NBA expert says what Thunder fans already know about Lu Dort

The Oklahoma City Thunder were not good on defense last year.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were not great on defense last year.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were historically elite on defense last year, not just the best in the league but the best in years. Players at every position were among the league's best and created a distinct lack of weak links anywhere in the lineup. And leading the way was an absolute bulldog in Luguentz Dort.

That's not to say that Lu Dort is the best defender on the team, but he is the point of the spear for their defensive attack. He is 6'4" but plays like he is six inches larger and 100 pounds meaner. And in the eyes of one NBA analyst, Dort may be the best in the league at one vital job.

Is Lu Dort the best star defender in the league?

Sam Vecenie may be best known for his draft coverage, but he regularly covers the entire NBA on his "Game Theory" podcast. The best way to understand which draft prospects are going to excel in the NBA is to know the NBA, and Vecenie does that well. And he had plenty to say about Lu Dort.

Vecenie and podcast partner Bryce Simon are ranking the Top 25 defenders in the NBA, and they got to Dort perhaps a little early for some Thunder fans at No. 15. Interestingly enough, Dort is third of five Thunder players to make the list, ahead of Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein and behind Alex Caruso and Chet Holmgren.

While discussing Dort's many strengths and few weaknesses, Vecenie made a statement that will ring true in the ears of Thunder fans - that Lu Dort may be the best in the NBA at defending star wings and forwards 1-on-1.

Dort appears built in the laboratory for that role -- you might think you want maximum height and size for such a player, but his low center of gravity and elite strength actually make him perfect for disrupting the flow for opposing stars. Such players tend to have multiple moves available to them, and Dort is built to stop them all. Want to bully into the post? Dort is immovable. Race around a screen? Dort will run right through it like Juggernaut through walls.

NBA Twitter account NBA University posted a graphic recently showing the players that Dort most frequently defended in 2024-25. What stands out? The sheer star power of the players he took on - and how very different they all are.

Need your speedy guard locked up? Dort is on the job. What about a strong guard like James Harden or Anthony Edwards? No problem. Combo forwards like Jayson Tatum? Call Lu Dort. Wait, I have a seven-foot shooter in Lauri Markkanen - surely Lu Dort cannot defend him? Oh but he can!

Dort did not do a perfect job on all of those players, but the point is that he is ready for the challenge. Those are the very best perimeter players in the league! They are going to cook some of the time. Yet the Thunder can put Dort on any of them and fill out the rest of the defense behind him with rim protection and help defenders and havoc creators. Dort is steady as the tip of the spear.

The NBA had to reward someone for last season's brilliant defense, and many of the Thunder's other top defenders were ineligible for end of season awards. That earned Dort an All-Defense nod. Vecenie noted that whether or not he was one of the five best defenders last season, he deserved the award as a recognition of his work over multiple seasons.

The Thunder have a player in Lu Dort who they can sic on opposing stars like an attack dog. And more often than not, Lu Dort wins.