Evaluating the Thunder’s 2021-22 Offense

Despite rough numbers, there is plenty of upside for OKC on the offensive end.

The 2021-22 NBA season was an odd one for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

OKC came into the season as a projected bottom-five team and that was spot on. The Thunder’s path to getting there, however, was unforeseeable.

The Thunder featured 26 different players throughout the season. From the December COVID-19 crisis to the end-of-season injury pileup, OKC’s organizational depth was tested as much as any in the NBA.

With all of that in mind, let’s take a look at where the Thunder offense finished the season:

The Thunder were the lowest-scoring offense in the league with 103.7 points per game of 43% — also a league-worst.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for OKC with a career-high 24.5 PPG. He was followed by Lu Dort (17.2) and Josh Giddey (14.2) as the Thunder’s leading scorers among those who played in more than 10 games.

OKC’s success from behind the arc wasn’t much better. The Thunder were 30th in the league at 32.3% from deep and despite the poor percentage, the Thunder took the seventh-most 3-pointers per game (37.4).

The Thunder passing leaders were exactly who you would expect. Giddey (6.4) and Gilgeous-Alexander (5.9) led the way in assists among those who played in 10 games. In the last couple weeks of the season Zavier Simpson made an impression as a facilitator in his own right — averaging 7.5 per game in four contests.

As a team, OKC ranked 28th in the league in team assists.

OKC’s reputation as a solid rebounding team was aided by the team’s No. 12 ranking in offensive rebounds (10.4 per game). 

The Thunder’s ability to hold onto the ball was key to keeping games close as the offense found its way. OKC ranked 15th in turnovers per game (14). This was a marked improvement from last season’s league-worst 16.1 per game.

While the numbers aren’t pretty for OKC this season, there is plenty to be excited about from Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander to Tre Mann’s emergence and the possibility of a Top-4 pick. 

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