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Thunder Defensive Monster’s ‘Time Has Come’

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort

The Oklahoma City Thunder are 56-12, sitting atop the Western Conference standings for the second straight year. Though their youth is evident, they’re no fluke. They’re just that good.

Led by projected MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they have the game-changing two-way star that can lead them to a championship. Their roster is buoyed not just by lottery picks like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams but second-rounders and undrafted players. The veteran additions they made last offseason, Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso, are just icing on the cake.

Not to be forgotten is Mark Daigneault, who won Coach of the Year in 2024. A culture-builder who excels at player development, his innovate ideas make him The Man Behind The Curtain.

Thunder’s Lu Dort’s ‘Time Has Come’

With the Thunder’s defensive rating (107.2) being the best in the league, Daigneault has come out to voice his support for his team’s defensive anchor.

Despite their quick hands, that’s not Gilgeous-Alexander or Cason Wallace. Despite his versatility, that’s not Williams. Though he could very well assume that role in the future, it’s not Holmgren either.

It’s Lu Dort.

After going undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019, the Thunder signed Dort to a two-way contract. Since then, all he’s done is emerge as a top of the line defender. So much so that OKC converted his contract to a standard deal in 2020 and signed him to an $87.5 million extension in 2022.

Asked about whether Dort’s defense will ever be recognized by the league, in the form of an All-Defensive or Defensive Player of the Year award as opposed to just scouting reports, Daigneault says:

“I think his time has come for that. I think he’ll get that recognition this year. … We have the best defense in the league statistically and he’s anchored that the entire season.”

“The amount of 30 point games we’ve given up is the lowest in the league by any metric,” he adds (h/t The Oklahoman’s Joel Lorenzi). “He’s guarding most of those guys.”

Stealing The Spotlight

Dort has long been considered one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders.

At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he’s slightly undersized in terms of height but he’s strong. He’s also quick enough to mirror opposing ball-handlers. With his combination of physical traits and on-ball defense, he’s somewhat similar to Washington Wizards guard Marcus Smart, who’s 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds. Of note, Smart is a three-time All-Defensive team selection who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

To be frank though, Dort’s chances of winning that vaunted award this season are slim, with Atlanta Hawks playmaker Dyson Daniels separating himself as a defensive event creator. To that point, Smart has stood out not only for his ability to make his opponents take shots but his knack for knocking the ball away. In fact, when he won Defensive Player of the Year he had 119 steals, the sixth-most in the NBA. His steal average (1.7 per game) ranked seventh in the league.

This season, Dort has recorded 68 steals. He’s never recorded more than 75 steals in any season. That doesn’t disqualify him from achieving any defensive honors. However, in a league that’s become obsessive over counting stats —and catch-all metrics that are based on counting stats—it can be a difference-maker.

By The (Advanced) Numbers

Advanced stats do Dort more justice.

Per NBA.com, the Haitian-Canadian is in the 90th percentile when guarding isolation attempts, holding opponents to 0.64 points per possession and 32.3 percent shooting from the field. He also causes a turnover on 12.8 percent of those attempts.

When guarding pick-and-roll ball-handlers, he’s in the 70th percentile. In these situations, he’s held opponents to 0.83 points per possession and 40.5 percent shooting from the field. He’s causing turnovers 20.2 percent of the time. When guarding post-ups, he’s in the 69th percentile, holding opponents to 0.89 points per possession.

These numbers are even more extraordinary when factoring in his matchup difficulty.

Cream Of The Crop

Like every player, Dort has his weaknesses.

His lack of length, including his sub-6-foot-9 wingspan, can limit his effectiveness. It can obviously effect him when tasked with guarding lankier opponents. It doesn’t help him guard the 3-point line in a league that’s spacing the floor more than ever. Last but not least, it can prevent him from being more of a player in passing lanes.

Nevertheless, teams would be hard-pressed to find nine better defenders than Dort in any season.

Again, Daniels has made a name for himself. Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies) are all Defensive Player of the Year-caliber big men. Blessed with prototypical NBA bodies, twins Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets) and Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons) are already elite multipositional defenders.

Still, they don’t call the six-year veteran “Dorture Chamber” for nothing.

© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

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