OKC Thunder Breakdown: 3 key areas Steven Adams can improve upon next season

Improving free throw percentage:

I know what you’re saying. It’s been five years, how is Adams supposed to magically become a better free-throw shooter?

Well, Adams has shown signs of being a competent free throw shooter in the past.

Since the 2016-2017 season, Adams free throw percentage has plummeted.

• 16-17: 61.3 percent
• 17-18: 55.9 percent
• 18-19: 49.8 percent

There’s no real explanation for why this has happened over the course of the past two seasons. Perhaps it’s due to an issue with his confidence at the line, but at the 2016-2017 All-Star break, Adams was shooting a career 67.4 percent from the line on 170+ plus attempts. After the break, Adams percentage dropped to 46.8 percent and has been on the downhill since.

While Adams free throw percentage has dropped, his percentages from the “short mid-range (4-14 feet)”  have stayed about the same, at an average of 48 percent since 16-17.

With Adams immense size down low, he will continue to get plenty of opportunities at the line, even if he struggles at converting them. It’s important to Adams and the team that he doesn’t get played off the floor in crunch time due to his inability to convert from the line, a la Andre Roberson a few years ago.

In an interview with Erik Horne of the Oklahoman, Adams stated that free throw shooting will be one of his goals to work on this offseason.

"Before the 3-point shot, however, Adams knows what one of his goals will be this offseason. “Make free throws,” Adams said. “There you go. Good question.”"

Despite his shooting struggles throughout college and the NBA, Adams has shown to be a competent free throw shooter at times and combined with his soft touch from mid-range, it’s possible he can make a Jusuf Nurkic type jump from the charity stripe this year.