On Friday, the OKC Thunder squeaked out a 117-116 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies. Though they pulled out the win, their recent three-point shooting woes continued, as they finished with a mere clip of 24.3 percent.
Had they not closed out the game on a 19-5 run over the final four minutes, the game would've marked their fifth loss of the season in which OKC had shot under 30.0 percent from range.
Even with the Thunder's recent struggles, coach Mark Daigneault refuses to admit that the obvious Achilles heel of his team is their shooting.
Thunder coach continues to peddled same tired out narrative
Throughout this mid-season slump, Daigneault has refused to admit that shot variance is a real problem for this team, labeling it "an excuse" that covers up legitimate problems, such as effort, defense, and taking care of the basketball.
His refusal to make excuses, however, might be blocking him from seeing the root of this group's weakness.
The Thunder currently rank dead last in field goal percentage and 28th in three-point percentage in games that result in losses. In those games, they commit the least amount of turnovers, and they have the second-best defensive field goal percentage.
In short, when the Thunder lose, there is always one obvious reason.
This trend is not as reliable as Mark Daigneault claims it is
With OKC's heavy reliance on its defense, fans may have assumed this has been an ongoing trend since Daigneault took over as headman and remained consistent during last year's championship run.
This couldn't be further from the truth.
Last year, the OKC offense still showed some firepower when the scoreboard didn't tip in their favor. In the 2024-2025 season, they were 14th in field goal percentage and eighth in three-point shooting in losses.
Meanwhile, they were 13th in defensive field goal percentage.
The numbers clearly show that the 2025-2026 Thunder is a different team than the one that hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy roughly seven months ago. Even though the champions' backs were against the wall, they showed they could make shots and win with more than just a stingy defensive effort.
This year, their offense has appeared gutless.
They have lost six of their last 14 games solely because they can't put the ball in the basket, and, if Daigneault continues to call it a non-issue, there is nothing to suggest the trend won't continue.
Thunder need to move away from extremes
The blue and orange have gone from a team that can make timely buckets to one that can only win by being perfect defensively. Their margin for error has diminished to almost nothing, and changes are in order.
Whether that's letting their more offensive-minded role players get extended run time or exploring alternative options at the trade deadline, the Thunder's "D up" mentality has been taken to the extreme, essentially making them one-dimensional.
With one of the more unforgiving parts of their schedule on the horizon, they must course-correct if they wish to maintain top-dog status in the West.