OKC Thunder: 3 season goals for T.J. Leaf in 2020-21

Recapture his 3-point shot.

One of the big things about Leaf in his draft profile was that he could shoot at a high percentage from deep at his height. As mentioned earlier, this has not translated into the NBA, with Leaf only shooting 34.1 percent from deep.

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In his rookie year, Leaf shot the ball incredibly well from deep. He went 18-of-42 which is good for 42.9 percent. It is at this point it seems the Pacers seemed to remove his license to shoot the long ball for some reason.

In his sophomore season Leaf only shot 8-of-31 which is only good for 25.8 percent. In the season where Leaf played his most minutes, he shot the ball less from the perimeter. It makes no sense that a developing player is not allowed to find his rhythm.

Last season Leaf shot the ball 18 times from behind the 3-point line. He made only five of these meaning he had a shooting percent of 27.8 percent from deep. It was a self-perpetuating prophecy, the less confidence the coaching staff had in his shooting, the worse it got.

As the Thunder are going to want to evaluate the potential of Leaf long term, it is likely that he will get some good game time. If he can recapture his 3-point shooting then Leaf will earn himself a contract next year.