Luguentz Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder is primarily recognized for his tenacious defense, often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s top perimeter threat.
In this series, he’s been matched up with Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, and Denver has made a concerted effort to shake Dort loose. They’ve repeatedly deployed hard screens in an attempt to create space for Murray and neutralize Thunder player’s pressure.
But for Dort, this isn’t anything new. He sees it as a testament to the impact he has on games.
“It’s been like that all year; it’s not just Denver,” Dort told The Athletic’s Kelly Iko. “I know I’m a good defender and disturb a lot of [opposing teams’] main guys. Whenever I’m off their main guy’s body, it’s good for them.”
His comments reflect both confidence in his defensive prowess and an awareness of how opponents view him as a serious obstacle to their offensive flow.
The physical tactics teams use to disengage him, in Dort’s eyes, are just another sign that he’s doing his job.
Thunder Notes: Bench, Dort, Murray, Closing Out, Lottery https://t.co/4QKEptnUWf pic.twitter.com/Kr6u5IXH64
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) May 13, 2025
