Hoops Habit
Fansided

OKC Thunder: 3 must-watch storylines this coming season

By James Mueller

DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 14: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 14, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 14: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during a preseason game at American Airlines Center on October 14, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
OKC Thunder Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
OKC Thunder Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images /

2. Has Lu Dort improved as a shooter?

Lu Dort made his name known nationally in OKC’s playoff series against Houston because of the job he did defending James Harden, arguably the hardest player in the NBA to guard one-on-one. Dort is a rare player who has the combination of size, strength, speed, and length to be able to defend anyone in the league.

While the 21-year old undrafted rookie certainly proved he has many appearances on the NBA’s All-Defensive Team and possibly even Defensive Player of the Year awards in his future, the biggest question is his shooting.

Dort took the league by storm in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs against the Rockets, scoring a game-high 30 points, including six 3-pointers, which set the record for the most points scored in a Game 7 by a player 21 or younger in NBA history. But this is not the typical offensive production the Thunder got from Dort, who averaged 6.8 points of 39.4 percent shooting from the field during the regular season.

The Thunder certainly will not ask Dort to score 30 per game but they desperately need him to improve as a 3-point shooter moving forward. Dort shot 29.7 percent from beyond the arc as a rookie and his 3-point struggles were a major storyline in the playoffs, with the exception of Game 7.

Before Game 7, Dort shot an abysmal 18.4 percent from deep, and as a result, the Rockets did not even make an effort to guard him on the perimeter. This left the Thunder playing a lot of four on five offensively.

In no way is OKC asking Dort to become a sharpshooter, but they simply need him to be able to consistently knock down open 3-pointers, shooting in the mid-30s, so that opposing defenses are forced to guard Dort on the perimeter.

Dort has reportedly spent a lot of the offseason focusing on improving his shot but the real test will be when the season starts. Dort will be integral to the Thunder’s future given what he does defensively, but if he can become a little more of an offensive threat then his game will elevate to a new level.

Home/Oklahoma City Thunder