OKC Thunder Lightning Report: Checking in on Terrance Ferguson

Is the lack of offense a matter of confidence?

Watching his game evolve offensively might be the most disorienting thing about Ferguson. He came into the league as the best (possibly most aggressive), 3-point shooter in his class and through about 1280 minutes at the NBA level has only shot 184 treys. That’s not nearly enough for a player whose primary offensive skill is shooting, and it’s especially not enough for someone as limited as Ferguson is on offense.

He’s a pretty limited ball-handler who’s not big enough nor aggressive enough to get into the teeth of the defense to make plays. He’s got to the free throw line a grand total of 12 times in 517 minutes so far; a rate so low that it’s been accomplished by only 17 players in NBA history. Him not draining enough shots is one thing (which we’ll get to in just a second), but him not even bothering to take them is another.

In the modern NBA, it’s really difficult for any guard to make a consistently positive impact if they refuse to take shots and they’re not absolutely elite at something else. It not only cramps the floor for the team’s creators, which the OKC Thunder cannot afford this year, but it means that the team is basically playing four-on-five offensively. As of right now, I’m not sure whether it’s an issue of confidence or just a matter of role, but the OKC Thunder need to figure it out quickly.