Has OKC Thunder’s Lu Dort Reached His Peak As a 3-Point Shooter?

Lu Dort enjoyed a career year from behind the 3-point line a season ago.

May 15, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA;Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) shoots a three-point basket as Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) defends during the first quarter of game five of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has the perfect mix of talent to make a deep run this year. After offseason acquisitions, the team is the favorite to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. An MVP candidate, rising stars, elite role players and top-notch defenders is the perfect recipe for success — and Oklahoma City checks all the boxes.

One of the team’s most underrated pieces at this point seems to be Lu Dort, someone that has been a core piece since the beginning of the rebuild. Dort has been tossed around in trade hypotheticals and his game has been dissected over the last few seasons, but he has always been around for the long haul. There’s a reason that the Thunder’s management paid him early to lock him down for the foreseeable future. He has done enough to warrant his pay day and his play has rewarded the Thunder’s vision.

Dort is heading into year three of his five-year contract with the Thunder and it seems like he’s just now starting to perfect his role. Last season was the perfect example of Dort’s growth as a player and how he can help the team moving forward. He decreased his volume and enjoyed career-high percentages across the board. Dort averaged 10.9 points on 43.8% from the floor and 39.4% from 3-point range. His unexpected jump from the outside helped the Thunder rank amongst the NBA’s best offenses.

Was his shooting performance last season his peak as a flamethrower in the NBA? It’s a fair question to ask. His 39.4% 3-point average is a clear outlier from the rest of his career. His second highest season percentage from outside was 34.3% all the way back in 2020.

While it feels like a clear peak, Dort is certainly taking better shots now. He doesn’t have to do as much within the Thunder’s offense and there’s more talent around him than ever before. He bought into the team mentality last year and let the game come to him.

Maybe Dort has another gear with an offseason of improvement, but with the data we have, it feels like 39.4% from 3-point range is likely around his peak as an outside shooter. And that’s perfectly fine for the Thunder. The team has a handful of elite 3-point shooters, all Dort ever needed to do was take efficient shots and hover around that 36% mark from long range.

If he can hit the open corner triples and heat up occasionally, he’s doing his part. His defense will always be why he’s getting paid the big bucks, and the 39.4% from long range was just the cherry on top.

Even if last season was his shooting peak, the Thunder will still thrive with him on the floor. He might not be a 40% 3-point shooter, but he has improved so much that opposing teams have to respect his outside shot — and that’s all that has ever mattered. He will be a big piece to the Thunder’s success next season and beyond.

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