Bergmaniac wrote:Payne is shooting 33% at the rim this season. Ouch.
This team just can't shoot from outside so it will always be vulnerable in the modern NBA. Even if you play solid D you got to be able to score consistently. The other team is bound to make a run at some point even if you play really good D. You can't win with late game heroics every time. There is exactly one reliable 3 point shooter on this roster and he is a rookie who is so bad defensively he can only play in limited minutes. Grant is the guy with the highest 3 point percentage for the season, but he has a slow release and lacks confidence so he keeps passing on good looks from 3 in order to attempt his hilariously awful move to the basket. Oladipo is way too inconsistent from 3. Morrow apparently forgot how to shoot 3 pointers. Westbrook is actually just about the second best shooter from 3 on this team this season taking into account the type of shots he takes which says it all. Roberson shoots 24% from 3 and is playing 30 MPG.
Since December 1st there has been only 3 Thunder players who have shot over 30% from 3 - Abrines, Grant and Westbrook. Lauverne and Sabonis came down to Earth after their unexpectedly hot start of the season shooting wise. Oladipo is only at 30%. Morrow and Cam are at 27%. Roberson is at 19%. For the season the Thunder are 29th in 3 point percentage. 30th since December 1st. It's downright incredible that Russ is still maintaining a respectable TS% on a huge volume despite this horrid spacing.
Good post.