Thunder’s Shooting Woes Continue Into 2022-23
Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder finished at or near the bottom of the league in several statistical indicators that measure shooting. The team finished dead last in field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, and 24th in free-throw percentage.
Much of the Thunder’s shooting issues in the 2021-22 season started at the rim. For most teams, including the Thunder, shots near the rim are the most frequent shot taken. According to the NBA, they finished 30th in efficiency on shots attempted less than five feet from the rim.
And then there is the 3-point shooting which largely captures a team’s ability to stretch the floor and open up driving lanes and scoring opportunities. The Thunder attempted 37.4 triples per game last season and their 32.4% conversion rate was the worst in the league.
The above numbers combined to help the Thunder score just 103.7 points per game and give them the worst offensive rating in 2021-22. Moral of the story: It’s really hard to score if you can’t make shots at the rim or from beyond the arc.
Watching the Thunder through their eight games this year, it feels like there has been some improvement. But how much?
Well, the team doesn’t have the worst offensive rating. That title surprisingly and currently belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers. But the Thunder aren’t far behind, ranking 25th and posting an offensive rating of 108.2.
Looking at the shooting numbers, there doesn’t appear to be any exciting improvement. 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 also still the worst in the league at finishing within five feet of the rim with a conversion rate of just 58.3%. And their 29.2 shots per night within those five feet rank top 10 in the league.
On a positive note, the team’s free-throw shooting numbers have improved. While the Thunder are taking the league’s 27th most free throws per night, they are converting them at a 78.1% rate, good for 15th. That’s an improvement of eight spots over last season.
Although the Thunder hired legendary shooting coach Chip Engelland prior to the start of the season, they aren’t reaping the benefits as a team just yet. And it’s unfair to expect Engelland to fix the team’s shooting just eight games in.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see how much the Thunder’s shooting and scoring can improve month-over-month. The roster does have a few players who can light it up on any given night, but who will emerge as consistent shooters outside of the team’s more seasoned players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Mike Muscala remains to be seen.
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