The OKC Thunder are currently having quite a disastrous season when it comes to their perimeter game.
Though they've never been known to be a lights-out scoring unit from beyond the arc throughout the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander era, 2026-27 is proving to be especially bad.
As things currently stand, Oklahoma City is shooting a middling 34.6 percent from deep and has made the third-fewest shots per game from downtown with just 11.0.
Now, this wouldn't be all that big of a deal if they were keeping their opponents in check from long range as well. Unfortunately for them, the Thunder have allowed the third-most triples to be cashed in on in head-to-head action.
During their most recent string of losses, both of which came in a back-to-back set against the Trail Blazers, OKC allowed Portland to shoot an incredibly efficient 38.4 percent on their 99 total three-point attempts while they, personally, cashed in on a mere 19 triples combined in both games.
That's 114 total points from Portland compared to only 57 by the Thunder.
When considering OKC shot sub-50.0 percent from two-point range and a mere 37.5 percent from the generally reliable paint range during these outings, it's easy to see how this large of a discrepancy ended up plaguing them in the end, as it has in all of their losses so far this season.
Thunder should consider adding more perimeter scorers
According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, the Thunder "will explore the market for opportunities" to upgrade areas of their roster over the next few months leading up to the February trade deadline.
Though there's certainly a case to be made that they need help in a multitude of areas, perhaps the first place they should look to address is their perimeter play, and on both ends of the floor at that.
While MacMahon stressed that a splashy move may not be in the cards, with their TPEs and excess amount of draft capital, there are plenty of B-level targets that could be pursued.
From New Orleans' Trey Murphy III to the LA Clippers' Derrick Jones Jr., there are expected to be a number of reliable, 3&D talents made available on the trade block this year.
Though they may be missing a bevy of key core players due to injuries, with superstar centerpiece Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still healthy and in his prime, Sam Presti and company should still be doing everything in their power to surround him with the best possible supporting cast they can.
Making more in-season moves, specifically to improve their perimeter production, should be one of the highest priorities on their agenda.
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