After enjoying out 15 video games, The Oklahoma City Thunder at present maintain the a prime 20 offensive score within the NBA, scoring an actual 111 factors per 100 possessions. They are led by their franchise cornerstone, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s averaging 42.4 factors per 100 possessions on a ridiculous 63.9 true taking pictures share.
Outside of Gilgeous-Alexander’s unimaginable begin to the season, significant and constant scoring has been onerous to return by. And over the course of the season, it’s felt like a one-man present at occasions, leaving followers asking the query of how the offense will enhance.
Well, the previous 5 video games reveal that the Thunder would possibly simply be at a turning level, and for the higher.
In their most up-to-date stretch, Oklahoma City has defeated the Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, and Washington Wizards they usually solely misplaced by a mixed eight factors to the heavyweight title-contending Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. Not dangerous.
Taking a deeper look into the statistics over these final 5 video games exhibits the Thunder scoring 119.6 factors per 100 possessions, a mark that ranks third within the league in that interval of play. The solely two groups forward of them are the Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics, who additionally rank as the highest two offenses over all the course of the season.
Production is up throughout the board as properly. Starters Josh Giddey and Luguentz Dort are averaging extra factors per recreation relative to their season common and are taking pictures the ball higher, too. Aleksej Pokusevski and Jalen Williams are having the most efficient stretch as properly. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins have been chipping in a bit of bit extra, too.
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Looking extra holistically, the Thunder’s 3-point share has made an enormous leap as properly, and is arguably the largest contributing issue to the workforce’s success as of late.
Over the final 5 video games, the workforce is taking pictures fewer occasions from past the arc however is making a complete lot extra pictures. On the season, the Thunder are averaging simply 34.4% taking pictures on 33.1 triples per 100 possession.
But of their final 5 video games, they’re taking pictures a league-best 44.5% from downtown on 31.7 3-pointers per 100 possessions. And all of Dort, Mann, Pokusevski, Gilgeous-Alexander, Robinson-Earl, Wiggins, Mann, and Mike Muscala are taking pictures above 42.9% on their 3-point makes an attempt.
Now, this may very well be an aberration or a scorching taking pictures streak, and we would see the Thunder revert to numbers nearer to their season common. That could be very potential. But this additionally may be an indication of issues to return for a still-developing and proficient basketball roster whose entrance workplace has invested closely in bettering the Thunder’s taking pictures.
One factor is for sure, although. If Oklahoma City desires to proceed to churn out victories on a constant foundation, the Thunder are going to want spacing as a rule.
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