OKC Thunder 2022-23 Regular Season Discussion

[slick_watts]

lu dort is now at 41.5% on layups this year, and ranks 1,577 of 1,584 seasons among players with at least 200 attempts since 2002-03:



if you adjust for league average, dort would be 3rd worst better than only josh jackson (who he is hot on the heels of) and kevin knox.

there is clearly a teamwide concerted effort to attack the rim off the dribble. lu dort has moved a ton of shots from 3pt range to the rim this year. generally that would be a good thing, but in dort's case it's caused him to go from one of the bottom 15% finishers in the league (last season) to one of the worst all-time.

i'm not sure what dort's role is offensively going forward. with chet around, it changes the dynamic a bit. giddey's been improving, so maybe having him and dort in the game with chet will make things tenable. but the offense, especially with the starters in the game, has been having more and more problems since teams are loading up on shai and dort has no conscience. jalen williams leapfrogging dort in the pecking order is important.

[Dadouv47]

Read on Twitter

big dose of Dort is a problem.

Still a game we should be able to win (same for tomorrow)

[The Servant]

Lu still thinks he and Poku are needing 20/shots a game to secure Chet Holmgren via tanking.

Thanks gentlemen, your awful shooting percentages did yield us a bunch of good players and for that I'm eternally grateful. However, stop chucking.

We aren't trying to lose anymore.

[jake_swivel]

To be an effective nba player, Lu dort should be hiding in the corner shooting 3s. He’s actually a pretty good weapon in that role, if he’d take it. The thing is, this offense is built around not just shooting, but being able to attack and make good choices, both on and off ball, from 1-5 with the ability to finish. It’s a problem if when you attack, nothing good happens. Other player’s openings for attack become smaller because dort’s defender has the ability to help. This means other perimeter defenders can more easily sell out on shooters, narrowing their open windows. When dort isn’t hot from 3, the entire balance of the offense is out of whack when he’s on the floor.

Defensively, he’s not versatile, which again, is what the defensive concept is built around. While the rest of the team is switching, dort is a bulldog on a bone. He’s very effective against a certain type of scoring guard. At the end of the game when there is a smaller guard determined to get a shot, dort will look good in sticking on him. And people say, “see, this is why we need dort!” But this team is most effective when the defense is flowing, switching, getting in passing lanes with their length, turning turnovers into fast breaks.

Dort has a concrete limitation: his length. He’s never going to fit the concept that this team is going forward with. He’s an overachieving sore thumb with a great name, personality, and origin story. The more playmaking dudes with the long, versatile profile that this team adds, the lower dort’s trade value will fall. It’s better to cut ties sooner rather than later.

Seems like a good dude, though.

[Mr Thunder Nick]

I trust in Giddey and JDub.

[Dadouv47]

No idea how we can lose with JDub, Giddey and Joe with 30+ pts and great effiency. Terrible defense and rest was trash

[jake_swivel]

No idea how we can lose with JDub, Giddey and Joe with 30+ pts and great effiency. Terrible defense and rest was trash

Fun comeback. Fun getting to see giddey and jdub have their way in getting to the rim. Watching joe shoot is so pleasant. I think I could just watch him shoot in an empty gym and enjoy it.

Mann actually played well in spurts.

JRE is too short and not a good enough athlete. I’d cut him before next season.

Glad to see Poku get some minutes. He sucked, but whatever.

[Xatticus]

No idea how we can lose with JDub, Giddey and Joe with 30+ pts and great effiency. Terrible defense and rest was trash

Fun comeback. Fun getting to see giddey and jdub have their way in getting to the rim. Watching joe shoot is so pleasant. I think I could just watch him shoot in an empty gym and enjoy it.

Mann actually played well in spurts.

JRE is too short and not a good enough athlete. I’d cut him before next season.

Glad to see Poku get some minutes. He sucked, but whatever.

Mann has been playing better since he got back into the rotation. It's not the offense, but the other stuff where he has been better. He has even been drawing charges lately.

That was a frustrating game. We just couldn't get stops. I expected a tough game, but I thought we'd get the win just the same. That's an opportunity lost.

[Dadouv47]

Those guys are playing "important" games for the first time in their careers. Defense needs to step up but I like how they play offensively (not Dort ). We will likely end up with a meh pick and no play in but they are learning a lot those last weeks.

[Mr Thunder Nick]

What a bad game defensibly. M.Daignault lost this game by playing too small. Sarr 0 Minutes / Saric 3 Minutes / JWil 18 Minutes . That's ridiculous. We lost the rebounding 52 - 39 . My goodness.

[QPR]

Teams like Charlotte can be weirdly dangerous at this time of the season. Basically a bunch of guys playing for contracts and no expectations given Ball and Rozier are out. Still, that's a bad one given the half time score.

[remi_222]

i didnt watch the game, but what you guys thought of Maledon's game ? any upside since he left ?

[Mr Thunder Nick]

i didnt watch the game, but what you guys thought of Maledon's game ? any upside since he left ?

A lot better than Tre Mann

[cjmcallist]

We have the chance to really seize the moment and are missing it. Not unexpected but still disappointing.

[slick_watts]

i am not a fan of mark daigneault's commentary last night following the loss. the idea that winning is just a desireable byproduct of their process. just a real disappointing loss and more than that a disappointing evasion.

[Dadouv47]

i am not a fan of mark daigneault's commentary last night following the loss. the idea that winning is just a desireable byproduct of their process. just a real disappointing loss and more than that a disappointing evasion.

I think he just wanted to take the pressure off the players but yeah not a fan of that comment either.

[ThunderBolt]

i am not a fan of mark daigneault's commentary last night following the loss. the idea that winning is just a desireable byproduct of their process. just a real disappointing loss and more than that a disappointing evasion.

It has pretty much always been that way. Why else do you draft Bazley over Clarke?

[timO]

lu dort is now at 41.5% on layups this year, and ranks 1,577 of 1,584 seasons among players with at least 200 attempts since 2002-03:



if you adjust for league average, dort would be 3rd worst better than only josh jackson (who he is hot on the heels of) and kevin knox.

there is clearly a teamwide concerted effort to attack the rim off the dribble. lu dort has moved a ton of shots from 3pt range to the rim this year. generally that would be a good thing, but in dort's case it's caused him to go from one of the bottom 15% finishers in the league (last season) to one of the worst all-time.

i'm not sure what dort's role is offensively going forward. with chet around, it changes the dynamic a bit. giddey's been improving, so maybe having him and dort in the game with chet will make things tenable. but the offense, especially with the starters in the game, has been having more and more problems since teams are loading up on shai and dort has no conscience. jalen williams leapfrogging dort in the pecking order is important.

Dort has to be a 3&D role player covington style.

we overpaid him

[Devilanche]

i am not a fan of mark daigneault's commentary last night following the loss. the idea that winning is just a desireable byproduct of their process. just a real disappointing loss and more than that a disappointing evasion.

I think he just wanted to take the pressure off the players but yeah not a fan of that comment either.

I pretty much agree but would have preferred mentioning the players are still learning and they will need to come back and do better as a team .

[Dadouv47]

Wiggins is so good..Glad Mark played him before the 4th quarter this time.