OKC Thunder two-way player Luguentz Dort has been a defensive dynamo, there are offensive aspects to his game which he needs to improve.
Luguentz Dort has experienced an interesting season for the OKC Thunder franchise. Devon Hall was the preferred two-way player at the start of the season meaning that Dort was playing G-League ball for the OKC Blue.
He started the season with a bang, scoring 35 points against the South Bay Lakers. He used a combination of power, shooting, and defense leading to offense to dominate the start of the G-League season.
It seemed like the majority of the season passed before Dort was finally called up to the varsity squad. What was the result? Well, he made a defensive play against the Minnesota Timberwolves which allowed the Thunder to come back from an almost impossible situation to win.
We all remember the Steven Adams’ length of the floor pass to Dennis Schroder which sent the game into overtime. It was the defensive hustle and the dive on the floor to get the ball back by Dort which made that possible.
SHEEEESH LUUUUU 😤 @luguentz | #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/uVLU89n0Vi
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) February 6, 2020
He has taken some of the most difficult defensive assignments the NBA has to offer and has done well. How well I hear you ask? Well, Coach Billy Donovan has started him for the past 12 games, even over Terrance Ferguson who came back after personal leave.
What is more impressive is that Dort is watching film for his defensive assignments. Most players need to practice with their teammates to get the level of understanding and chemistry Dort already has with his team. The Thunder is not wasting his 45 days on practice though, it is all game time.
More from Thunderous Intentions
- Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder
- Should the OKC Thunder chase after a disgruntled hometown hero?
- 3 OKC Thunder players who can step up in Aleksej Pokusevski’s absence
- Aleksej Pokusevski sidelined approximately 6 weeks with ankle injury
- Damian Lillard does not fit with the OKC Thunder
However, there are still some areas of his game Dort needs to work on. This brings us to the point of what Dort needs to improve on for the rest of the season.
3-point shooting
The knock on Dort when he came out of college was his 3-point shooting. He shot the ball at 30.7 percent from deep in his one season at Arizona State. He is not setting the world on fire from deep for the OKC Thunder either.
Dort is only hitting 0.8 of his 2.5 attempts per game. This is good for 30.0 percent which is not good enough considering that the majority of his shots are wide open. Dort needs to be able to hit these shots for his own benefit and that of the team.
If the guard can hit these shots, his defender cannot cheat off him to help others. Dort also will be able to use his explosive ability to get to the rim or to create for others.
If Dort can do this then the starting five for the OKC Thunder becomes even more dangerous