OKC Thunder Lightning Report: Checking in on Terrance Ferguson

Moving Forward:

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I’ll preface this by saying that I am all for the development of Ferguson and appreciate the effort he put into making himself a real defender this year, but it is a tad concerning just how much he’s fallen off on the other end. Oklahoma City has experienced major spacing issues basically since they move from Seattle and it’s crippled their offense at multiple points in their short history.

The Thunder drafted Ferguson in hopes that his shooting could give Russell Westbrook and Paul George some breathing room. And, that he could maybe become a weapon for OKC down the line. But, he’s wholly failed to live up to the hype so far. If this is a confidence issue–which most signs point to–then that’s a problem for Oklahoma City.

All young shooters go through slumps, but it’s imperative to their growth that they never lose confidence in their shot. Otherwise, you end up with guys who fall off the map as Tyler Lydon did in Denver.

Terrance Ferguson clearly has the talent to become at least an adequate shooter, but making that leap is going to depend on whether he has the mental make-up to do so.