ASU Basketball: Analyzing Dort’s first 15 games in Tempe

Only a freshman, Luguentz Dort has come on the scene for ASU basketball, leading the team in scoring and steals, but there are some areas for improvement.

Just 15 games into the 2018-19 season, one player has been the standout on an already-talented roster: Luguentz Dort.

Averaging 17.2 points per game, Dort leads the team in scoring. He also leads the team in steals with 1.6 per contest, and Dort is also near the top in assists and rebounds per game.

His best game thus far likely came against Utah State in the MGM Resorts Main Event in Las Vegas. That game, Dort notched 33 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting. The freshman also shot 50 percent or higher in the team’s wins against McNeese State, Colorado and California.

Dort has failed to reach double figures just once through his first 15 games, and that was in the Sun Devils’ conference opener against Utah.

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On a couple instances, Dort struggled from the field but found other ways to produce. This was the case in ASU’s win over then-No. 1 Kansas.

Dort shot a dismal 3-of-14 from the field, but he was still effective in the offense and on the glass, finishing the game five assists and four rebounds. It was Dort who fed Zylan Cheatham and Romello White and helped the duo go to work down low throughout the game.

Standing 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Dort is a physical specimen. He’s made that clear through 15 games. His ability to drive to the basket is something the Sun Devils haven’t seen in some time.

Only 19 years old, Dort has already garnered national attention from NBA scouts, and ESPN’s latest mock draft has him at No. 20 to the San Antonio Spurs.

In spite of all of his success and notice from NBA scouts, there have been a few occasions when Dort has looked his age. The first one that comes to mind is in Arizona State’s second loss of the season against Vanderbilt.

Similar to the Kansas game, Dort struggled shooting from the field, finishing with just 10 points. Additionally, Dort was issued a technical foul for arguing with an official.

Another issue Dort still has yet to correct is finishing. A guy who can drive in with ease is only effective if he can finish his inside shots. In a few games, that hasn’t been the case; for example, Dort missed four layups against Kansas.

Granted, Dort does seemingly take significant contact on a lot of his drives. A lot of that, however, isn’t seen by the officials because his size, at times, absorbs the contact and isn’t noticeable. This is similar to LeBron James at the professional level, who often has to be almost tackled in order for the refs to call something.

The five-game stretch, which included Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kansas, Princeton and Utah, has definitely been the most notable speed bump in Dort’s young career. Over those games, Dort shot 23.7 percent from the field while averaging 11 points per game.

This slew of rough outings landed him on the bench to start Arizona State’s game against Colorado. He used this as fuel.

Dort was exceptional in both of ASU’s wins over Colorado and Cal, scoring 27 combined points on 11-of-21 shooting. It seems as if he’s back to his regularly-scheduled programming.

Based on talent and size alone, Dort very well could be on an NBA roster to start the 2019-20 season. His numbers don’t lie, and for the most part, he has been brilliant.

This conference season will be crucial on Dort’s development and decision on his future in the coming months. Does he still need to work on certain aspects of his game? Absolutely. And an extra season in Tempe could polish his game before going professional.

But those NBA paychecks speak volumes. Only time will tell.