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Thunder’s Mark Daigneault reveals closing gap of importance amid traditional NBA bigs

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints | By Josue Pavon | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 6:56 PM ET

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault finished the 2024-25 regular season with two of his players, All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort, two guards, as candidates for DPOY. After explaining his reasoning, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins supports Dort in the DPOY race over Golden Sate Warriors veteran Draymond Green. Perkins observed Green call for help defense, whereas Daigneault knows, Lu doesn’t.

Daigneault also understands the importance of having a strong defender in the backcourt, especially in today’s NBA.

“Rim protection matters and has a downstream effect on your defense, for sure, but so does perimeter play,” Daigneault said. “The league has become increasingly perimeter-oriented on offense even if you look at some of the best bigs in the league. They’re the best bigs because of what they do on the perimeter as bigs. So, the game has evolved into a more perimeter-oriented game. There’s more pace, there’s more space, there’s more three-point shooting than ever, which puts a premium on perimeter defense as well.

“So, I think, the traditional rim protector, that’s still highly impactful, that still has a lot to do with your defense being really good. But, I would say, the gap between perimeter and big is close significantly, or becomes equalized because of how the game has changed,” Daigneault concluded.

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault watched Dort finished as a top three candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. He’s in the mix with Green and Cleveland Cavs All-Star Evan Mobley with best odds of winning this year’s honor.

Why Kendrick Perkins changed his DPOY pick to Thunder’s Lu Dort

Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) celebrate after scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at Paycom Center Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Thunder guard Lu Dort believes guards are neglected for DPOY consideration. But one of the things that caught ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins’ eye is how Dort covers an opposing player one-on-one, whereas Green leads on help defense from the Warriors.

Perkins pointed this difference between the two Defensive Player of the Year candidates, per The Road Trippin podcast.

“I’m watching that game, and I’m watching Draymond guard Zubac, and when they throw it into that low block, guess what I see coming? A trap! So I’m like no, no, no,” Perkins said. “If you’re the Defensive Player of the Year, there’s no help. There’s no help, I got him straight up. There’s no double-teaming on that.”

Perkins also backed up his case with by highlighting how opposing guards’ scoring production diminish against Dort and the Thunder compared to their regular-season average, and the decline is drastic.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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