OKC Thunder Needs More Production From Role Players Moving Forward

Oklahoma City needs its second unit to step up to reach its full potential.

Dec 17, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) dribbles against Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) during the 1st quarter of the Emirates NBA Cup championship game at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City fell flat on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. If it was just another game, there wouldn’t be much to say about the Thunder’s performance other than the fact that it was simply an off night. It was the NBA Cup championship game, though, and the country was tuned in. It was a bad time for the Thunder to run out of steam.

Even though the team went ice cold and lost a big game on paper to a streaking Bucks team, it’s not the end of the world. Social media has been full of reactionary takes, acting like Oklahoma City doesn’t belong in the contender conversation. Those claims are undoubtedly false, and it’s appropriate to call Tuesday night for what it was: an off shooting night.

Part of the blame certainly falls on the team’s stars. Both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams struggled mightily and didn’t perform to the standard that Thunder fans are accustomed to. But they didn’t have much help either. The role players struggled to make shots, mirroring last season’s playoff performance against the Mavericks, and raising the same questions that popped up a season ago.

Isaiah Joe and Lu Dort, two of Oklahoma City’s most consistent outside shooters, combined to shoot 1-of-10 from 3-point range. To make matters worse, Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, and Kenrich Williams combined to shoot 1-of-8 from 3-point range. Once again, the role players struggled mightily in a big spot.

The good news? All of the Thunder’s role players are capable. One game isn’t a reason to throw out full seasons of data points. Both Joe and Dort have hovered around 40% over the last two seasons, and Caruso has proven to be a knockdown corner shooter in the league. Williams is also shooting 42.4% from 3-point land on the season.

Oklahoma City can't buy into the outside noise and panic after one game. And if this front office has displayed anything, that's the opposite of what they'll do. The averages will even out and the good shooting stretches will come with time, but patience is key. Perspective is key, too, as Oklahoma City is still 20-5 overall in firm control of the top seed in the Western Conference. The team's worst game of the season isn't a representation of the entire season to this point.

For the Thunder to reach its full potential, though, the role players will have to step up in big moments. They are more than capable of doing so, but talk is cheap. Opportunities to step up under bright lights will be there the rest of the season, and it's important to take advantage of those before playoff time rolls around.

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