While the OKC Thunder aren’t the best team at 3-point shooting, they have two players in the starting lineup that have helped them with an improved long range shot.
The Oklahoma City Thunder split their two recent games against the San Antonio Spurs. The first matchup was a double-overtime thriller in which they lost, while the second was an impressive home win for the OKC Thunder.
This team has already proven it’s better than last year. The Thunder are the 3-seed in the West right now and have won games that they would have not have won last year.
The improved play of Jerami Grant and Terrance Ferguson in the starting lineup has helped the Thunder tremendously.
Last year, it took until January for Terrance Ferguson to reach double digits in scoring (Jan. 24). This year, he scored in double figures for the first time within the first month of the season (Nov. 8).
Ferguson has shown the ability to knock down 3-pointers more efficiently than last year. He is on pace to take and make a lot more 3-pointers than last year also.
Last year, Ferguson shot 33.3 percent from 3, making only 40 triples overall. This year, he’s shooting 37.4 percent, and has already made 37 3-pointers.
All his 3-point shots are assisted, so he has proven to be a better kick-out option on drives than last year. He has been on fire from 3 recently too.
Against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he went 4-for-4 from downtown. Against the Spurs in the first matchup, he made seven 3s, had 21 points and shot 70.0 percent from long range. In the second game against the Spurs, he shot 2-for-3 percent from deep.
While his overall averages haven’t shown any significant improvement, he has helped OKC with the 3-point shot, which is where this team has struggled. OKC is last in 3-point percentage and 25th in made 3-pointers with 9.8 per game.
Jerami Grant has improved his shot from last year also. After shooting 28.8 percent from 3 last year, he’s shooting 35.4 percent from deep so far in 2018-19. He made 32 3s all last year, but this year he’s made 45 already.
Last season, 94.1 percent of his 3-point shots were assisted and he was only shooting 28.8 percent, but this year all of his long range shots have been assisted and he’s shooting 35.4 percent.
Grant had the best game of his career recently in the double-overtime loss to the Spurs, scoring 25 points and adding 12 rebounds.
While Russell Westbrook has been terrible from 3, these two role players have helped OKC with the team’s need for spot-up 3-point shooting. Paul George is shooting well from 3 as always, converting 38.3 percent of his looks.
While OKC has improved from last year overall, so have their role players. The bench has improved recently too. Dennis Schroder has helped them tremendously in his sixth man role. Abdel Nader had another good game in the home game against the Spurs with 15 points off the bench, and Patrick Patterson added 13 points as well.
It will be interesting to see if this trend of good play continues. The Thunder are looking like serious contenders in the West and with their role players improving from last year, the sky is the limit for this Thunder team.