OKC Thunder's 3-Point Shooting Showcases Slim Margin for Error

The Thunder's 3-point shot has been found money in recent years, but it could be much more important this season.

Oct 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots as Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City is far from full strength, and its outside shooting will need to come around to rack up some wins. 

On Wednesday night, the Thunder’s quest to become the first team in league history with three straight 5-0 starts came crashing down in Dallas. A 120-96 loss against the Mavericks was the Thunder’s first taste of defeat this season, and while many things went wrong, the shooting was especially notable. 

Against Dallas, Oklahoma City managed to shoot only 5-of-32 from beyond the arc. Coupled with a 16-of-45 outside shooting night from Dallas, the math simply didn’t work out for the Thunder to stay in the contest. 

Without Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace for most or all of the rest of the season, the Thunder still have to adjust to their new reality. Without Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso on the floor on Wednesday, the Thunder’s defensive struggles were glaring at times. 

Still, the most pressing issue for Oklahoma City is likely its 3-point shooting. That 5-of-32 mark from deep is the worst of the young season for the Thunder, but it’s already the third time Oklahoma City has failed to hit over a third of its looks from beyond the arc. 

Last season’s league average was 36%, so it’s clear the Thunder have some work to do in that area. Unfortunately for the Thunder, the 3-point shot will need to come around more quickly this season, as it’s taken on a new importance due to injuries. 

During the Thunder’s stretch of dominance that’s resulted in three straight No. 1 finishes in the West, the outside shot has been far from consistent. However, the Thunder have been able to hang their hat on their historic defense. 

That’s meant the Thunder’s floor was already so high defensively that the team became nearly unbeatable when the 3-point shot was falling. With Williams and Wallace out long-term, plus the shorter-term absences of Holmgren and Caruso, that script has flipped. 

Now, the Thunder’s defense may not be at that same level, making it even tougher to grind out games when shots won’t fall. Instead of a hot shooting night almost certainly meaning a blowout win, below-average shooting nights this season could trend toward being blowout losses, as seen in Dallas. 

Given Oklahoma City’s rotation on Wednesday, it wasn’t a fair assessment of how the rest of the season might look, but it also seems far less likely for the Thunder to grind out wins on bad shooting nights than in years past.