Luguentz Dort Showing Flashes of Potential Future Role

Dort has shown that he can excel in a lesser role.

During the season, Lu Dort has seen both ups and downs. With the Oklahoma City Thunder picking up steam with the new year rolling in, Dort has seen flashes at what his next few seasons could look like in terms of his role.

His shot volume from this season and last season alike will naturally go away, as the Thunder have been building with young talent that will all require shots.

From last season to this season, Dort is shooting 2.4 less shots per game. Next season, that’s likely to go further down. Chet Holmgren will return, and assuming Jalen Williams continues to improve, the two will require a solid chunk of shots.

It’s no secret that Dort’s best trait as a basketball player is on the defensive side of the ball. Defense is what secured Dort a real NBA contract, and it’s how he’s earning his $17.5 million per year contract. No matter what, he’s going to play an integral role on that end of the floor.

This season, Dort has locked up each of Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic and Jamal Murray in clutch moments where the opposing teams’ star is looking for a clutch basket. He’s also done it in other situations in years’ past.

Offensively, Dort isn’t much more efficient than last season. His 3-point percentage is up 2.5 percent, which is a positive trend. Overall, his efficiency from the field is only up 0.2 percent.

Diving further into the stats, Dort shoots 37.9 percent of his 3-pointers as catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, and he knocks down 36.8 percent of them in doing so, slightly above his season average on total triples.

Looking onto next season, Dort will be taking less shots, meaning he will have less volume but better looks. Because of that, we will see Dort continue to be dominant on defense while providing only what is needed on the offensive end. His total game as a player will be opened up when there aren’t extra shots and usage to be had.

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