Kings' three-point problems holding them back

The Sacramento Kings have three players averaging more than 20 points per game and a 6-4 record. But the team's inability to shoot from the outside is keeping it from being elite.

On Sunday, the Kings shot 11-for-37 from three-point range as they held off a Phoenix Suns team missing Kevin Durant in a 127-118 overtime win. That 29.7% performance was actually a big improvement over Friday night, when they went 3-for-26 on threes in a 107-98 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

The team is 29th in the NBA in made three-pointers and 28th in three-point percentage. While Kevin Huerter is making 2.3 per game on 37.5% shooting, most of Sacramento's expected three-point threats are slumping.

Keegan Murray (37.9% career three-point percentage) set the rookie record for three-pointers in 2022-23. This year, he's at 28.6%. Malik Monk (35.3%) is at 27.9% this season. Trey Lyles (34.9%) is only making 22.9% so far in 2024-25.

The Kings can hope these players get back to their career averages, but De'Aaron Fox's struggles should be a big cause for concern. The Kings' All-Star guard has a dislocated left pinkie, which he's been taping to his ring finger during games. That may be why he went 0-for-6 from behind the arc Sunday, a week after going 0-for-11 from distance in an OT loss to the Toronto Raptors.

The upside is that the Kings have solved last year's biggest offensive weakness: free throw shooting. Last season, they were last in free throw percentage and 27th in made foul shots. This year, thanks to DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Fox all getting more than five foul shots a game and making better than 83%, they're leading the league in free throw percentage.

Sacramento has looked unstoppable on offense at times, and despite his shooting woes (27.3% from three-point range), Fox is still averaging 24.2 points per game. But if this team has aspirations of going far in the playoffs, as a team with the NBA's No. 9 offense (based on offensive rating) and No. 11 defense (based on defensive rating) should, it will need to find more outside shooting.

Maybe that's more shots for Huerter. Maybe that's more ball movement (the Kings are 21st in assists). Or it might have to wait for Fox's hand to heal. If and when the three-point shooting improves, though, the Kings are going to be dangerous.