Lu Dort's New Role Has Been a Perfect Fit in Oklahoma City

For a good portion of Oklahoma City's rebuild, Lu Dort was the team's second option. At times, he exploded for huge point totals and caught fire from 3-point range. More than not, though, the role looked forced and he was an inefficient shooter.

His offense has always been outweighed by his defense, though. He's been one of the best defenders in the NBA since he entered the league and has been Oklahoma City's motor on the floor. He has countless defensive highlights where his late-game lockdown play has given the Thunder wins.

Now, with Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams blossoming into supporting star roles, Dort has taken a back seat on the offensive end. Instead of trying to force his way into the scoring department or take more shots to get his own, he has adjusted seamlessly to his new role. He looks like a terrific fit in the Thunder's lineup and is rewarding the team's management for sticking with him.

Dort is taking just 7.9 shots per game, the lowest total since his rookie season when he took 6.1 shots. For reference, in 2021, Dort took 14.2 shots per game. He averaged 17.2 points per game but shot just 40.4% from the floor and 33.2% from 3-point range. The other three years of his NBA career, he was under 40% shooting from the floor.

Now, the court has opened up and he's taking what the defense gives him. As the fourth or fifth scoring option in the lineup, his efficiency has improved tremendously.

In 28 minutes per game, Dort is averaging 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 stocks on the defensive end. He's only averaging 0.9 turnovers and putting the ball on the floor much less. Overall, Dort is shooting 46% from the floor, 41.1% from 3-point range and 82.5% from the free throw line.

The biggest sign is he only has a 57.1% usage rate, which is far down the ladder on the team. He has continued his high-level defense and upped his efficiency on the offensive end. The way Dort has adapted to his new role is a big reason for the Thunder's success.

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