OKC Thunder: 3 improvements Luguentz Dort needs to make

The OKC Thunder and Luguentz Dort have a really good history and story despite the fact they have only been together for two seasons now. The second-year Canadian guard did not get selected in the 2019 NBA draft but the Thunder then signed him to a two-way contract.

He exploded in the first game he played in the G-League for the OKC Blue. He just continued to work harder than everyone else. He was then called up to the varsity squad and due to his defensive acumen and effort got himself a full contract. It was one of the best stories to come out of sport last season.

When the Thunder blew up their roster last season, Dort was one of the pieces they decided to keep. He is the perfect age for their rebuild, being only 21. He also is an elite-level defender who is only going to get better which is of benefit for the franchise.

The OKC Thunder expanded Luguentz Dort’s role this season.

With so many of their starting five from last season gone, Dort was a lot more involved in the offense this season. As a result, he averaged 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. He shot the ball at 38.7 percent from the floor, 34.3 percent from deep, and 74.4 percent from the line.

Defensively, Dort was still strong even though his 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per game did not show this. He was put on the best opposition guard, mostly forcing him to give the ball up. The only player he struggled to defend was Stephen Curry but he is not alone there. Curry defies defense a lot of the time.

With all this in mind, let’s take a look at the three areas Luguentz Dort needs to improve for next season.