OKC Thunder Head Coach Applauds Lu Dort: ‘He’s a Monster’

Oklahoma City’s full on obliteration of the league-best Cleveland Cavaliers was surprising to say the least. Without its two top options in the front court, the Thunder committed to the small-ball vision, and Cleveland had no answer whatsoever. The Thunder overpowered the Cavs with energetic defense and elite shotmaking all over the floor.

One of Oklahoma City’s top offensive performers was arguably the team’s best defenders. Of course, on a historically good defensive team like the Thunder, there’s no definitive answer, but Lu Dort is widely regarded as one of the NBA’s best. As the season goes on, it’s easy to see that he’s the heart and soul of this Thunder team.

On the defensive side of the ball, Dort was a game changer on Thursday night. Against one of the best backcourts in the NBA, Dort completely took Donovan Mitchell out of the game and gave the Thunder a huge edge. Mark Daigneault is always complimentary of Dort, but he had a great explanation after the victory.

“It’s always a team thing, and especially against them,” Daigneault said. “We’ve got the whole team amped up on their main guys, but I mean, Lu Dort is a monster. Every night he takes those matchups. Sometimes people get the best of him, but he is so hard to shake. He’s so relentless on that end. He’s always been really good on that matchup.”

In two matchups against Dort and the Thunder, Donovan Mitchell has shot just 6-of-31 from the floor. Dort has been able to hold him to 9.5 points per contest and just 19.4% from the floor. He takes star guard matchups seriously, and always seems to rise to the occasion.

His 3-point shooting is just icing on the cake at this point. Because of his defense, Dort would’ve gotten paid regardless. But his adaptation on the offensive end has turned his contract into a bargain at this point. Dort torched the Cavs for 22 points on 8-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-9 from 3-point range. It was his 11th straight game with a triple.

On the season, Dort is averaging 10.0 points per game and he’s shooting a wildly impressive 41.5% from 3-point range. He has found a way to thrive in his role and is raising the Thunder’s ceiling at a premium level. He’s a monster on the court — like Daigneault said — but for all the right reasons.

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.