After a historic 24-1 start to the season, the OKC Thunder have battled shooting slumps and injuries en route to winning just 14 out of their last 24 games.
Now over halfway through the season, Oklahoma City has exhibited one major weakness that has persisted throughout.
In a recent segment of the podcast Hoops Tonight, host Jason Timpf aired out OKC's dirty laundry after a low-scoring loss to the Toronto Raptors.
"The Thunder in this game generated 19 wide-open, unguarded, catch-and-shoot threes. They made eight of them. That's 42.0 percent... The Thunder took 21 contested catch-and-shoot threes. Made two of them. Two for 21... This has been a season-long issue. The Thunder cannot make catch-and-shoot threes when they get rushed or contested at all," Timpf said.
Timpf's comments are mildly overblown from a team perspective, as the Thunder rank within the top-10 in the league in contested three-point percentage. When examining player by player, however, it's clear to see what is preventing OKC from truly excelling as an offense.
Thunder spot-up shooters aren't doing the one job they must excel at
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is clearly propping this number up, as he is shooting 36.4 percent from three with a defender within two to four feet of him. Jalen Williams, who is also not considered one of OKC's reliable spot-up deep shooters, is next, shooting at a 33.3 percent clip.
Going down the list, the shooters that Mark Daigneault is relying on to be the kick-out options after an SGA drive are simply not holding up their end of the bargain.
Isaiah Joe, who is generally considered to be the premier three-point shooter on the team, is shooting a mere 33.3 percent on contested threes, and it only gets worse from there.
Kick-out options like Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, and Chet Holmgren are all shooting under 30.0 percent with a defender close by.
Offensive-oriented guard Aaron Wiggins is shooting just 16.7 percent when contested from deep.
These numbers clearly show that Gilgeous-Alexander is relying on perimeter options that can't make opposing defenses pay for hyperfocusing on the MVP.
Teams like the Nuggets and Spurs are looming in the West, and the Thunder cannot afford to get comfortable at the top of the standings. Title contenders are beginning to separate themselves from the pack, and they are ready to give OKC a run for their money.
Neglecting to address their contested shooting woes out of contentment or complacency could end up being the Thunder's downfall come playoff time.
With role players failing to uphold value through a significant portion of the season, it may be time for Sam Presti to look elsewhere before the February 5th trade deadline.