The Sacramento Kings have a lot of problems they need to fix if they want to climb out of the NBA's basement. As if they don't have enough to deal with, their most recent loss to the San Antonio Spurs highlighted just how much work the Kings need to do on their three point shooting.
Anyone who watches the Kings play knows exactly how tough a spot they're in. The team is long past overdue for a full rebuild, one that rebalances the team towards a stronger defense and a more potent offense. There's a shocking amount of work to do in Sacramento.
Yet, it seems like something new is always popping up for the Kings. There's no consistency in any aspect of their game, or even in any specific player. Ultimately, some sense of stability in anything they're doing on the court would be a game-changer for them at this point.
The Spurs highlighted yet another problem
After a dismal homestand, the Kings hit the road for a few games. They stopped by San Antonio to take on the Spurs, who were playing without Victor Wembanyama. Even without their resident alien, the Spurs still came out on top in the game.
The Kings' usual issues with defense, playmaking, and a sustained offense were on full display. But their three-point shooting was particularly heartbreaking. While they finished the game at 36.4% from three, there was a time in the game when they were sitting closer to 25%.
Overall, the season hasn't been great. The Kings are averaging 31.4 three-point attempts per game, which is the second worst in the league. On top of that, they're only making an average of 11.7 threes per game. That's the 25th spot in the league.
The Kings need to shoot more threes
On the upside, this isn't a complicated problem to solve. The Kings need to start shooting more threes. Taking so few attempts is definitely an issue, as you can't sink the shots you don't take. It would be helpful to Sacramento's cause if their opponents actually feared their distance shooting.
Right now, any team facing them cannot be particularly concerned about the Kings from the arc. They aren't taking many shots, and few of them are going in. Opposing defenses aren't going to give them open shots, but they're also not worrying about the Kings from long distance too much.
Yes, there are probably more pressing concerns the Kings need to be dealing with if they want to be any sort of threat in a stacked Western Conference. At the same time, they still need credible three-point shooting to make any sort of move and maintain momentum.