The Oklahoma City Thunder have been a pleasant surprise this season. Once a play-in tournament team that just missed the playoffs, they now reign atop the stacked Western Conference. Yet, as the regular season gives way to the playoffs, doubts linger. One thing that the analysts like to harp about is their lack of playoff experience. Almost without exception, young teams with no playoff experience need to lose to learn. OKC hasn’t advanced to the playoffs since 2020, when they lost a first-round series to the Houston Rockets. Only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, and Mike Muscala remain from that squad, with Gordon Hayward and Isaiah Joe being the only others to have tasted playoff basketball.

However, despite this perceived deficiency, former NBA player JJ Redick believes the Thunder possess a secret weapon that could propel them to playoff success.

JJ Redick reveals the X-Factor that can help OKC in the playoffs

In a recent episode of The Old Man and The Three, JJ Redick shed light on the team’s, specifically Shai-Gilgeous Alexander’s, improved offense. “I think one of the key developments to his offensive game has been the development of the counter. This motherf**ker has a counter for everything. We talk all the time about players with no holes in their game, I don’t think Shai has a hole in his game,” said the former Orlando Magic guard.

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Redick further emphasized how Shai has elevated his performance in all metrics this season. SGA’s 3-point shooting has surged from 34.5% last season to 37.6% this season, while his field goal percentage has improved from 51% to 54.4%. And despite taking limited free throws, he excels as a post-up player. However, Redick underscored that the team’s offensive identity will be even more critical for their playoff success.

OKC Thunder’s improved offense

OKC is currently leading the league in terms of drives per game. And it’s not just about the volume of the drives; they are also excellent at driving the ball, with SGA leading the league with 23.9 drives per game. The Thunder are also number three in terms of field goal percentage on drives and number one in free throw attempts on drives.

In addition, Oklahoma City leads the NBA in 3-point efficiency, converting on 39.2% of its attempts this season, which is unexpected for a team that finished 17th at 36% last season. In their current iteration of the 15-man roster, seven players shoot above 40% from the deep, while another five are shooting better than 36.5% from beyond the arc. And what this essentially does for the team is force the defenses to play out to the perimeter and not cheat off on drives, allowing SGA and Jalen Williams to put pressure on the rim.

But that’s not all. Despite lacking frontcourt size, they are still one of the most effective in the league at dominating the paint. While they are seventh in points in the paint with 52.6 points; they allow just 46.9 points (sixth in the NBA). This means on average, the Thunder generates 5.7 more points in the paint than their opponents, the largest margin in the NBA.

In addition to excelling in perimeter and paint scoring, Oklahoma City demonstrates proficiency in midrange shooting, ranking fourth in the league with a 46.6% efficiency. Moreover, beyond these primary scoring zones, OKC leads the NBA in free throw efficiency, boasting an impressive 83.1% conversion rate on their attempts. Combine all of this with their fifth-ranked defensive rating, and you get a recipe for success in the playoffs.

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