Lu Dort is set to take another step up as a defender in 2024

The 2024 NBA preseason officially begins in less than one month, which means that if you are in the prediction business, we are approaching the buzzer to get in your last-minute prognosis on the season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s elite defense was spearheaded by 25-year-old Lu Dort last season. He is one of the NBA’s most rapidly improving defenders. After going undrafted five summers ago, the swingman was an afterthought. Today, he’s viewed as one of the league’s elite two-way players.

More defense in his back pocket?

It was a March 2021 game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Thunder. Dort, a sophomore at the time, was guarding the league’s leading MVP candidate, LeBron James. With a look of intensity in his eyes and his legs ready to snap from the sheer force of his bent stance, the young Lu followed James inch-for-inch and pestered the four-time MVP into shooting an airball on a crucial possession.

Watching that play unfold, it didn’t appear that the soon-to-be 22-year-old could get any better as an on-ball stopper. But somehow, he’s become an even better defender ever since and is projected to take yet another step up in 2024.

USA Today’s Clemente Almanza gave his three biggest predictions for the Thunder defensive ace next season, and perhaps the most significant one is Dort going for his first All-Defensive team.

“Dort is universally seen as one of the best perimeter defenders,” he writes . “When he's matched up against players like James Harden and Luka Doncic, his relentless motor helps him stay glued to supernova scorers. He fights over screens to avoid switches. Despite his reputation, Dort has yet to make an All-Defensive team. That should change this season. The Thunder are now a household team and will be on national television for the foreseeable future. More eyes equal more votes in this case. If the Thunder possess one of the best defenses again, there's a strong chance Dort gets voted into one of the All-Defensive teams this season.”

Lu not earning an All-Defensive honor yet is a shame. Still, with the Thunder making their way onto the NBA world’s radar, more national TV exposure, and him being the top defender on what may be the league’s best team next season makes this prediction a safe one.

Even what he did in 2023 on the defensive end would earn most players considerable recognition for a few top individual honors. Dort, in 79 games, held his opponents to just 44.6% shooting from the field. He sustained that elite clip in the postseason, limiting shooters to just 44.8%.

At his age, No. 5 will only continue to ascend on both sides of the ball in the next few seasons. The impact he delivers as a lockdown defender and an elite 3-point shooter — 39.4% on 5.0 attempts per game last season — makes him untouchable in trade talks and an enshrined member in OKC’s richly-talented core.

Related: J-Dub on track for an even better 3-point shooting season in 2024?