Opinion: Missing the Olympics is Good for Lu Dort

Team Canada failed to qualify for the Olympics, meaning Lu Dort can finally rest this offseason.

Over the weekend, Lu Dort and Team Canada failed to qualify for this year’s Olympics in Tokyo.

And while it’s disappointing for Canada, who hasn’t qualified for the Olympics since 2000, Dort will now get a much needed breather.

The pandemic has thrown off everyone’s schedule, and as a result, the NBA is operating on a super condensed timeline.

Per an ESPN report released at the beginning of June, non-COVID related injuries are up five percent across the NBA.

While a majority of the injuries were labeled as soft tissue injuries, such as a hamstring strain, the long-term effects of players not having the proper time to recover after games is yet to be seen.

The Oklahoma City Thunder were proactive this past season, ensuring they did everything they could to protect their young stars.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was shut down for the year after playing in 35 games. The young star was diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis, and Sam Presti said after the season that Gilgeous-Alexander was able to avoid surgery due to OKC’s caution with him.

Dort was no different.

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Toward the end of the season, Dort rarely played both nights of a back-to-back, sitting 10 of the Thunder’s last 20 games.

Dort and Gilgeous-Alexander are the future for Oklahoma City, there’s no reason to risk the long term health of either player for the Olympics this summer. Gilgeous-Alexander had already opted out, but Dort would have had his offseason reduced to just about a month if Canada had qualified for the Olympic Games.

There will be plenty more chances for Dort to star for his country. In the long run, putting Dort into a new role for Team Canada will help him continue to grow as an all-around basketball player, but his development won’t happen all at once and missing out on the Olympics this summer won’t stunt that growth.

Taking the offseason off to properly recover and take care of the body will do more good for Dort at this stage in his career than taking the floor in Tokyo at the end of July.