Keys to the Thunder's dominant victory over the Clippers

The growth and maturity of Lu Dort's game

I feel like this game perfectly illustrated the growth that Lu Dort has made in his game. His defense is as dogged as it’s always been. The problem with Dort in the past was that his offensive game struggled from poor decision making. This season, as players like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren have taken on more of the offensive load, Dort has been willing to take a backseat. 

While his raw scoring numbers have suffered, it’s clear that this reduction in role has been positive for the Thunder and Dort alike. He’s having his best three-point shooting season of his career. Cleaning the Glass shows that Dort has upped both his frequency and his accuracy of shots beyond the arc. Tonight’s game saw Dort hit a commendable 3 out of 6 from deep.

There were moments during this game where I saw Dort winding himself up to attack the basket, only to pull the ball back out and find a better shot for a teammate. The Dort of last season would have lowered his head and fired off a DOA layup. Not anymore. Dort’s improved shot selection is a sign of trust in his teammates and real maturity as a player.