Anthony Edwards Praises OKC Thunder’s Lu Dort: ‘Should’ve Been On One of the Defensive Teams’

Plenty of players around the league have given Lu Dort props for being one of the NBA’s best defenders.

May 18, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) reaches for the / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Although Oklahoma City’s postseason ended in the Western Conference Semifinals, plenty of good came from the surprising year. Obviously the main thing being Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s second place finish in MVP voting and his unbelievable playoff run.

Chet Holmgren’s bounce back from injury and Jalen Williams’ ascension to an All-Star level player were both huge storylines, and the rest of the role players stepped up in a big way during the regular season. Lu Dort’s adapted role has been overshadowed by the team success, but the defensive stopper turned in his most promising season yet.

His physical style of defense was on display all season long but was under a microscope in the playoffs. Some people hated his hands-on defense, while others praised his abilities. It feels like every time a player mentions Dort, though, the consensus is that he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. He was narrowly left off of the NBA’s Defensive Team’s, but many of his competitors think he deserved a spot. With the praise and attention he’s starting to get, it feels like he’s due for accolades in the near future.

As the Timberwolves and Mavericks battle in the Western Conference Finals, both teams watched plenty of tape from last series. Anthony Edwards, one of the NBA’s rising stars, saw Dort sticking out on the tape.

“I thought he should’ve been on one of the defensive teams for sure,” Edwards said. “Just how he kept playing, kept pursuing through every screen. Through a lot of pick-and-roll’s, he just didn’t stop pursuing every time. Fighting through every screen and contesting every shot. Just playing hard the entire time.”

“Yeah, for sure,” he answered when asked if Dort provided a blueprint for the Timberwolves.

Before the series, Luka Doncic listed Dort as a top three defender in the NBA. Dort held Brandon Ingram and Doncic well below their season average in back-to-back playoff series’s, but it wasn’t enough to push the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals.

He also had a career-year offensively, shooting 43.8% from the floor and 39.4% from 3-point range. His volume decreased and he settled into more of a three-and-D type of role.

Dort received six first place votes and 22 second place votes for the All-Defensive teams, barely missing the mark. It’s still early on in his career though, considering it a safe bet for him to earn a spot over the next few seasons.

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