The Oklahoma City Thunder are considering taking Lu Dort out of the starting lineup for Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, a striking shift for a player they have started in every game of the series. Cason Wallace or Alex Caruso are the leading alternatives as Oklahoma City looks for a cleaner look in the decider.
The reason is hard to ignore. Dort has made only 4 of 22 three-point attempts in the series, including 1 of 9 from deep in Game 6, and the Thunder were outscored during his minutes in all six games. In 109 minutes with Dort on the floor, San Antonio outscored Oklahoma City by 60 points, a damaging swing for a player whose role is supposed to stabilize the perimeter.
That is what makes the search around Lu Dort so immediate today. He was selected to the All-Defensive First Team last season and came into the postseason with nearly one steal per game in the regular season, but the offensive load of this matchup has exposed the gap between his reputation and his production. Three-point attempts made up 71 percent of his shots in this series, up from 64.8 percent during the regular season, and his three steals in six playoff games have not been enough to offset the drag.
Wallace gives Oklahoma City a different profile. The All-Defensive guard has hit 13 of 27 three-point attempts in the Western Conference Finals and has posted a positive plus-minus in the series. Caruso has been even more impactful on the scoreboard, with a plus-38, which is why Game 7 has become the right time to consider one of them in the first five instead of Dort.
There is also a clear reason the Thunder can justify the move without treating it like a rejection of Dort’s defense. He has already seen his playing time reduced, and the lineup question comes as Jalen Williams was limited when he returned in Game 6 and Ajay Mitchell could miss Game 7 with a calf injury. Oklahoma City has less room than usual to carry an inefficient shooting night from a starter who has also gotten into foul trouble in Game 1 and Game 4 losses.
The next decision belongs to the Thunder before tipoff. If they want more spacing and a cleaner offensive balance in a game that will decide their season, Wallace or Caruso looks like the more likely answer than keeping Dort in the same spot he has held all series.
