This month, the Oklahoma City Thunder will be well-represented at the FIBA World Cup. With Exhibition play already starting, Team Canada is led by superstar point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and defensive ace Lu Dort from the OKC Thunder. While the max contract guard will get the headlines, this next month-plus of basketball is actually more important for Dort than Gilgeous-Alexander.
There is no question Lu Dort struggled on the offensive end during the 2022-23 NBA season. Mark Daigneault even touched on the need for Dort to show more restraint on the offensive end. The bench boss explained some players naturally need to be pushed into a more aggressive role offensively, while others need to be nudged in the opposite direction.