OKC Thunder push Jazz to the wire: Dort dominance tops 3 takeaways

No. 1: Defense will be the staple to OKC’s success this season

OKC was exceptional on defense tonight as Hamidou Diallo and Lu Dort let their presence be known on the perimeter. There were multiple instances where Hami would get in front of his opposition, squaring up his body and not allowing the Jazz to get anything easy in the paint. He was able to move his feet and ultimately get loose balls to run out in transition.

Turning defense into offense is paramount for this young OKC squad because trying to run with this young core will prove to be challenging for anyone.

Look at this clip below of Lu getting out in transition, which leads to an OKC easy bucket:

Active hands on the defensive end are precisely what this backcourt brings to the forefront, and it will prove to be an easy recipe for the offense moving forward as Coach Daigneault looks to find more cornerstones for this young OKC core.

Between Dort, Hill, and Hami, the defensive awareness in the backcourt and on the wings will be extremely exciting to watch as the team develops more continuity throughout the season.

There are too many instances where the transition game is looking like it could be OKC’s primary mode of scoring this season as the depth at the guard position is about as loaded as it has been in recent memory.

Players with the ability to get out and run in the open court by themselves will be daunting for the opposition. Check out this clip of Diallo using his athleticism to get out on the fast-break:

Expect to see Hamidou’s role increase if we see this type of play on a consistent basis.