The 2022-23 Oklahoma City Thunder’s season ended with the play-in tournament loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, which means it’s time for reflection.
Being one of the biggest overachievers in the league, the Thunder finished with a 40-42 record after being predicted by many to have high lottery odds.
Now that the season is in the books, let’s go back and evaluate all 19 players who suited up for the Thunder this season. Grades will be handed out to every player in terms of what their expectations were heading into the season and how they lived up to them.
The fourth player in this installment is Lu Dort, who had another adventurous season as his offensive responsibilities slowly decreased.
(Editor’s note: We are starting individual grades for all players from the 2022-23 Oklahoma City Thunder. To access other reviews as part of this ongoing series, click here.)
2022-23 statisics:
- 13.7 points
- 4.6 rebounds
- 2.1 assists
- 38.8% shooting
- 33% 3-point shooting
- 77.2% free-throw shooting
Advanced stats:
- True-shooting percentage: 51.3%
- Usage rate: 19.8%
- Win shares: 2.9
- 3-point attempt rate: 46.8%
Significant Percentile Finishes:
- Isolation scorer: 32.5 percentile
- P&R ball-handler: 72.6 percentile
- Spot up: 32.7 percentile
Contract:
- 2023-24: $15.3 million
- 2024-25: $16.5 million
- 2025-26: $17.7 million
- 2026-27: $17.7 million (team option)
Thoughts:
It was another up-and-down season for Dort. The streaky shooter reined his game a bit this season after two high-volume seasons.
Dort’s 11.8 field goal attempts and 5.5 3-point attempts were his lowest numbers since his rookie season. He also had his lowest usage rate (19.8%) since his rookie season.
These numbers will likely continue to decrease as the Thunder add Chet Holmgren and another lottery rookie to their roster next season.
While the volume is within a range you’d like for Dort, his efficiency continues to be a problem. Dort shot 38.8% from the field and 33% from 3 this season — at the rim, he shot 48.9%, which put him in the sixth percentile among wings this season.
Of 65 qualified players who shot at least 5.5 3s this season, Dort ranked 62nd in 3-point percentage. After starting cold from 3, Dort slowly put it together and turned in a somewhat solid campaign from outside.
To show how much of a streaky shooter Dort is, let’s look at his monthly shooting splits from this past season: in three of seven months, he shot below 30%; in another three months, he shot above 34%. The textbook definition of hot or cold.
The inconsistent 3-point shooting is (barely) bearable, but Dort needs to be a better rim finisher if he wants to continue to play a vital role in this team’s future. He mentioned this in his exit interview as well, saying finishing in the paint will be one of his biggest offseason priorities.
While self-awareness is a breath of fresh air that most players of Dort’s stature refuse to have, it’s hard to be optimistic he’ll suddenly develop into a great rim finisher after four full seasons of data showing he’s not.
Great perimeter defense can only buy you so much room for error on offense, and if Dort continues to insist on playing a key offensive role, rim finishing and decision-making with the ball need to improve.
Moving Forward:
There’s no question Dort can be a valuable player. He is one of the best point of attack defenders in the league and he continues to be lauded by his peers.
Damian Lillard and Luka Doncic both think Dort is a top-three defender in the league. That’s quite the praise from two of the best players/scorers in the league.
Heck, Thunder general manager Sam Presti went out of his way to praise Dort during his end-of-season press conference by campaigning for him to be an All-NBA defender. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault continuously displays his love for Dort any chance he gets.
It’s quite evident OKC’s opinion and the fans’ opinion on Dort drastically vary. However, as anticipated for a while, Dort will need to adjust to a smaller role he will presumably be assigned as his teammates improve. The last few seasons, Dort has had the green light to be a high-volume scorer. With OKC adding more lottery talent, he’ll naturally slide down the totem pole.
This season showed a glimpse of that. He averaged his fewest number of shots since his rookie season. It seems that will not be a concern for Dort, which is a major credit to him. He could’ve easily complained about his role and demanded more — as players usually do in his situation. Instead, he didn’t let his pride get in the way, and he understood what’s best for the team.
It’s now about improving his efficiency around the rim and not being such a peaks and valleys 3-point shooter. I’m skeptical Dort can suddenly develop into a great rim finisher five seasons into his career. If he does, that’ll go a long way into him penciling his name into OKC’s core. The same goes for his 3-point shot — if he can find a steady medium where his shooting lows aren’t actively hurting the offense, that will raise his ceiling tremendously.
Conversations surrounding Dort can be complex. While his perimeter defense and streaky shooting can be a great assist for OKC, there are certain games it is evident he is actively hurting the Thunder by being on the floor.
It’s not about whether or not Dort can provide value, it’s about abstracting his value while minimizing the harm he causes with his aggressive shooting mentality. There needs to be a balance and time is running out to find it.
