Sacramento Kings: 3 takeaways from Week 1
By Adi Brescic
2. Buckets, buckets and more buckets
Defense has and will probably continue to be a problem for the Kings. The same might not be said about their offense, however.
For the third straight game, the Kings managed to score over 115 points. They scored 117 against the Jazz in the season opener, 129 in their home opener against the Pelicans, then topped both of those performances with 131 against the Thunder on the road.
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That not only gives Sacramento the second-highest points per game average (125.7) in the entire NBA, but it also puts them second in field goal percentage (52.8 percent).
Playing at the second fastest pace in the league behind only the Los Angeles Lakers, the Kings are wasting no time to set up in the half-court. They’re getting out, running and making the most of their possessions.
One glaring weakness that continues trouble this team is the lack of deep shooting, however. This is an area that head coach Dave Joerger said he wanted to the team to improve upon. Instead of moving forward, they’re moving backwards. The Kings are averaging just 22.0 3-point attempts per game, which is dead-last among all 30 teams.
Remember, this is a team that was only attempting 24.0 3s a game last season. Going forward, it’s going to be vital for them to elevate that number, and it’s not like they can’t do it. This team has plenty of reliable outside shooters. They just haven’t realized it yet.