OKC Thunder New Year’s resolutions: Top-five goals
Fixing the offensive gap:
Shooting has always been an issue for the OKC Thunder, dating back to the beginning in 2008. While shooting specialists have come and gone throughout the years, the franchise has struggled to find two-way wings who offer an outside shot while not sacrificing defensive prowess. And if the Thunder can get better in the area over the course of the season, it could be the key to winning in the playoffs.
Hitting more shots from beyond the arc starts first and foremost with the team’s two superstars. Paul George has been exceptional on both ends of the floor this season, but it would be nice to see Westbrook hit more of 3-pointers. And it would go a long way in silencing some of those haters we talked about in the previous slide.
Heading into 2019, how has your favorite #NBA team fared on both ends of the floor during the 2018-19 season? pic.twitter.com/7s8jYM8W1b
— NBA Math (@NBA_Math) January 1, 2019
Even still, the Thunder need more respectable shooters running around the perimeter to space the floor. Alex Abrines is probably the best shooting option off the bench, but between sickness and personal leaves, he hasn’t been available much lately. It’ll be up to players like Jerami Grant, Dennis Schroder and Terrance Ferguson specifically to shoot more consistently from range to begin making noticeable improvements.