Perimeter Shooting Has Become a Major Concern for OKC Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder had a historic start to the 2025-26 season.

OKC started the year as just the second team in NBA history to reach a 24-1 record, but haven't found the same success over the past three contests. The Thunder's second loss of the year came at the hands of San Antonio in the NBA Cup semifinals, and after taking down a struggling Clippers squad, Oklahoma City fell again in Minnesota on Friday night.

While some observers will point to OKC's early season schedule as the reason for their success, the Thunder still were able to knock off teams like the Timberwolves and Lakers in their first 25 contests.

So, what has changed over the last three games?

Part of the lackluster stretch has certainly been due to the talent of Minnesota and San Antonio, as well as the Thunder playing in Minneapolis one night after beating the Clippers at the Paycom Center, but there are a few other contributing factors in OKC's recent losses.

First, the team has struggled to shoot from the perimeter in each matchup. Mark Daigneault's team shot 28% from 3-point range against the Timberwolves, and 24% from beyond the arc against the Spurs.

In those contests, Minnesota and San Antonio each shot above 30% from deep. While neither team had a remarkable performance from beyond the arc, but was able to knock down enough shots from 3-point range to take down a Thunder team struggling from beyond the arc.

Despite these two lackluster performances from 3-point range, the Thunder still sit at No. 6 among all NBA teams in 3-point percentage this season, shooting 37.2% from deep.

Part of OKC's struggles from deep have come individually, as a few of the team's best shooters from the 2024-25 campaign have not found the same success this year. Lu Dort connected on more than 41% of his triples last year, but is shooting just 29.8% from 3-point range this season.

In Oklahoma City's last three contests, Dort has shot a combined 4-21 from deep. If Dort is able to find his rhythm again, the Thunder's recent perimeter shooting struggles could be remedied.

If Dort can't find his rhythym, though, Daigneault may have to make an adjustment to the team's starting lineup. The Thunder's shooting struggles have been compounded by putting opponents at the free throw line at a high rate.

The Timberwolves shot a whopping 47 free throws against the Thunder, while San Antonio shot 32 free throws. If OKC can get a few more shots from beyond the arc to fall and return to playing stout defense without fouling as frequently, the team should get back to its winning ways.

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