Start No. 15 a historic one for Lu Dort

Dort earned his 15th start on Tuesday night, the most starts by a two-way player since two-way contracts were introduced in 2017.

Lu Dort earned the 15th start of his young career on Tuesday night against the Bulls.

If the last five weeks have been any indication of his potential future career, there will be a lot more to come.

Initially billed as a defensive stopper when he stepped into the starting rotation in place of Terrance Ferguson, Dort has built a reputation as a scorer as well, including going a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor in Oklahoma City’s win over the Spurs on Sunday.

Regardless of the final box, Dort’s start on Tuesday was particularly special.

According to the Thunder, Dort’s 15th start marked the most by a two-way player since two-way contracts were first introduced in 2017.

Oklahoma City signed Dort to a two-way contract on June 21 after the guard went undrafted after just one season at Arizona State.

Dort’s two-way contract allows him to spend just 45 total days with the Thunder.

To help extend his time in Oklahoma City, Dort has not been practicing with the team and instead relying on film study to help him prepare for opponents.

Coming into Tuesday night against Chicago, Dort was averaging 6.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 21 minutes per game.

However, over his last 10 games, those figures have increased to 8.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. During that span, he’s also shooting 47% from the field.

But Dort’s newfound success is more than just the numbers.

After Oklahoma City’s statement win over the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 21, Chris Paul said that people “don’t understand” the importance of Dort and that he “makes all the plays that nobody else would”.

Dennis Schroder has been just as complimentary, saying that Dort is “changing the game”.

Coincidentally, as Dort’s playing time and numbers increase, so does the amount of media that wants to talk to the Thunder rookie.