To have one of the greatest regular-season campaigns ever and not have more award finalists is an oxymoron. Perhaps folks just became numb to the Thunder's winning machine. The biggest snub left off was Lu Dort. His teammates campaigned hard for him to be included in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, but weren't loud enough to do so.

Oklahoma City’s dynamic defensive stopper. Many have publicly endorsed him to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, but shockingly, he wasn’t even one of the three finalists listed. For Dort, the lack of recognition is nothing new.

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.