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Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder finished at or near the bottom of the league in several statistical indicators that measure shooting. The team was last in field goal percentage, 24th in 3-point percentage and 24th in free-throw percentage.
Much of the Thunder’s shooting woes in the 2021-22 season started at the rim. For most teams, including the Thunder, shots near the rim are the most frequently taken shots. According to the NBA, they ranked 30th in efficiency on shots less than five feet from the rim.
And then there’s 3-point shooting, which largely captures a team’s ability to stretch the floor, open driving lanes and open up scoring opportunities. The Thunder made 37.4 triples per game last season, and their 32.4% conversion rate was the worst in the league.
The numbers above combined to help the Thunder score 103.7 points per game and post the worst offensive rating in 2021-22. Moral of the story: It’s really hard to score if you can’t take shots from the rim or beyond the arc.
Watching the Thunder through their eight games this year, it looks like some progress has been made. But how much?
Well, the team doesn’t have the worst offensive rating. That title, surprisingly, currently belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers. But the Thunder aren’t far behind, ranking 25th and posting an offensive rating of 108.2.
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Looking at the shooting numbers, there doesn’t seem to be any exciting progress. The team’s field goal percentage of 44.7 ranks 27th and their 3-point percentage of 28.6 ranks them 29th.
The Thunder are still the worst in the league with a conversion rate of just 58.3%. Their 29.2 shots per night within five feet ranked in the top 10 in the league.
On a positive note, the team’s free-throw shooting numbers improved. While the Thunder take the league’s 27th most free throws a night, they convert them at a rate of 78.1%, tied for 15th. This is an improvement of eight places compared to last season.
Although the Thunder hired legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland before the season started, they are yet to reap the benefits as a team. It would be unfair to expect Engelland to fix the team’s shooting in just eight games.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see how much the Thunder’s shooting and scoring improve month to month. The roster has a few players who can light it up on any given night, but the team’s more experienced players, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Mike Muscala, have yet to emerge as consistent outside shooters.
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