Jalen Williams says Alex Caruso and Lu Dort are already meshing on the court

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s mission was evident when they acquired Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls in last June’s blockbuster. While they were already an elite defensive club, they got several notches better with the addition of a perennial All-Defensive guard.

Defense wins championships in the NBA, which is the age-old idea that the Thunder clearly stands for. Featuring outstanding isolation scorers like superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the quickly ascending Jalen Williams, OKC will have plenty of offense to bury opponents next season. That’s not to mention the number of elite perimeter snipers on the roster.

But perhaps even more than the damage they can deliver offensively, the Thunder will look to lock teams down and establish themselves as the league’s top multi-faceted squad.

An early look at OKC’s defense

We’ll get a detailed overview of what this defense can accomplish this season when Oklahoma City clashes with the Denver Nuggets on the opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season. But for now, the most we have are training camp anecdotes.

The Thunder kicked off the new season’s activities on Monday, Day 1 of this year’s training camp. For the first time since May, the players took the court and engaged in some meaningful action. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stressed the importance of treating each day as a step in the right direction. It seems that the players absorbed that message instantly.

On Day 2 of camp, “J-Dub” was particularly moved by what he saw from Caruso and Lu Dort, two of the team’s top on-ball defenders. The dynamic defensive tandem is already bringing full intensity to the season.

“They complement each other well,” says Williams of the superstar defensive duo. “I feel like Shai is better to ask because they are switching onto him every other possession. It’s been a cool dynamic to watch them defensively compete with them. It’s a good dynamic.”

While Caruso and Dort aren’t expected to be in the starting lineup together, it is safe to assume they’ll share a healthy number of minutes on the court during the season. Oklahoma City can center many lineups around these two, as they bring 3-point shooting and transition scoring on the other side of the ball.

Lu’s agility and brute strength, Alex’s anticipation in the passing lanes, and brilliance defending the pick-and-roll make this pair one of the most devastating two-way tandems in the league.

Related: Aaron Wiggins is glad he is playing for the OKC Thunder on a long-term deal