OKC Thunder Guards Learning From Each Other On Defense

Iron is sharpening iron in Oklahoma City’s backcourt.

May 18, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) controls the ball as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) defends during the first quarter in game six of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has a lot of strengths as a team. That’s why they’re a favorite to win the Western Conference and a trendy NBA Finals pick. This is a deep roster with little to no weaknesses on paper.

Considering all the strengths, there might not be a more glaring one than the team’s impressive defensive backcourt. Every guard that will suit up for the Thunder can defend at an extremely high level, and the lockdown trio of Alex Caruso, Lu Dort, and Cason Wallace will form one of the most feared three-guard looks in the NBA.

“Well, all the guys — I hate to make it sound like somebody is the student and somebody is the teacher," Mark Daigneault said. "The guys do a great job when their skills overlap of working together in a team fashion to teach one another, to learn from one another. That environment has been built.

“Alex will contribute to that, to your question. That's a very relevant skill to have overlap in the NBA. There's a lot of really talented players on the offensive end of the floor. When you have guys that can neutralize that to some degree or lower the efficiency of that, it's powerful. We're excited about that. We'll see where it goes.”

Caruso is the headliner out of this group, and he’s also the oldest. He has experience and wisdom to share with both Dort and Wallace and can help those two grow tremendously on the court. He’s a two-time All-Defensive Team member and an NBA champion who brings invaluable leadership to the team, but to the backcourt defenders specifically.

Dort hasn’t received the accolades yet, but he has developed a reputation for being one of the best on-ball defenders in the NBA. Wallace started to replicate that last year, too. Having Caruso’s leadership will only take it to a new level.

“I feel like we're a big three of defense I feel like at this point,” Wallace said at media day. “It will be interesting to see what happens when we all get out there together.”

The special thing about these three defenders is their positional versatility. Each one can defend up and down the lineup, from forwards to point guards. Having that positionless lineup option will bode well for the Thunder over the course of the season. The team’s guard trio will look to set the standard for the team’s defense this year.

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