3 takeaways after OKC Thunder break five-year hoodoo against Portland 111-109

Russ is going through something

Russ has been in a slump since the beginning of the year and though he had a great performance

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tonight, it demonstrated the apparent transformation he’s going through. He shot 22 jumpers against Portland of which he hit 9. And him shooting that many jumpers fall in line with what the rest of the season has shown; he’s becoming more of a jump shooter than he ever was before.

He’s attacking the rim at a noticeably lower clip, driving to the rim four fewer times per game this year than he did last year. Maybe it’s because of physical decline, maybe it’s because he’s not fully healthy or maybe it’s a mental thing, but either way, the drop seems to be at the root of his scoring inconsistency.

He’s never had a reliable jumper so it would make sense that his newfound dependency on it is causing his efficiency to fall off a cliff. The only really good games he’s had this year are ones where his jumper is falling like it was against Portland. It might not be the main reason he’s had problems this year, but it’s certainly something to track.

Still, Thunder would like to see performances like this on a more consistent basis from the Brodie but perhaps see him get inside more and convert at the rim.

Next, Oklahoma City travels to Capital One Arena to take on Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards.