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Oklahoma City Thunder have fixed an area of inefficiency, and they are primed to make the most of it

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Bergas Agung | Last updated Nov 6, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder currently lead the Western Conference, despite losing their first game of the season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have demonstrated they remain favorites while appearing even stronger than during their championship season.

Impressively, they’ve achieved this success despite playing without second star Jalen Williams, who remains sidelined with injury.

Not even a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers can dampen the optimism.

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Oklahoma City Thunder fix their ‘bad sentiment‘ statistic from last season

Oklahoma City looks particularly dangerous in one specific statistical category they currently lead league-wide: free throw accuracy.

This statistic carries particular interest given negative sentiment surrounding the Thunder’s ability to draw fouls, especially for star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The criticism deserves context. Since last season, the Thunder haven’t ranked among top teams in free throw attempts, placing just 26th last season and 23rd currently.

However, their attempts per game have increased from 20.4 last season to 24.3 this season.

Most significantly, they’re leading the league in free throw percentage at 85.6% compared to 81.9% last season.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren drive free throw efficiency gains

Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains the primary catalyst. He averages 9.5 free throw attempts per game this season compared to 8.8 last year while maintaining elite accuracy at 89.5% versus 89.8% previously.

Chet Holmgren represents another key factor in this statistical improvement, becoming more aggressive attacking the rim and creating foul-drawing opportunities.

Holmgren averages 6.4 free throw attempts per game this season compared to just 4.2 last year. More impressively, his accuracy has surged to 84.4% from 75.4% last season.

Free throws might seem insignificant in isolation, but context reveals their importance for an offensive juggernaut like Oklahoma City.

Four additional attempts per game compared to last season provides meaningful scoring advantages that compound over an entire season.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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