OKC Thunder: Lu Dort Addresses Defensive Player of the Year Criteria

Dort's known for his defensive ability for the Thunder and would like, in some way, to be recognized for it.

Mar 27, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) moves the ball down the court beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Over the last 10 NBA seasons, only one guard has won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award. In the award's 41 history, only six guards have claimed the award.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have two guards who have a claim at the title in Jalen Williams and Lu Dort, but Dort might have the best shot at it compared to others on the team.

After a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday where Dort grabbed three steals and held Memphis guard Desmond Bane to only three points on 1-for-12 shooting, Dort spoke on what it takes to win the DPOY award and the uphill battle it presents as a guard.

“It's tough when they judge the big most of the time for that award, but it is what it is," Dort said. "I always say that it would be good to get rewarded for the work that I do on the court, but at the same time, I'm not going out there just spreading the word. I'm going out there just help my team win.”

Statistically, it makes sense that big men would have the edge over guards when it comes to winning the award. They garner plenty of blocks, which is the stat that's led Minnesota Timberwolves and former Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert to so many of those awards.

Now, with Gobert's chances of winning lower than normal and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama out for the season, the door is open for a guy like Dort to sneak in and claim the title.

He's frequently the man tasked with guarding the opposing team's best offensive guard, which is evident by OKC's performance against the Grizzlies. Bane was completely shut down with Dort on him, making Bane a complete non-factor during a game that was close for around 40 minutes. His scoring certainly would've helped late in the game, but Dort made him a non-factor.

This has been the case on multiple other occasions, which is a testament to Dort's ability to play within his role and help his team win. The deep-dive analytics are in his favor as well, including defensive rating and defensive wins. Dort is in the same category and standing in those stats as Williams, which makes the battle for the award even more interesting.

Dort and Williams aren't the only guards in contention. Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is in the middle of a breakout season on both sides of the ball and leads the NBA in steals per game. Houston's Amen Thompson has also proven to be an elite on-ball defender.

Whether Dort walks away with the award or not is yet to be determined, but the defensive impact he brings on a game-to-game basis for the Oklahoma City Thunder does not go unnoticed, regardless of the award.

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