‘Being more efficient’ is an offseason priority for OKC Thunder’s Lu Dort

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Sam Presti doesn’t stump for any one Thunder player during NBA awards season.

“I think all our guys should win all the awards,” he said in his exit interview, but the Thunder general manager endorsed Lu Dort’s All-Defense campaign once voting had closed.

“There are some people not watching the games if he’s not an All-Defensive player,” Presti said, “because if you talk to the (opposing) coaches, he’s the one keeping them up at night, and he does it in a way that’s so consistent and not flamboyant.”

Added Presti: “Our team is drastically different without his defense.”

Dort’s dogged defense is irrefutable, just ask his peers, but his approval rating in Thunderville is as volatile as his jump shot. It’s easier to identify offensive shortcomings than to appreciate stellar defense. Easier to scoff at a Dort clanked 3-pointer or reckless drive to the rim than to admire the niceties of him fighting through screens or shuffling his feet with a squared chest.

More: Chet Holmgren, The Police & ‘fluffy pancakes’: Decoding Thunder GM Sam Presti’s exit interview

Lu Dort’s dogged defense is irrefutable, just ask his peers, but his approval rating in Thunderville is as volatile as his jump shot.

But what seems to bother Dort’s detractors more than anything — and understandably so — is his sometimes glaring lack of awareness on the offensive end, especially when he barrels to the bucket and flings up a prayer. Dort shot a paltry 52% from zero to three feet, ranking 243rd among 245 qualified players from that range.

Dort completed Step 1 by acknowledging that problem in his end-of-season exit interview.

“Sometimes it can get a little heated in a game where I force a little bit,” Dort said, “and that’s some of the stuff I’ve just got to watch film (on) and see what I could have done better. Really that’s the main thing, really taking better shots.”

Dort shot 44% from inside the arc this season, which ranked 239th among those 245 qualified players. Only Damion Lee (Suns), Tim Hardaway Jr. (Mavericks), Killian Hayes (Pistons), Jevon Carter (Bucks), Aaron Holiday (Hawks) and Royce…

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Author : The Oklahoman

Publish date : 2023-04-29 22:10:15

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