Award season for the NBA is about to come to an end. On Friday, May 23rd, the All-NBA teams will announce the final awards. May 21st, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the MVP. Now, on May 22nd, the Thunder earned two nods for the All-Defensive team. One was a player who has been regarded as one of the best defenders for the past few years, but has now received his first selection. The second is a breakout star who helped propel the Thunder to where they are now.
Thunder Showcase Dominance on All-Defensive Teams
It took years for Luguentz Dort to finally get the recognition he deserves. For years, he has been one of the league’s best perimeter defenders but never made an All-Defensive team. Now, he did just that, making the All-Defensive first team. Joining in this year is Jalen Williams, who made the All-Defensive second team in his breakout season. Williams was also selected as an All-Star this season and has a chance at an All-NBA team. Let’s examine the path they took to earn these accolades.
The Dorture Chamber
Lu Dort earned his nickname “The Dorture Chamber” in the NBA bubble during Covid. A clip of him went viral guarding LeBron James, where he had his hands in his face and seemed like a pest. He locked down every player in that season, getting compared to a torture chamber. Hence, the birth of “The Dorture Chamber.”
Ever since then, he has been touted as one of the best defenders in the NBA. This would have earned him multiple All-Defensive teams, but this was his first selection. Last year, he was one of, if not the biggest, snubs from the teams. He is always tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter defender, which may be the reason why this is only his first selection.
He has also never won a Defensive Player of the Year award. It will be a long time until a guard wins the award again, but Dort will surely be next in line. Dort earned every bit of this selection as the spearhead of this monstrous defense. He does not put up insane stats, but his impact is shown in the film. To understand his defensive prowess, you have to watch the games.
Jalen Williams
Jalen Williams is a jack of all trades. He came onto the scene as an offensive powerhouse, able to score from anywhere. When he was with Oklahoma City, he looked like a shade of Russell Westbrook. Now, his defense has taken the leap, able to guard every position on the court.
When Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren were out at the same time, the Thunder needed a center. Williams stepped into that role. He was not the best center in the role, but the Thunder would have been doomed without him. The Thunder had a 3-3 record with Williams as the starting center. Yes, 6-foot-6 Jalen Williams.
He also had the stats to back these selections up, racking up 1.6 steals and .0.7 blocks a game. What truly earned him this selection is his versatility as a defender. He is so athletic that it enables him to guard every single position. If an opposing player blows right by him, he can also catch right back up for a chase-down block. This will surely not be his last selection.
Rest of the Voting
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace also earned votes. Wallace received just three second-team votes, and Gilgeous-Alexander received 10 second-team votes and one first-team vote. The Thunder showed their dominance on defense with these All-Defensive team votes and selections. Now, it is time to see if this defense can win them a championship.
Featured image: © Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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