Five stats that correlate with Thunder wins/losses
By Tony Heim
2. The Thunder are 13-3 when taking less than 25 threes
Can you tell that shot selection may be the most important facet of the game for the Thunder? Sure the defensive intensity is a big issue, but it’s hard to statistically quantify whether or not a team is hustling and talking on d.
But it’s very easy to quantify when a team should be doing less of something they are bad at. Of any singular skillset, both mental and physical, the Thunder’s biggest weakness is shooting. They have exactly 0 players shooting over 40% from deep. Jerami Grant is the closest, yet he doesn’t even take two attempts a game.
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The sad thing is there’s no signs of this trend changing. Coach Donovan may be the biggest analytics-nerd head coach in the NBA, and analytics tells you that threes and layups are the most efficient shots. In that case Donovan should be forcing his players to drive; the Thunder rank 29th in the league from behind the line!
This may have been the most important play of the season in that regards.
https://twitter.com/okcbrasil_/status/827697342010757122
By passing up the open three for an easy drive to the basket, Oladipo forces the defense to respect both facets of his game. The Thunder’s strength is athleticism, yet they are trying to play the same game as the rest of the league. Stick with your strengths. It works.
Bonus Stat: OKC is 3-6 when taking at least thirty 30’s.