Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort found himself in the company of Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray and Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro in a post-bubble column by The Athletic’s John Hollinger.
Hollinger looked back at nine young players who broke out in the bubble. The undrafted rookie was among those who showed out most.
The writer recalled how much tougher guard James Harden’s life became with Dort guarding him.
“The Houston Rockets paid Dort the ultimate compliment during the first-round playoff series: They set ball screens for James Harden. So stout was Dort’s on-ball defense against the league’s iso maestro that they reverted to a tactic they had largely abandoned, just to get Dort off of him.”
While there is no way to shut down back-to-back-to-back league leading scorer, Dort managed to avoid mistakes of seasoned defenders who try to get in Harden’s way. Dort largely avoided jumping on pump-fakes. He moved well laterally and didn’t reach.
The Rockets won the series, but it came down to the final seconds of Game 7 in large part because Harden never had a truly Harden-esque game with Dort in front of him.
Hollinger noted Dort’s offensive shortcomings, but he’s not concerned. The guard out of Arizona State proved he has a spot in the league if his offense is not able to dramatically improve, and his skill set is something that should have earned him a place in the draft.
“We’re talking about an undrafted 21-year-old here, one whose defense alone should ensure him a place in the rotation for the next decade. Oklahoma City smartly inked him to a three-year deal during the hiatus, ensuring he’ll be a significant part of what is likely a rebuilt future around Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the 800 draft picks the Thunder have accumulated.”
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