The Oklahoma City Thunder have seemingly turned a crucial problem into an actual advantage.
En route to bringing home their first-ever NBA Championship to Oklahoma City. The Thunder had issues offensively throughout, surviving two seven-game series.
Oklahoma City put together the best regular season in franchise history, winning a franchise record 68 games, posting a historical point differential of +12.8, one of the highest in NBA history, and a league-best 107.5 defensive rating. Led by their face of the franchise, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who would go on to win his first MVP.
OKC Has Turned a Weakness Into a Strength – And Another Potential Championship
During last year’s postseason run, Oklahoma City’s offensive flaws were highlighted against the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers — after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies and a quick series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, dropping a combined one game in both series — the problems were easy to point out.
Lack of creation in the half court, to go along with inconsistent and dreadful shooting woes from beyond the arc. Led to stagnant half-court offense for long stretches. The Thunder ranked 13th out of 16th in 3-point shooting at 33.8% during the last postseason. Compared to 37.4%, ranking 6th in the regular season. Their regular-season half-court offense, ranked second at 104.6, then dipped to 96.8 in the playoffs.
After becoming the first to win a championship and to capture that feeling again, this team has to turn the page. Despite ranking second in missed games due to injury, the Thunder are still the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and a league-best 55-15. OKC holds a three-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs, as internal development has allowed OKC to turn weaknesses from the past few years into strengths.
This is with Jalen Williams having only played in 26 games due to wrist and hamstring injuries.
Still, OKC looks improved in both areas, thanks to the ascension of Ajay Mitchell. The midseason addition of Jared McCain. The development of Isaiah Joe as a movement shooter. And lastly, the continued continuity and synergy of the two-man game and the secondary unit, with Isaiah Hartenstein as the common denominator. Add in Chet Holmgren, who has taken a step forward, becoming a first-time All-Star. Even Cason Wallace has shown offensive flashes with his best stretch in February.
Despite Williams missing the majority of the season (44 games missed). Isaiah Hartenstein (32 games missed), Alex Caruso (23 games missed), and Ajay Mitchell (22 games missed) missing significant stretches. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (12 games missed) missing a stretch of games and not trading for Jared McCain until the Trade Deadline. Oklahoma City ranks third in half-court offensive rating at 102.0.
The Thunder are shooting 36% from beyond the arc this season, and the overall process and quality of the looks generated in the half-court setting have improved.
Oklahoma City now has the option to pair SGA with elite shooters Joe and McCain, who provide perimeter gravity. This not only opens up the floor for him but forces matchups to pick their poison — either give up a wide-open look from deep to the two elite sharpshooters or allow the most efficient one-on-one iso player to play in single coverage. When this trio shares the floor, granted, it’s only 19 minutes of action together, the Thunder generate a 133.3 offensive rating with a +43.3 NET rating, both ranking in the top percentile.
Not only does it seem like a solution to the Thunder’s half-court deficiencies, but it also boosts their perimeter shooting. OKC has more offensive weapons and versatility to throw at opponents. The McCain and Joe duo, with SGA off the floor, boasts an offensive rating of 121.4 and a NET rating of +22.7.
Those two sharpshooters, plus the playmaking element of the Thunder’s bigs, have found success without SGA on the floor due to Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams’ ability to operate as high-post playmaking hubs. Those two bigs set up different elements of offense: DHOs, off-ball cuts, and screens, which generate high-quality shots for the Thunder, which translates to their offensive success.
Not add in Mitchell, who generates paint touches at will and has emerged as a legit creator for himself and his teammates this season, with or without SGA on the floor. In fact, in a recent sample size, the Thunder have found another fastball, as the Mitchell-McCain-Joe-Holmgren-Hartenstein lineup has an offensive rating of 143.8, a defensive rating of 82.4, and a +61.4 NET Rating.
Now, instead of hoping to maintain until SGA returns to the floor, the Thunder have players and lineups that can maintain and, at times, do even more when their superstar is off the floor.
With this league constantly evolving and improving, the road to repeating will be very difficult. Oklahoma City is trying to become the first team since the 2018 Golden State Warriors to win back-to-back. However, these improvements make the Thunder better prepared to be the last team standing once again come June.
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