After an absolutely dominant start to the season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have hit a bit of a slump. In their last three games, they have suffered losses to the Phoenix Suns and the Charlotte Hornets. They came away with just a narrow overtime victory over the Utah Jazz.
In that span, their success on 3-point attempts has hit a concerning low. With the type of talent they have on their roster, fans can rest assured that this will not last long.
However, with the way their offense is constructed, any extended stretch of sub-par perimeter shooting could prove to be a major obstacle in obtaining the one-seed again this season.
The problem extends across the roster. Both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have been sub-par from 3-point range for a series of games, and that is perhaps the most concerning development.
Yet there is still one player, forward Aaron Wiggins, whom the Thunder should be able to rely upon to right the ship.
Aaron Wiggins is the X-Factor when it comes to the Thunder's perimeter shooting
Wiggins has emerged as a highly important role player through his five seasons with Oklahoma City. Last season, however, he emerged also as a volume 3-point shooter: an archetype that the Thunder desperately need.
Wiggins is not having a poor shooting year. He's knocking down 39.1% of his attempts from beyond the arc while averaging 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He's dealt with a right adductor injury this season that has limited to just 25 games.
Yet over his last 10 games he's shooting just 32% from 3-point range. The Thunder are 24th in the NBA in 3P% during that span.
Gilgeous-Alexander will get his points in the mid-range almost inevitably. Jalen Williams has struggled to find his footing from the perimeter, but he can still get downhill and create offense when needed. Chet Holmgren is slowly emerging as an additional offensive weapon, cutting along the baseline and becoming more dominant in the paint.
The Thunder's offensive weapons are so undeniable that they do not need every player on their team to consistently hit the three in order to win games.
However, when things are slow from the perimeter, Oklahoma City needs a piece they can slot into the starting lineup to get things moving again. Wiggins, as almost the archetype of a 3-and-D player, should fill that role.
Mark Daigneault has seen this need, and Wiggins has started each of the last two games for the Thunder.
When he is ultimately able to hit his shots more consistently, Wiggins will be absolutely vital to the team's continued success. Until that time, Oklahoma City's slump will likely continue in some form.