3 reasons why the OKC Thunder are struggling since All-Star break and its highly offensive

Schroder struggling with consistency

Widely regarded as Oklahoma City’s x-factor, offseason acquisition Dennis Schroder has also struggled to find any shooting consistency following the AS break. In 54 games, the German was averaging 15.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 43.5 percent from the field, 36 percent from three and 82.1 percent from the line. When Russell Westbrook and PG13 sit, Schroder was the orchestrator of OKC’s second unit, keeping the team afloat until it stars check back in.

Schroder has accumulated a number of meaningful performances this season but none more important than his 32-point explosion against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle.

Like PG13, the 25-year old has shot horribly since the turn of the break.

Schroder is averaging 14.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 36.9 percent shooting, 28.1 percent from three and 77.3 percent from the line. With Westbrook and Schroder on the same roster, OKC cannot afford both to be struggling at the same time as the guards are volume shooters. What’s worse is if Schroder struggles, the second unit has no chance of holding its own against opposition as the team leans heavily on his ability to score.

If the 25-year-old’s offensive game is on, OKC is an extremely tough team to beat. When Schroder scores 20 or more, the Thunder are 11-4 and need as much scoring off the bench as possible. Without the German’s contributions, Oklahoma City struggles to overcome opponents and need his complimentary scoring alongside Westbrook and PG13.