Lu Dort is Proving his Value and Future Role with Thunder

On Tuesday, as the Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Los Angeles Clippers in the first of two games in a baseball series-styled matchup, the game came down to the final possession. The Clippers had a chance to win the game, as the Thunder led 101-100.

Lu Dort matched up with Kawhi Leonard, who had a chance to win the game. Though the Clippers threw screens at Dort and tried to shake his defense, he didn’t budge. He stuck with Leonard, making it hard for Leonard to get to his spots on the floor, eventually forcing Leonard to not get a shot off to win the game.

The final play of this game brings plenty of weight. The Thunder had continued to strike out when trying to reach a .500 record. Their only successful attempt was when they were 2-3 and advanced to 3-3.

Dort made the final play to give them a 36-36 record and finally reached a .500 after ten unsuccessful attempts.

“That’s how I made my name in this league,” Dort told the media after the win over the Clippers. “Good night shooting or bad night shooting, my defense is always going to be there.”

This wasn’t a one-off situation for Dort. He’s been doing this for the Thunder, and has constantly proved his value in that facet of the game.

"Yeah, I saw it in Denver against Jamal Murray,” Mark Daigneault said. “I saw it in Dallas against Doncic, I saw it in the playoffs against Harden for like seven straight games.”

Even Daigneault missed one of Dort’s biggest stops in his second year, as he forced LeBron James into an airball, as the two were on an island and James had a chance to ice the game.

Taking all of these situations into account, Dort has constantly proved that no matter what, he’s got a spot on this team as they continue to push towards contention over the next few years.

For those worried about his offensive production, remember that Chet Holmgren’s arrival will help patch some holes overall for the offense, making life easier on Dort offensively. Dort will play a key role in stopping an opposing team’s star in a playoff series again in the coming years, as we saw in his rookie year against Harden.

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