Kings' Alarming Stat Previews Nightmare 2024-25 Season

The Sacramento Kings gave up a horrific amount of wide-open threes in Thursday's season opener loss.

Oct 24, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shoots the ball over Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23) during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

The Sacramento Kings fell in a close game in their season opener to the Minnesota Timberwolves where Keegan Murray had a chance for a buzzer-beater three to win it, dropping to 0-1 to start their 2024-25 campaign.

They looked solid in most facets of the game, but much like last year, struggled to defend the three-point line throughout the contest.

They were outshot from beyond the arc with 11 makes of their own compared to 20 for Minnesota, with many of the Wolves' looks being far too easy.

3Ps by Defender Coverage Last Night

Kings
Tight: 0-of-3 (0%)
Open: 3-of-12 (25%)
Wide-Open: 8-of-13 (61.5%)

Timberwolves
Tight: 3-of-7 (42.9%)
Open: 8-of-19 (42.1%)
Wide-Open: 9-of-24 (37.5%)

— Will Z. Stats (@will_zimmerle) October 25, 2024

For reference, the Indiana Pacers led the league with 23.1 wide-open three-point attempts per game last year.

Minnesota’s roster is filled with shooters, so it was a difficult matchup out of the gate. Between Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, their role players off the bench can all let it fly along with the starters.

The Kings were getting lost in basic pick-and-roll actions with the Timberwolves finding the open man with skip passes and impressive ball movement. While Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle hit tough contested shots, the other players for the Wolves cashed on the looks created for them.

One game is a small sample size and not something to panic over, but on the heels of last season, it is an alarming start. Time will tell if it was a one-game anomaly or the start of another season-long trend.

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