Despite Success this Season, OKC Thunder Guard Lu Dort Says Team Has 'More to Prove'
After an impressive year in 2022-23, the Oklahoma City Thunder have opened the new season on an even more impressive note.
At 21-9, OKC is second in the Western Conference, trailing only the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team the Thunder beat by 23 just five days ago. This was the start of a three-game win streak that Oklahoma City is still in the midst of, taking down the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks in their last two matchups.
Despite handily beating some of the best teams in the league, OKC's players are well-aware that they still have plenty to prove in the NBA landscape.
"Just knowing that we have a long season to go and even though we beat some good teams, we doing good, we just got still a lot to prove and we still young and we still got so much more room to grow," fifth-year guard Lu Dort told Nick Gallo.
"But, you know, we just not done yet. We want more."
Such a young team carrying the mature mindset that Dort is describing bodes well for the Thunder's future. Despite OKC's youth, the team doesn't appear to be complacent in their success.
As Dort mentions, this starts with the team's leader, superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Each season throughout the course of his NBA career, Gilgeous-Alexander has shown noticeable improvement, indicating that he has a good work ethic in the offseason.
Additionally, this same mindset is carried on by the younger players on the team, like Chet Holmgren. Throughout his young career, Holmgren has been known as a hard-worker and a player who is focused on improving his craft.
During his rookie season, Holmgren's improvements as the year has progressed are evident. If Holmgren continues his pattern of hard work and attacks the offseason the same way his teammates have, he will continue to blossom into one of the best big men in the league.
As the season continues on, the Thunder will look to keep pace with the lofty expectations they have set for themselves early in the season. While it may seem like a challenge to maintain their current standing in the Western Conference playoff race, OKC's drive and determination will give the team a chance to keep their position in the postseason standings.
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