Lu Dort Starting for Team Canada Provides Valuable Opportunities

The Oklahoma City Thunder have seen Lu Dort head to the Olympics for Team Canada and insert himself into the starting lineup.

Jul 27, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Canada guard Luguentz Dort (0) defends against Greece point guard Thomas Walkup (0) in the second half during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder have sent superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and defensive ace Lu Dort to the Olympics to participate in the games for their home country Team Canada. The OKC Thunder have already seen Team Canada go 1-0 in their group stage with a massive win over Greece.

On the opening night of group play, Team Canada elected to start Dort over star guard Jamal Murray. This gives Dort a valuable opportunity to be a trusted defender in highly competitive games playing under a different set of rules in a more physical enviornment.

Each season following the Olympics, players rave about how much the summer games helped prepare them for the NBA campaign - many experiencing career seasons.

Team Canada is asking Dort to play in the exact role Oklahoma City does - hit open triples and lock down the opposing team's scoring threat. Dort is able to give the Canadians the luxury of bringing Murray off the bench.

This allows Team Canada to start games with suffocating defense and elongate their scoring punch covering the game's minutes with two lethal on ball scorers in Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray staggering out for one another.

Dort earning the nod in the first five also allows him to play a role more similar to what is expected of him in the NBA rather than coming off the pine where more would be asked of him offensively.

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