A championship powered by historic defense, the Oklahoma City Thunder boast some of the most prestigious defenders in the NBA. With a team that has so many phenomenal defenders, both perimeter and interior, it’s not easy to determine who the most prominent difference makers are.
No. 5: Cason Wallace
Only 21 years old, Wallace is already an elite perimeter defender. He is one of the biggest perimeter disruptors in the league, thanks to his lightning-quick hands and superb instincts. His defense earned him a starting spot in the first three games of the NBA Finals.
Among qualified players last season, Wallace was fourth in the NBA in steal% (3.1%), along with being fourth in deflections per game (3.6) and fifth in total deflections (244). With him just finishing his second season, he is full of untapped potential on defense, and he could end up being an All-NBA defender sooner rather than later.
(Clip via shotcreator.com)
No. 4: Luguentz Dort
Often viewed as OKC’s best defender by the media, Dort is one of the biggest superstar silencers in the league.
Earning First-Team All-Defense honors last season, Dort finally gets the flowers he deserves. Throughout the 2025 playoffs, there was nobody better than him at locking down stars.
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This shot chart shows Jamal Murray’s shots against Dort this season, with the blue shots representing all of his missed attempts (via databallr.com). His strength and frame allow him to keep up with anybody on the perimeter. He is one of the best “3 & D” players in the league and someone who may have his jersey retired with OKC, given time.
No. 3: Jalen Williams
One of the most versatile defenders in the league, J-Dub is the complete defensive package.
In just his third season, he earned second-team All-Defense. OKC dealt with multiple significant injuries this season, including Chet Holmgren missing the majority of the season, as well as Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein missing considerable time.
In their absence, J-Dub provided excellent rim protection and throughout the season held players to shoot 10.9% worse at the rim. Throughout the season, he proved to be one of the best help defenders in the NBA. He will continue to be one of the most dominant wing defenders in the league and fulfill the expectations of his new contract.
(Stats via craftednba.com)
No. 2: Alex Caruso
Trading for Caruso was a championship-defining moment.
He has been one of the best perimeter defenders in the league for multiple years, and for the second time in his career, it contributed to a ring. In his limited minutes, nobody causes as much chaos as Caruso. Despite him only being 6-foot-5, he was able to provide clutch defense against Nikola Jokic in the playoffs.
(Chart via databallr.com)
Although the shart chart above only shows 11 shot attempts from Jokic against Caruso, he did a pivotal job of denying Jokic the ball or forcing him to make a poor decision, something hardly anybody in the NBA can do. His perimeter defense is unlike anyone else, and will keep him in the NBA for many years.
No. 1: Chet Holmgren
One of the best defenders on the planet, Holmgren is special.
He had a record-breaking five blocks in Game 7 of the Finals. Unfortunately, most of his regular season was derailed by a hip injury, but before it, he was arguably the best defender in the league. In the first 10 games of the season, he forced opponents to shoot just 40.2% from the field.
As the stats above show (via craftednba.com), there wasn’t a better rim protector than Holmgren last season. Because of his historic defensive anchoring, he earned a contract extension. Although there are arguments for Caruso and J-Dub to be more skilled defenders than Holmgren, their rim protection is less valuable than Holmgren’s, resulting in Holmgren being OKC’s best defender.
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