Mavericks' Luka Doncic has high praise for Thunder swingman

Oklahoma City Thunder swingman Lu Dort BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Mavericks' Luka Doncic lists Thunder swingman among best perimeter defenders in NBA

By Jeff Smith | Last updated 5/8/24

The Dallas Mavericks emerged from an opening-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers in an impressive 4-2 fashion. In turn, Luka Doncic and company entered their second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a full head of steam.

But Tuesday night’s Game 1 showcased the daunting task the Mavericks will face to advance to the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder rolled to a 22-point victory to grab a 1-0 series lead on a rare night in which neither Doncic nor teammate Kyrie Irving could fill up the box score.

Part of the reason for both players’ modest showings is at least partially due to the stellar defensive play of the Thunder as a whole, specifically guard Luguentz Dort. Dort's exceptional defense is something Doncic acknowledged even before Game 1, as he called the 25-year-old one of the “top three” perimeter defenders in the NBA, as ESPN’s Tim MacMahon detailed.

Luka Doncic says Lu Dort is in the “top three” perimeter defenders in the league. Who else cracks that list? Doncic says Jrue Holiday and Mavs teammate Derrick Jones Jr.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 7, 2024

Dort is the definition of a player who does far more than what the box score shows. In Game 1, he finished with seven points on 2-of-9 shooting and four rebounds while adding two steals. Putting those stats aside, his +18 net rating tied for the second-best of any player in the game.

While Dort’s role for the Thunder on the offensive end isn’t a focal point, his ability to hold opponents in check is masterful. On Tuesday, Doncic finished with a quiet 19 points on 6-of-19 shooting (1-of-8 from three-point range) to go with nine assists and six rebounds. Irving hit the 20-point mark on 7-of-14 shooting, but added just three assists and one rebound.

Doncic and Irving combined to turn the ball over nine times and posted net ratings of -21 and -15. It’s hard to argue with Doncic’s assessment of Dort, but the Thunder guard’s defensive dominance began long before the Game 1 matchup with the Mavericks.

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