OKC Thunder's Recent 3-Point Slide Could Hinder Playoff Placement

Oklahoma City's offense hinges on its proficient shooting threat from distance, and without it could raise a problem down the stretch.

The Oklahoma City Thunder's 3-point shot has been a point of emphasis all season for one of the Western Conference's top teams. With a 38.9% clip on 34.3 attempts from beyond the arc as a team on the year with six players shooting 40% or better, this team's leap from a bottom-half 3-point shooting team in the NBA to the third-best in the span of a year has been a primary driver for the success of their dynamic offense.

With the ability to shoot the trey ball at a high clip, it's essential to be able to pivot if the shots aren't falling – which, even with one of the best outside shooting teams in the league, is inevitable.

In Oklahoma City's 49 wins, they team has shot 41.0% to claim those victories, compared to 34.4% in its losses. They've been consistent both at home and on the road, with away performances slightly outdoing their 3-point outings at home.

Though, in their last three games, the Thunder has been lumped in with the bottom-six teams in the league behind the 3-point line, certainly something they haven't experienced for a prolonged period this season. It's unlikely this streak of poor shooting is to continue, but it's necessary to highlight as Oklahoma City prepares for its first playoff series in four years.

Just 29.4% from three in wins over the Utah Jazz, Toronto Raptors and a thorough loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City's slight slump hasn't fully relinquished their ability to get back into the driver's seat in the West. But while only a game behind the Denver Nuggets, the team's upcoming road stretch will be a large test, and they'll need all of their shooting ability to come out of the trip with a winning record.

A top-two defense in the Boston Celtics will be their grandest opponent throughout their five-game road stint. Last time these two teams played, it was a 45.0% 3-point shooting performance from the Thunder, edging the Celtics by four at home – with the team's starters knocking down 13 of their 18 threes.

It's something that should correct itself with this caliber of a shooting team, but being able to work around a bad shooting night will be something they must do into the postseason.

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