Re-drafting the 2019 NBA Draft: Matisse Thybulle rises, Sixers grab scorer
F. Indiana Pacers. Luguentz Dort. 18. player. 100.
Re-drafting the 2019 NBA Draft — 18. Luguentz Dort, Indiana Pacers
Luguentz Dort is fun as hell. He never should’ve gone undrafted, and in this re-draft, he cracks the top-20. His offensive numbers are inflated due to OKC’s outsized reliance on him (14.0 points per game, but on 38.7 percent shooting last season), but we all remember that one playoff game against Houston. He strikes gold from 3-point range every now and then. If he can just be a consistently good shooter, he will stick around the league for 10+ years.
Dort makes his living on defense, of course. He gave James Harden every ounce of trouble in the playoffs as a rookie, and didn’t take a step back last season. The Thunder were very selective with his playing time as they tanked away the season, but when healthy and on the court, Dort’s effort never wavered.
The Pacers have plenty of wing depth, but Dort would immediately crack the rotation and give the second unit a jolt of life. Second units having to deal with Dort and T.J. McConnell simultaneously would make for good content, even if the offense occasionally suffers.