OKC Thunder: Terrance Ferguson needs to put the ball on the floor

For Terrance Ferguson to take the next step for the OKC Thunder he needs to put the ball on the floor and take it to the rack.

The OKC Thunder has had an incredible season. Terrance Ferguson was the primary defensive stopper in the starting lineup to begin the season. Thanks to injury and personal reasons Ferguson has lost that place but that is not all bad.

Ferguson has such a team mentality that he is coming off the bench and there seem to be no issues. Ferguson is struggling with his shot but that has been true for the season. His main task has been to stop, not to score.

With the rookie Luguentz Dort showing that he is going to a big part of the future for the OKC Thunder, Ferguson needs to work on several aspects of his game so that he is not left behind as the Thunder rebuild on a playoff bound franchise.

Ferguson has always been touted as a 3-and-D guy. His shooting percentage from deep this season is a low 31.3 percent. He is better than that, his season has just not allowed Ferguson to get any rhythm. However, it is still nice when he hits one from deep.

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However, it is not his 3-point shooting which Ferguson needs to improve to get to the next level. That will come and go over a long NBA season. Ferguson needs to use his incredible athleticism to his advantage.

Dribble penetration

If Ferguson was able to utilize more dribble penetration, he would be so much harder to guard. Currently, he is taking 3.3 of his 4.2 shot attempts per game from outside the arc. three times out of four Ferguson is going to pull up from deep.

His athleticism allows for great highlight reel plays at the rim but most of the time it is a back cut and an assist which helps him score. If Ferguson was able to create off the dribble from outside the arc, either pulling up in the mid-range or making his way to the hoop, he would be a really tough cover.

We are seeing Dort do this which is making him harder to cover on defense. He is then garnering more playing time because he is hurting the opposition both ways.

If Ferguson can emulate this then he should get more of the Darius Bazley minutes while the rookie is injured