This might sound crazy, but Lu Dort did not receive a single vote in the votes for the best defender of the year. However, it is he who takes care of the best opposing attacker every night in OKC, and after stifling Brandon Ingram in the first round, he slowed down Luka Doncic during Game 1 against the Mavericks.
But what is the strong point of the Canadian rear? Listening to Jason Kidd and Mark Daigneault, it’s his ability to handle screens. The Thunder coach even nicknames him the “punching bag”.
“We can give him a big screen and it has no impact on his race”, admires Daigneault. “You can put a complicated shot on him and it has no impact on his next defense. We can have a great match against him and it has no impact on the next one. He is like that, and he always has been. »
Lu Dort does not change on the screens
Like a punching bag, beaten, Dort always returns to his place. “You have to stand in front of him and be ready for the shock. Because he’s going to hit” notes Kidd, who multiplies the screens to find space for Luka Doncic.
Dort's strength is that he refuses to switch. When he's on a player, he doesn't let go. There's no question of changing when you're dealing with a Doncic or an Ingram. You have to anticipate the screens or “go through” them.
“It’s a combination of a physical profile, its speed, and more particularly its lateral speed” explains Daigneault when asked how Dort manages to dodge screens. “To that, you add the fact that he is tireless. Even if you give him a possession or an evening off, he will insist. »
