How OKC Thunder Assistant Chip Engelland Helped Lu Dort Improve from Beyond the Arc
Over the past month, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort has been one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA.
Since the All-Star break, the fifth-year veteran from Arizona State has shot over 49% from beyond the arc, the highest percentage in the NBA among players with at least five 3-point attempts per game.
On the season, Dort is shooting 41.3% from downtown on five attempts per game, an impressive number for a player who is also a fierce defender, and usually matches up with the opposing team's best offensive player.
Dort's 3-point percentage is by far the highest of his career, with his previous season-high being 34.3% in 2020-21.
The former undrafted free agent credited his improved shooting numbers to taking high-quality shots in the rhythm of the game.
"I used to take some wild shots," Dort said after practice on Tuesday. "It’s that simple, I used to take some wild shots and, you know, credit to my trainers and the staff here, I watched a lot of film. You know, it took some time to get there but, I’m happy where I’m at and I’m going to keep taking good shots."
Two years ago, Dort attempted a career-high 7.7 3-point attempts per game, dropping to just 5.5 attempts per game last season. In 2023-34, the Canadian guard is taking the the lowest number of 3-point attempts per game since his rookie campaign.
Despite his number of shots decreasing, Dort said the transition hasn't been difficult.
"It’s not really hard. It’s for the best of the team and it’s for the best of me at the same time too. You know, Just being more efficient and doing everything I can do to help my team," Dort said.
"You know, when I take bad shots, it doesn’t help my team, it doesn’t help me either. … So, you know, it’s just that, playing inside the game, playing inside our system."
Mark Daigneault, the coach who helped engineer the Thunder's system, agreed that Dort's shot selection has improved, also crediting Oklahoma City's renowned shooting coach, Chip Engelland.
"He’s got a lot of wisdom. He’s got a very simple approach to it, he works very intimately with a few players, and I think he’s done a great job there," Daigneault said of Engelland.
"All of our coaches have worked really hard to learn more about skill acquisition, which, you know, shooting is probably number one on that list. Some of the shooting improvements we’re seeing are shots we’re not taking. Everybody talks about the improvement of the shots you’re taking an making, but a guy like Lu Dort, he’s shooting 40 percent as much because of his improvement as a shooter, but also because of the ones he’s laying off of."
Engelland, who played college basketball at Duke, began his coaching career with brief stints in Detroit and Denver before joining the Spurs as an assistant coach from 2005-2022.
During his time in the Modern Frontier, Engelland has helped Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Joe and Jalen Williams all improve their 3-point percentage from last season to this year.
Additionally, rookies like Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren have been solid perimeter shooters all season, giving the Thunder a good fit with their drive-and-kick playstyle.
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