OKC Thunder: Stat highlights Luguentz Dort, Hamidou Diallo defensive prowess

As the OKC Thunder progress through their 13th season, the team is bringing an exciting brand of basketball to the court each night.  With 18 potential first-round draft picks waiting to be conveyed over the next seven seasons the clear goal of this season is obvious.

While the “T” word (tank) doesn’t appear in the Thunder lexicon that is the primary objective of this campaign. Especially with a deep 2021 draft class and a few players who could fall into the generational talent category.

Yet through 13 games, the Thunder boasts a 6-7 record and have been in far more games than expected. They are feasting on the road and most analysts have them ranking in the middle of the pack.

There is plenty of time remaining in the schedule for OKC to drop down into one of the coveted bottom three rungs in order to increase their shot of landing the top pick. In the interim fans are getting to watch the development of the young core.

OKC Thunder Dort and Diallo among leaders in a key defensive category

With a dozen seasons in the books, the OKC Thunder have consistently produced a team that brings tough-nosed defense to the hardwood. A big part of the Thunder identity is top-shelf defense. Vice President Sam Presti is well known for his propensity to select specific prototypes in the draft. Athletic, lengthy wings with a penchant for playing defense.

In fact, other than a few notable exceptions even his guard and big man selections were capable defenders. To wit, Serge Ibaka and Steven Adams were selected primarily upon their defensive attributes. This was long before Ibaka developed the ability to spread the floor or Adams gained the ability to set body jarring screens or improved his playmaking.

Even when Russell Westbrook was selected he was considered a defensive-minded guard with the potential to expand his offensive talent – Presti and company sure knocked that assessment out of the park!

And with the youngsters who are part of the developing core, the OKC Thunder will be invested in developing them on both sides of the floor. Luguentz Dort got his spot in the rotation based on his defense and then spent all offseason working on his perimeter shot. Likewise, Hamidou Diallo had that incredible dunking prowess mixed with the speed to feast in transition.

Both are seeking to carve out their niche within the Thunder roster and know the key is their defense. One statistic that stands out is their speed on defense.

Diallo is tied for 13th with an average defensive speed of 4.15 while Dort places immediately after tied in 14th with an average speed of 4.14.  Their specific ladder placement on the list is 19th (Diallo) and 25th (Dort) when all player ties are removed.

An interesting sidebar of this data is the difference in the players’ speed on offense versus defense. Diallo’s offensive speed is 4.68 while ironically Dort moves fractionally slower on offense (4.12).

In contrast, the last three spots on the list are filled with two superstar vets and one superstar in his prime. They are – – James Harden, LeBron James, and Chris Paul.

The interesting takeaway here is LeBron is there more out of a product of the wise veteran picking and choosing when he ups his defensive intensity. In some ways, it’s load managing on the court. CP3 similarly manages his efforts on the court. As Thunder Nation witnessed much of last season his clutch time effort was more intense and much faster. Coincidentally, the Thunder defense improved in the same time frame.

Whereas all those hot takes about Harden’s improvement defensively might lose a bit of merit with these specifics.

The superstar trio’s speed on offense shifts dramatically with Harden .77 faster (4.02), LeBron is .69 faster while CP3 moves significantly faster on offense (4.20) almost a full second faster.

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This might all seem like a throwaway stat but what it does confirm is these two Thunder youngsters have the ability to switch and move quickly on defense. Which in turn means Mark Daigneault can get more creative when that duo is on the court.

As for the veteran trio, it also highlights the fact as players mature it’s not as necessary for them to move as quickly — at least not for the entirety of the game. And, again when a player has solid defensive talent surrounding them on the court it’s also less essential.

On the other hand, it could prove problematic for Harden. Case in point, Brooklyn ranked seventh defensively in week two of the schedule. With the trade, Brooklyn sent out a trio of players who were factored into the defensive system (Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and Taurean Prince).

The defensive regression was immediate. Since Harden’s arrival, the Nets rank 26th defensively.  Coincidentally, prior to the trade, the OKC Thunder beat the Nets by virtue of their smothering defense.

KD, Harden, and Irving may light it up and become one of the most explosive offenses ever, but the question is whether they’ll be able to stop their opponents from doing the same.

Meanwhile, as Diallo and Dort continue to develop their offensive talent the team knows their defense is already in the upper tier.