Why Sam Presti Says Lu Dort is One of OKC Thunder’s ‘Best Examples of Player Development Recently’

Oklahoma City’s defensive stopper has refined his all around game, in turn making him more valuable as a player.

May 18, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) reaches for the ball as Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) defends during the second quarter in game six of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City has had its fair share of success stories over the years. From the development of top draft picks, to undrafted free agents, trade acquisitions, second round picks, and everything in between, the Thunder’s support staff has become highly regarded in the NBA.

When talking about Josh Giddey and his potential growth moving forward, Thunder general manager Sam Presti pointed out Lu Dort’s quick turnaround as evidence that players can evolve and change over time. Dort went from a high volume, relatively inefficient scorer over the first few years of his Thunder tenure, to a smart player that adapted to his role.

Now, Dort is that exact player that Oklahoma City needs. He’s a leader on the defensive end and can knock down triples on offense. As he continues to evolve and refine, his value will only increase. Last season was the first look at who Dort will be as a player moving forward, and it’s safe to assume he’ll only grow in that role.

“Let's think about where Lu Dort was a couple years ago,” Presti said during his exit interview. “There was a lot being talked about Lu's shot selection and decision making. Not from anyone in this room, of course, but just in general. Lu is maybe our best example of player development recently.”

Presti has a point. Dort is one of Oklahoma City’s best examples of player development, and honestly that title should stretch throughout the league, too. How many undrafted free agents are fighting for All-Defensive teams and playing 35 minutes a night on the No. 1 seed. The list is short, and Dort’s ascension has been impressive.

This season, Dort took the least amount of shot attempts since his rookie year in 2019 and improved every single one of his percentages. His otherworldly defense remained the same, too. He averaged 10.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists on career-highs 43.8% from the floor and 39.4% from 3-point range. His field goal percentage faltered a bit in the postseason but his 3-point percentage stayed at 39.1%.

With another offseason of improvement and finding more comfortability in his lower volume role, Dort could turn into the type of player every team needs on a championship team.

“How did that happen? It's through refinement,” Presti said. “Lu Dort has become an exceptionally more valuable player by refining what he does. It's not always, like, expanding. Everybody thinks about expanding your game. He's actually brought that down.

“A couple years ago I introduced this idea of the mixing board. You can't have everybody turned up to 11 because if someone is turned to 11, you can't hear anybody else on the song. So we have to figure out -- Lu brought his volume down, and that probably allowed Dub some more possessions to explore and figure out who he's going to be. Lu actually became more valuable.”

Dort knows what he does best as a player and doesn’t need to expand his game much further than that. The key now is refinement and mastering his role. He said himself that he doesn’t expect to turn into Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the offseason, he just needs to continue mastering his role. 

Now that Oklahoma City knows he can do it, this is only the beginning of his growth as a player.

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