Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault appreciated Isaiah Hartenstein advocating for Lu Dort, protesting that the Thunder guard wasn't named a finalist for DPOY. Hartenstein wasn't the only one pulling for Lu. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander endorsed Dort for DPOY, and so did his fellow All-Star teammate Jalen Williams.

Daigneault addressed the support for Dort when a reporter mentioned the snub for Defensive Player of the Year.

“The only thing I'll say about that is the way that his teammates respond to that. Both the way that they handled the build-up to it. How hard they were pulling for him,” Daigneault said. “And then, the response they had to it, which was disappointment for him, I think, speaks volumes. Not only to his impact as a defender, but more importantly, to his gravity, his impact inside the locker room, I just think it shows the amount of respect that he's built over a long period of time.

“And ultimately, when all is said and done and the awards are handed out, and all the stuff, at the end of the day, it comes down to the respect that you have of the people you're around the most, and he has the utmost respect of his teammates,” Daigneault concluded.

Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green, Cleveland Cavs All-Star Evan Mobley, and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels were named DPOY finalists.

Isaiah Hartenstein's Draymond Green jab after Lu Dort's DPOY sub

Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) warms up before the start of a game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Paycom Center.
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After Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama suffered a season-ending health condition, Warriors' Draymond Green announced his goal to win DPOY on the Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis. When a reporter asked Isaiah Hartenstein for his reaction to Thunder guard Lu Dort not making it as a finalist for DPOY, he joked about starting a podcast. It's the kind of support Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was alluding to.

For Hartenstein, Dort should not only be a finalist but also win the 2024-25 award.

“I might need to get a podcast with Lu, maybe. So, I don't know,” Hartenstein said. “If you watched him all year, he's been great. The finalists are great defenders, but watching Lu do what he does on a nightly basis — that's what people don't see, and what the stats don't show. He's been great all year. For me, he's Defensive Player of the Year.”

Dort finished the regular season with the third-best odds of winning this year's Defensive Player of the Year award. The Thunder will wait to see if he'll be named to his first All-Defensive First team.