In a season full of surprises in Oklahoma City, one of the most pleasant has been the development of two-way rookie, Lu Dort.
Dort made his name on the defensive side of the ball this year, picking up recognition for frustrating one of the league’s best shooters in James Harden to a historically bad shooting night in the Thunder’s 112-107 win over Houston on Jan. 20.
It’s been Dort’s willingness to take on some of the league’s toughest defensive assignments despite his part-time NBA status that caused Carlan Gay of NBA.com to entertain the idea that the rookie might be the league’s “bravest defender”.
However, Dort’s success comes as no surprise to Elias Sbiet, the Director of Recruiting at North Pole Hoops, who told Gay that as early as eighth or ninth grade, Dort has “been the guy on his team that’s willing to do whatever it takes”.
“That’s to win games, get scholarships, to compete at the next level…to win spots over other guys. That’s exactly what he’s doing right now in the NBA, he’s doing whatever it takes to stay on the floor, to stay on the team and pick up an NBA contract.”
It’s not just the fact that Dort tackles the challenges of guarding guys like Harden and Trae Young. He’s also stepping up and doing some of the underappreciated defensive work.
Calling him “fearless”, Gay noted that since Dort stepped into the starting rotation in January, “he’s leading the team in charges drawn, contested 3-point shots, and has recovered 75% of defensive loose balls”.
Signed to a two-way contract after going undrafted last June, Dort was well on his way to have his contract converted to a standard NBA contract before the league’s shutdown.