such a tough assignment for anybody.

FIBA