Thunder Finally Understands the Value of 3-Point Shooting

The Oklahoma City Thunder hasn't always prioritized 3-point shooting, but it has fully made it a part of its identity going forward.

May 7, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) reacts after scoring a three-point basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of game one of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Today's Oklahoma City Thunder is a team adjusted to the modern NBA. It has 3-point shooting and floor spacing everywhere, not to mention a lockdown defensive group that rivals any. This roster construction helped build it back into a championship contender in a matter of a few years, finishing with a No. 1 seed in the Western Conference just last season.

Those who have followed the Thunder for several years know that it didn't always build its roster in such a manner.

Throughout the years when Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Paul George thrived in Oklahoma City, a lack of 3-point shooting was a major barrier to finding success during the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors had just started the wave of floor-spacing with "Splash Brothers" Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, but the Thunder was late to the trend.

Despite some efforts to surround its MVP talent with shooting, Oklahoma City never found much success. Where you had Alex Abrines or Terrance Ferguson — two capable 3-point shooters — then came outside scoring non-factors in Andre Roberson or Hamidou Diallo.

The Thunder never possessed enough depth of shooters, so as a result, it consistently finished in the bottom half in 3-point shooting percentage. Teams exploited this problem in the playoffs, which was a pivotal reason as to how Westbrook and George could never make it past the first round as a tandem.

To put it simply, it held Oklahoma City back from winning.

So once it had to move on from its star players and head in a different direction, the Thunder knew it couldn't afford to make the same mistake again. After it acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and an abundance of first round draft picks, it was crucial to acquire some 3-point shooters to grow and develop with the organization.

Of course, not every player the Thunder drafted or signed has fit the bill since. Luguentz Dort and Josh Giddey came into the league as 3-point shooting projects, and although the former has developed that skill, the latter was dealt away just a few months ago partly because of that reason.

Where Oklahoma City failed to add shooting, it's excelled at with other players. Whether it be Jalen Williams, Isaiah Joe or Cason Wallace, it found 3-point scorers from a variety of sources. Due to that newfound focus, it finished with the highest shooting percentage from behind the arc last season — 39%.

And guess what? The Thunder won a first-round series for the first time since 2016 in a four-game sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans.

It took years of disappointment and frustration for Oklahoma City to realize how important 3-point shooting was for a team's success, but it's finally made it a part of its identity. To increase its prowess in that area, it added Alex Caruso through the Giddey trade — a 40% 3-point shooter.

An already elite 3-point shooting team got even better, and that should help catapult the Thunder back to the top of the West for the second year in a row.

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