Lu Dort's Shooting Is Coming Alive for Thunder

A mixture of streakiness and consistent play has defined the career of Oklahoma City Thunder wing Luguentz Dort, with constant dominant defense combined with an up-and-down three-point shot. After having his best two seasons shooting the ball from distance in back-to-back seasons, a slow start was inevitable.

To start the season, Dort's long ball struggled to go down the hatch, shooting just 19.4% from three in his first seven games of the season, struggling to find any consistency on offense. In his last seven games, however, Dort is shooting 43.2% from deep and his three-point percentage has climbed up to 33.8% on the season.

In the last two games for the Thunder, Dort has let it fly and has converted on his opportunities, hitting four threes on 10 attempts against the Portland Trail Blazers and three threes on four attempts against the Golden State Warriors. If the seventh-year guard can continue to get back to the level from distance he was on last season, that just adds another element to a dominant Thunder team.

As a matter of fact, Dort was a game-high plus-33 in the Thunder's win over the Warriors Friday night, proving that his team plays at its best when his dominant on-ball defense is combined with knockdown three-point marksmanship. When he knocks down shots, the offensive spacing is much more spread out, opening driving lanes for ball-handling guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell to get to the rim and score.

Shots falling were soon to come for Dort, as he is shooting a career-high 94.1% from the free-throw line this season, a percentage that sits at No. 6 in the NBA. His high-arcing shot is a big blow for the opposition, with the majority of his three-point attempts coming in the back half of the shot clock.

The Thunder succeed when Dort knocks down triples as well. This season, when he hits three or more triples, the Thunder have a 7-2 record; in the last three seasons, their record is 52-16.

The Arizona State University product is a player whose offense excels with momentum and confidence, with the Thunder picking up steam yet again and his triple starting to fall, Dort's confidence will never shy away.

A consistent Dort from downtown will help a Thunder team searching for consistent shooting mightily. His last run of games could be a sign that the tides are changing for his shot.