OKC Thunder: 3 keys to end losing streak in Portland
OKC Thunder key no. 2 -Luguentz Dort versus Damian Lillard
Speaking of Lillard, although we’ll be invested in the battle between the Blazers star and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the more intriguing battle may be on the defensive end.
Just as Luguentz Dort handled the James Harden defensive assignment presumably he’ll also take on Lillard.
As noted McCollum was the Blazers star who shot out of the gate with big games at season start while Lillard eased into the campaign.
| Season | G | MP | FGA | FG% | 3PA | 3P% | 2PA | 2P% | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-13 | 82 | 38.6 | 15.7 | .429 | 6.1 | .368 | 9.6 | .469 | 3.9 | .844 | 3.1 | 6.5 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 19.0 |
| 2013-14 | 82 | 35.8 | 15.9 | .424 | 6.8 | .394 | 9.1 | .447 | 5.2 | .871 | 3.5 | 5.6 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 20.7 |
| 2014-15 | 82 | 35.7 | 16.6 | .434 | 7.0 | .343 | 9.6 | .500 | 4.9 | .864 | 4.6 | 6.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 21.0 |
| 2015-16 | 75 | 35.7 | 19.7 | .419 | 8.1 | .375 | 11.5 | .450 | 6.2 | .892 | 4.0 | 6.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 25.1 |
| 2016-17 | 75 | 35.9 | 19.8 | .444 | 7.7 | .370 | 12.1 | .492 | 7.3 | .895 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 27.0 |
| 2017-18 | 73 | 36.6 | 19.4 | .439 | 8.6 | .361 | 10.8 | .501 | 7.4 | .916 | 4.5 | 6.6 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 26.9 |
| 2018-19 | 80 | 35.5 | 19.2 | .444 | 8.0 | .369 | 11.1 | .499 | 6.4 | .912 | 4.6 | 6.9 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 25.8 |
| 2019-20 | 66 | 37.5 | 20.4 | .463 | 10.2 | .401 | 10.2 | .524 | 7.8 | .888 | 4.3 | 8.0 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 30.0 |
| 2020-21 | 15 | 36.1 | 19.1 | .453 | 10.1 | .384 | 9.1 | .529 | 8.1 | .950 | 4.7 | 6.8 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 28.9 |
| Career | 630 | 36.4 | 18.3 | .438 | 7.8 | .373 | 10.4 | .486 | 6.1 | .891 | 4.2 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 24.3 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/25/2021.
He’s amped up his output the past five games averaging 34.4 points, 7.6 assists, and is shooting 40.4 from the perimeter.
As for Lu Dort, his primary function is as the primary defender on the club and is a job he continues to do extremely well. If anything, his numbers may experience a dip due to new players integrating into the system with many young players among them.
The pleasant surprise is his offense which is experiencing a big uptick this year. Lu is averaging 13.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game through 15 games. Yet, the most pleasant surprise is his improvement from the perimeter where he is shooting 40.5 percent on 5.6 attempts per game.
No one can stop Lillard so Dort’s goal will be to try to limit the All-Star. Something to watch for early is whether Mark Daigneault handles this assignment primarily with Dort of has a host of players guard him to mix things up.
In the past few seasons, Dame’s tendency has been to get his teammates rolling early and taking more of the primary scoring responsibilities in the second half and specifically the fourth quarter.