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The Glaring Problem with the Thunder

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Bryson Akins | Last updated May 4, 2025 11:20 AM ET

After a first-round sweep against the Grizzlies, the Thunder seem practically unbeatable. From a 51-point win in the first game to a 29-point comeback in Game 3, how could anyone think after these performances that this team has a weakness? It’s all a smokescreen, as the Thunder have one glaring problem that could send them home in the second round.

The Glaring Problem With the Thunder: Getting Cold From Behind the Arc

The Thunder ended up shooting 37.4 percent from deep in the regular season. In the first round of the playoffs, they did not shoot above 36 percent in any game. The squad shot below average in four games, draining 31.3 percent of their attempts. To summarize, no team can expect to win the championship shooting at those numbers. In Game 4, the team shot an abysmal 20 percent from behind the arc. Somehow, they still won this game, but against a better opponent in the second round, these numbers will cost them a few games.

Dort and SGA Have Struggled From Three

Throughout the entire series, many players struggled with their shots. Sharpshooter Luguentz Dort struggled in this matchup. In the first round, Dort shot 26.1 percent from long range. In the regular season, he shot a career-best 41.2 percent. This is a 15.1 percent decrease from the regular season to the postseason. Granted, his defensive play is the main reason the team swept Memphis in round 1. Against the Clippers or Nuggets, he needs to get the three-point shot rolling.

MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also a player who struggled as well. His three-ball only went in at a 25 percent clip. It was not just his three-point shot either, but his shot in general, shooting 40.2 percent from the field. He worked in other areas, averaging a block and 1.3 steals in the series. Defense is not what the team needs from him; they need him to be a for-sure bucket each time on offense. They need to rely on him in the clutch. They need him to score, plain and simple. Shai struggled to do that many times against Memphis.

The Bright Side

There are still bright sides and players who thrived in the first round. Jalen Williams shut down any doubts about him again going cold in the playoffs. At times, he seemed like the best player on the court—he was the best player in the series. The Santa Clara product averaged 23.3 points on 54.2 percent shooting. His three-ball (28.6 percent) was not great either, but he was scoring no matter what.

The Thunder will face off against the Denver Nuggets in the second round. Shai has had their number all season. In the regular season, the MVP frontrunner averaged 30.3 points, 6.5 assists, and five rebounds against the mile-high team. This should be a good matchup for Gilgeous-Alexander to regain his groove in the second round.

The team also played great against Denver during the regular season. Oklahoma City averaged an astonishing 119.5 points per game when facing off against Nikola Jokic and company. Yes, the Thunder went 2-2 in the series; however, there are caveats. One loss happened while Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams, and Kenrich Williams were injured. The second came just a few weeks after Chet Holmgren returned from his hip injury.

With all these factors in play, the Thunder should be able to handle the Nuggets and even win in five games. If they shoot like they did against Memphis, though, they could get sent home sooner than some people predicted. Game one is on May 5th, and the Thunder will have to save their shooting problems.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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