Thunder 3-Point Shooting Shows Glimpses of Improvement in Preseason
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Oklahoma City seems to be finding paths to improvement, especially from 3-point range.
On Thursday the Thunder shot 50% from beyond the arc against the Adelaide 36’ers. OKC shot a whopping 40 3-point shots on Thursday.
In three preseason games, the Thunder have shot 107 shots from beyond the arc knocking down 39 of them, which is good for 36.4%.
OKC was the worst team in the NBA from 3-point range last season. The preseason percentage is up four percentage points from OKC’s 32% mark last season.
While 36% isn’t the most elite mark in the NBA, improvement is huge for OKC as they stride toward competing again in the future.
The Thunder have seen multiple players, who are expected to be on the opening night roster step up to the challenge of finding a deep threat weapon. Aaron Wiggins has had an impressive 3-point shooting off-season thus far.
On Thursday, Tre Mann showcased his shooting ability. He went off for 26 points, scoring all his field goals, but one from beyond the arc.
The Thunder’s preseason 3-point success hasn’t been without challenges however. In OKC’s second game against the Mavericks the Thunder shot a lowly 6–32 from deep.
It proved as a flashback to the Thunder’s woes last season and as a note of the progression that still needs to be made.
OKC has committed to fixing the offensive woes and it’s so far shown through in two of the three games so far this preseason.
It won’t all be pretty for OKC as they continue to get closer to completing their rebuild. However the Thunder’s preseason 3-point success in two of the first three games is a sign of hope of future success.
Any improvement for OKC’s 3-point shooting will be significant, but four percentage points would be a huge stride forward if OKC can remain consistent.
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