OKC Thunder: How Lu Dort can take the next step as a player

As the OKC Thunder remains in rebuild mode, looking for their next star to pair alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they have a ton of interesting prospects on their current roster to develop next to their already top-30 player.

One of those options is a player that Thunder General Manager Sam Presti found as an undrafted free agent, awarding a two-way contract to before eventually seeing his career shape into one of the most important players in the organization, and a top defender in the NBA.

How Lu Dort can leap with the OKC Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder fans have turned Lu Dort into a cult hero, with memes flooding social media, hounding national reporters to pay attention to the incredible defensive performances he showcases each game and everything in between. He is as big of a fan favorite as anyone on this roster.

At just 22 years old, entering his third NBA season, Lu Dort still has a ton of room to grow as a wing who went undrafted during the 2019 draft. Last year, the Arizona State product caught the eyes of the league when he paired his flustering defense with improved shooting, knocking down the deep ball at a 34-percent clip.

That number looks even better if you notice the leap he made from the corner, knocking down triples from the short sides at a 46-percent rate, a 15-percent jump from his rookie season in the same spot via cleaning the glass.

His league average shooting and elite defense already make the 6’4 wing a solidified starter in this league, however, as a benefit to Mark Daigneault and the OKC Thunder brass, there is a clear path for Dort’s game to continue to develop.

Built like a tank, who can handle the ball at an above-average level, it is strange to see this 6’4 215 pound Canadian struggle at the rim as much as he does.

Dort shot just 38-percent from the floor a year ago, largely due to his horrendous 51-percent mark at the rim, down four percentage points from his rookie campaign.

While his corner three-ball puts him in the 72nd percentile of that category, at the rim, he is in the lowly 12th percentile.

His brute strength and ability as a ball-handler should allow him to take on contact and still finish at the rim. With an entire offseason to work on this craft, including some time with the Canadian Olympic team,  it could take his game to another level.

Adding the ability to get to the rim, which will either allow him to convert at a higher pace or get sent to the charity stripe, where he shoots an impressive 74-percent, will allow Dort to not only raise his 14-points per game average but elevate himself firmly into the top-100 player conversation in the league.