Can Lu Dort Replicate Offensive Success After a Career-Year in Efficiency?

One of the best developmental stories within the Thunder organization, and the NBA in general, has been Oklahoma City guard Lu Dort. After impressing on a short term contract during his first few seasons with the team, Dort was given a hefty five-year deal — and it was due to his defensive abilities. Knowing the type of player he has turned into on offense — Oklahoma City got a steal.

Dort has improved every single season as an offensive player, and each improvement has been drastically different. Part of that is due to his role constantly changing, as the makeup of the Thunder’s team has also been changing. He had to play the role of volume shooter, and while it was an inefficient role for him, it truly helped him grow as a player. It certainly helped most with self reflection, though, and helped the Thunder present a plan to him of how he could maximize his talent moving forward.

“I would say my shot selection was a big one,” Dort said when speaking about challenging adjustments at the team’s media day. “Obviously when we had a lot of guys down, and I was one of the guys that was healthy, I was able to play and I had a big task on my back. But other than that, just I had a lot of good conversation with the coaching staff. And I wanted to get better myself and be more efficient and all that.

“So we went through a whole plan and we spoke about some of the stuff that was better for me and for the team as well. And so I just followed it. I know it was going to be best for me and best for the team. And it worked out and it's still working out. So I'm going to stick to that plan.”

That self reflection and clarity helped him become the player he is today, though. And that player is pretty darn good.

Dort averaged 10.1 points per game last season — his lowest total since his rookie campaign. But he was easily the best version of himself as a player and was a huge reason why the Thunder won the NBA Finals. He shot a career-high 41.2% from 3-point range — the most impressive part of his development story. During his first season in the NBA, Dort shot just 29.7% from long range and was an offensive liability. A season ago, he took nearly six threes per game.

His role on the Thunder is perfect and exactly what Oklahoma City needed a season ago — and still needs now. Which begs the question, can this efficiency continue? The easy answer is yes — there’s no reason to think the development would stop now.

Dort’s offensive game has been trending upwards every single year. Whether he was scoring more points in an elevated role that the Thunder needed at the time, or trimming down his shot volume to increase his efficiency, he has been ever-evolving as a player.

He spoke about his development continuing with every passing season, and how he’s not satisfied which is exactly what Oklahoma City should want to hear. He has figured out a way to improve every season, and with that mindset there’s no reason to think that stops now. If he can replicate his offensive success, he will once again play a huge role on a championship level team — and continue upping his price in the process.