Thunder’s Playoff Ceiling May Hinge on Luguentz Dort’s Offensive Struggles
The Oklahoma City Thunder are off to a strong start this season, but their recent loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves served as more than just a blip in the standings-it exposed a lingering issue that could loom large come playoff time. While the Thunder’s collapse down the stretch had some outlier elements (like Minnesota taking a staggering 47 free throws and OKC shooting just 28.2% from three), the game shined a spotlight on a growing concern: Luguentz Dort’s offensive limitations.
Dort’s Offense: A Missing Piece in a High-Octane Machine
Let’s start with the numbers. Dort is shooting just 35% from the field and 29.8% from beyond the arc this season.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for a player logging significant minutes on a team with real postseason aspirations. And it’s not just about the missed shots-it's what those misses represent.
Dort isn’t a player who offsets cold shooting with other offensive tools. He’s not breaking down mismatches, creating for teammates, or crashing the offensive glass with any real impact.
The result? Defenses are giving him the Tony Allen treatment-sagging off, clogging lanes, and daring him to shoot.
That’s a problem for a Thunder offense built around the surgical drives and midrange mastery of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. When Dort’s defender can essentially act as a free safety, it shrinks the floor and makes life harder for everyone else.
There’s data to back that up. According to Basketball Index’s Off-Ball Gravity metric-which tracks how much attention a player commands without the ball-Dort ranks 287th out of 312 qualified players. That’s near the bottom of the league, and it confirms what the eye test is already telling us: defenders don’t fear Dort as a shooter, and it’s hurting OKC’s spacing.
What’s Changed Since Last Season?
Now, this isn’t a brand-new issue. Dort’s shooting has always been streaky.
But last season, he managed to offset the inconsistency with some explosive scoring nights that kept his overall numbers respectable. More importantly, he was a defensive menace-one of the best on-ball stoppers in the NBA-and earned First Team All-Defense honors for it.
That version of Dort was a net positive. Even if he wasn’t lighting it up every night, his defense alone was enough to justify big minutes, and the occasional hot shooting stretch made him a real asset.
This year, though, the equation has changed. His defense is still solid-good, even-but not quite at the elite level we saw last season. And without those big offensive outbursts to balance things out, his overall impact has taken a hit.
What Are OKC’s Options?
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a call to bench Dort or ship him out. He’s still a valuable piece, especially if he can rediscover his rhythm from deep. But Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault may need to be more flexible with his rotations, particularly in tight games or high-leverage playoff moments.
The good news for OKC? They’ve got options.
If Daigneault wants to keep the defensive intensity high, he can turn to Cason Wallace or Alex Caruso-both of whom bring elite perimeter defense without the offensive drop-off. If the Thunder need floor spacing and scoring punch, Isaiah Joe or Aaron Wiggins can step in and stretch the defense.
And if Daigneault’s looking for a two-way balance, Ajay Mitchell offers a bit of both.
The Road Ahead
There’s still time for Dort to turn things around. He’s proven capable of getting hot, and his defensive instincts remain sharp.
But as the Thunder eye a deep playoff run, they’ll need every piece of the puzzle to fit just right. If Dort’s shooting doesn’t come around, Daigneault may be faced with some tough decisions-ones that could determine just how far this young, exciting OKC team can go.
For now, the Thunder will continue to ride their rising core, but Dort’s trajectory is worth watching. Because come spring, every possession matters-and offensive gravity, or the lack of it, can be the difference between a second-round exit and something much bigger.