Two is better than nothing for Thunder's Thabo Sefolosha

His stroke is seldom smooth. His hoists are habitually hesitant.

In his second full season with the Thunder, Sefolosha has connected on just nine of 34 attempts entering Friday's game at New Orleans. His current attempt rate is on pace to leave him 10 shy of last year's career-best 131 attempts — telling the story of his tentativeness despite tales of his improvement — while his 26.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line currently ranks as a career-low.

But maybe we've been analyzing the wrong thing.

Lately, Sefolosha has shown an increasingly productive offensive game when he steps inside the arc and takes his game to the basket. The fifth-year shooting guard has been surprisingly effective putting the ball on the floor and finding ways to finish at the rim. And when he has, the Thunder's offensive has looked much more dynamic.

“I think I can do that,” Sefolosha said of slashing to the rim. “But it's just a matter of finding those opportunities during the game and just doing it.”

Through 23 games, Sefolosha has converted a career-high 67.9 percent of his shots at the rim. While Thunder coach Scott Brooks considers Sefolosha the team's best cutter, he also has proved to be effective catching and finishing.

“We have to keep working and keep developing that part of his game because, defensively, he's one of the best in the league.” Brooks said. “And for him to give us some offense, which he has been doing in the last 12 games or so, it's helped us.”