Despite coming off of a first-round exit, it’s difficult to not be optimistic about the Thunder’s future. Aside from a treasure trove of draft pick credits due to be paid over the next several years, the team has some nice young pieces including a pair of Canadian studs: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort.
Earlier this week, Dort made a radio appearance on TSN 690 in his hometown of Montreal, Canada. He mentioned the fact that Chris Paul helped him prepare for the tough task of guarding James Harden and also let it be known that he is a big believer in what general manager Sam Presti is building in the aftermath of the departures of Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
Although this offseason is likely to lead to some more dramatic changes for the franchise, Dort is looking forward to what lies ahead.
“We can be really good. The expectations going into last season weren’t very high and we ended up top-five in the West. We’re ready. Our guys are all ready for the challenge. I think we’ll surprise people again.”
And with respect to Gilgeous-Alexander — the player that many see as the cornerstone of the Thunder’s rebuild — Dort says that the two have already built a close bond.
“You know, we represent OKC but as Canadians, we represent our country and it’s really fun that we have the two of us on the same team. We’ve built a really good relationship and he’s just a really good friend of mine. We’re so close and it’s awesome to have two Canadians on the same team.”
Unfortunately, at this point, we have no idea when next season will begin, but one thing we do know is that Dort has high expectations of his team.
