Lu Dort Turns Hawks Into Defensive Juggernaut, Fans Aren’t Buying It – “Who Scores?”

The Oklahoma City Thunder sent guard Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for three second-round picks.

Lu Dort Turns Hawks Into Defensive Juggernaut, Fans Aren’t Buying It – “Who Scores?”

Lu Dort's move to Hawks elevates their defense (Image via FirstSportz)

There is no doubt in the minds of everyone that offense wins games, while defense wins championships. It seems the Atlanta Hawks have been working hard to get better on the latter, with their latest trade for Lu Dort building what could be a defensive juggernaut.

The Canadian’s effort on that side of the ball was one of the reasons the Oklahoma City Thunder managed to win the 2025 NBA championship. Then, when they struggled offensively last season, his defense kept them in games more than a few times.

More importantly, the stocky guard always set the tone for others to follow. That example forced the others to follow his lead, which is why the Thunder were the league’s best defensive team in the 2025-26 season.

The Hawks are hoping the 27-year-old guard will do the same for them, particularly when the going gets tough. The team already has stellar defensive aces such as Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

But where they struggled last year was when they had to close games. In clutch situations, Lu Dort has usually come up good, which is probably why the Hawks did not hesitate to send three second-round picks to the Thunder and former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal.

With this addition, the Eastern Conference team will probably have the best perimeter defense in the league. It will be a tough ask for opposing players to get past this unit helmed by Lu Dort if they want to attack the rim. That might be a bold move to stifle opponents so that they can score enough and win.

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Fans doubt Hawks’ ability to score after Lu Dort trade

While basketball fans had no question marks on the Atlanta Hawks’ defense going into next season, what they wondered was how the team would counter the need to score more points than their opponents. The lack of points was embarrassingly evident during their first-round exit this past postseason.

They pointed out that neither Lu Dort, Dyson Daniels, nor Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a proven scorer. The lack of production on the perimeter might come back to bite them. Check out examples of those reactions below.

The Hawks have seemingly shifted from an offensive-minded approach to one focusing on defense. Trading away Trae Young was the first move, and now Dort’s confirms their desire to stop opponents.

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Hawks might need one more move before becoming legitimate contenders in the East

After trading for Lu Dort, the Atlanta Hawks will probably start CJ McCollum, the former Thunder star, Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu next season, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker coming in off the bench.

Veteran guard CJ McCollum
Veteran guard CJ McCollum (Image via Hawks/X)

Most of their scoring will be dependent on Johnson and the veteran guard McCollum. Placing that burden on the latter might come back to bite them, since the Ohio native is 34 years old. Lu Dort did average 17 points in a season, but that was some time ago.

Aging guards struggle to remain healthy later in their careers, which is why the Hawks should look at bringing in some additional scoring help. That may already be solved in the form of rookie point guard Kingston Flemings.

Again, the East has just become tougher with the recent offseason moves. The Hawks might need more than just a young rookie to help them take the fight against the big boys. They could try to bring back a certain Jonathan Kuminga after his electric performances. But the forward might already be on his way to Los Angeles.

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