At 15-5, the OKC Thunder currently reside atop the Western Conference standings and have lived up to their status of true title contender throughout these first few months of the 2024-25 campaign.
However, despite this lofty label and early-season success, throughout the first 20 games of action, it has been evident that Oklahoma City has endured quite a bit of hardship and boasts a number of flaws that, in one way or another, make their claim for the Larry O'Brien Trophy far from guaranteed.
From troubling long-range shooting efficiency to lackluster luck in the health department, the Thunder could use for some improvement in several different areas.
Fortunately, it seems like the ball club is finally starting to see one of these primary sore spots trending in a positive direction, as their once non-existent free throw rate is starting to gain some life.
Free throw activity for OKC Thunder starting to trend upward
The Thunder have been one of the least active teams at the charity stripe this season.
Despite leading the league in drives per game (61.0) Oklahoma City is drawing just 18.5 personal fouls and is shooting just 20.1 free throws a night, both of which rank fourth-worst in the association.
This free throw disparity has drawn quite a bit of attention and criticism from both media pundits and Thunder personnel alike, with even guys like coach Mark Daigneault making it a point to call out their lack of attempts during post-game and post-practice media sessions.
Recently, however, signs are suggesting that the tides may be turning when it comes to their misfortunes in the foul call department, as the Thunder have been one of the most active teams at the free throw line over the past week or so.
Since embarking on their latest road trip back on November 25, Oklahoma City has seen a major uptick in charity stripe visits, going from hoisting the 28-fewest free throw attempts heading into this stretch run to being tied for the ninth-most while heading back home.
It should come as no surprise that, with this surge in attempts came an impressive winning percentage of 75.0 percent, with their lone loss coming Sunday night in a down-to-the-wire thriller against the Houston Rockets.
What's worth noting is that a major factor in their ultimate demise down in Space City was their significant gap in free throw attempts, as they shot 25 compared to Houston's 39.
Now, is this increase in foul shots something that'll bring the Thunder more wins and better championship odds on its own?
No, for, after all, it requires a team making the free throws to have them provide any benefit, and, even with this impressive increase in attempts, Oklahoma City is only converting at a 72.8 percent clip (fourth-worst during this span).
Still, this trend is certainly something that should be paid close attention to, as adding this layer to their already deep bag of tricks could only further separate the Thunder from the rest of the league's contenders -- that is, assuming they can somehow tap back into or come close to their 82.5 percent clip from a season ago