Here we have your tier one defensive/rebounding badges: Ankle Braces, Chase Down Artist, Clamps, Intimidator, Pick Dodger, Pick Pocket, Rebond Chaser. These are all for guards, obviously, for centers it's different, but for guards, these are your tier one badges.
Clamps, Intimidator, Pick Dodger, Pick Pocket
These four are pretty much the four best defensive badges in the game. Clamps 100% the best defensive badge, If you can get that badge, max it out. next, Intimidator. whatever you can max your Intimidator on, you put that whether it be gold, whether it be the hall of fame you can, unlock Intimidator, max that out and then you can see how it makes people miss shots more often. Next, Pick Dodger. it's always going to be a tier-one badge in case people use screens. but this year Pick Dodger is not going to matter as much. And then Pick Pocket will help you to get even more steals.
Rebond Chaser
Now you guys are probably wondering why for a guard. would this be tier-one remember if you have a 6'7" guard, and when you are playing with shooting centers when you try to pass to them, you will get so many offensive rebounds if they miss, at 6'7" with high rebounding and here is the hall of fame rebound chaser come in, it will make it really hard to out rebound you for the opposing guard.
Ankle Braces
Lastly is this new badge: Ankle Braces, to the contrast of Ankle Breaker, which is a very op badge this year. and ankle braces here can completely cancel it out. it will help your player not to get broken a lot less.
If you want to see more badges breakdown check out utplay.com for the article