OKC Thunder coach Billy Donovan is finally getting his way

The death of the mid-range

Thanks to Russ, PG, and Melo, the Thunder shot the eighth most mid-range (16-24 ft) shots in the league last season, at 12.2. That wouldn’t be a problem, really, except that they also shot the fifth worst percentage on those shots in the entire league at 37.8.

A team that shoots that poorly shouldn’t shoot that much.

Now, OKC is shooting better this season from that range, at 13th in the NBA, 42.1 percent. But still, 42.1 percent on a 2-point FGA is a bad possession. It’s just not worth it.

Another thing we know about Billy Donovan, other than that he can tie you up in a sentence so tightly you’ll never get out, is that he loves analytics. Knowing that, you know what he hates? Mid-range jumpers.

And the team is starting to get it.

Yes, coach

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You know what that chart says to me? Two words: Buy. In.

Mid-range, down. At the rim, up. The Thunder have stopped settling for elbow jumpers as the season has gone on. After shooting the eight most last season, OKC is currently 14th and dropping, and, not coincidentally, the offense keeps getting better and better.

This team is finally playing the way Billy Donovan wants them to – or at least starting to, and as that yellow line drops, so does the team’s floor. As that orange line rises, so does the team’s ceiling.

I’d love to ask Billy Donovan what he thinks about that trend, but he isn’t currently answering my emails. If I had to guess what he’d say, though, I’d guess it would be— Ah who am I kidding, his answer would be way too long for me to put in this article. But I’ll give you the short version.

It’s about time.