Inside The Thunder

Despite a Successful Offense, OKC Thunder Struggle Getting to the Free Throw Line

Over the past two seasons, Oklahoma City has one of the worst free throw disparities in the NBA, even though the team's offense is predicated on attacking the paint.

Randall Sweet

Feb 26, 2021; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2)
Feb 26, 2021; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
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Despite having one of the best records in the NBA, the Oklahoma City Thunder have struggled to get to the free throw line this year. 

Even with players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and others frequently attacking the basket from the perimeter, OKC ranks in the bottom five in net free throw attempts over the past two seasons. 

Sitting at -270 net free throw attempts, the Thunder’s opponents have taken 270 more free throws than Oklahoma City from 2022-23 into the current NBA season. 

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.9 shots from the charity stripe last year and 8.7 per game in 2023-24. While OKC’s superstar is near the top of the league in free throw attempts, the other wing players on the Thunder’s roster don’t get to the line nearly as much. 

Williams, who is averaging over 19 points per game this season, attempts just 3.2 free throws per contest despite taking nearly 11 shots inside the arc every game. 

The Thunder’s third-leading scorer, rookie big man Chet Holmgren, takes plenty of shots within the paint but gets to the line just as much as Williams. Despite being able to attack the interior off the dribble and being a tough matchup for less agile centers, the former No. 2 overall pick averages just 3.2 free throw attempts per game. 

Josh Giddey, who primarily tries to get downhill and attack the rim, is averaging just 1.3 free throw attempts per game while shooting more than seven 2-point shots each contest 

This year alone, the Thunder are averaging just 21.5 free throw attempts per game, which ranks seventeenth in the NBA. While the team is in the bottom half of the league in attempts, OKC's roster shoots 83% from the line, which ranks No. 1 in the NBA this season.

Mark Daigneault has built a strong system that scores helps Oklahoma City score over 120 points per game, but the team’s offense could likely take another step forward if the Thunder are able to get to the charity stripe more often. 

As the team’s young stars become veterans and learn the nuances of NBA basketball, they should be able to even out its net free throw attempt numbers and receive a more generous whistle from professional referees.

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Randall Sweet

RANDALL SWEET

Randall Sweet is a 2022 Oklahoma University graduate who has formerly written for the Norman Transcript and OU Daily. Randall also serves as the Communications Coordinator at Visit OKC.