Inside The Nets

Jacque Vaughn is not a fan of the Nets constantly shooting mid-range shots

The Nets were outscored 25 to 14 in total three-pointers, which irked coach Jacque Vaughn.

Peter Sunjic

© Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports
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In today's NBA landscape, teams are often encouraged to prioritize three-point shooting due to its potential for higher scoring. However, in the Nets' recent matchup against the Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn failed to capitalize on this strategy despite displaying good efficiency at 48.3%, making 14 out of 29 attempts.

They could've shot much more because they proved they could shoot efficiently from deep in this game, but the Nets were gunshy for most of the game. 

This was one of the factors that head coach Jacque Vaughn pointed out as a reason they lost the game.

"With us shooting 28 middies, we're just not going to win. Three vs. two, the math just doesn't add up," Vaughn said in his post-game presser. "You give them credit, good defense. They pull over, they make you want to take middies, they run you off the 3-point line."

The Nets need to trust their three-point shooting

This was an uncharacteristic game from the Nets because they are one of the league's most prolific three-point shooting teams. They are fourth in the NBA, with made threes per game at 14.8, with the Kings right above them at 15.2 per game.

Despite expectations for the Nets to keep up in three-point shooting, they were outscored 25 to 14 in that department. While the absence of prolific shooter Lonnie Walker IV played a role, the rest of the team should have stepped up.

Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and Dorian Finney-Smith hit three apiece, but the rest of the team struggled, especially with Cameron Thomas and Spencer Dinwiddie. 

In the future, the Nets must leverage their most potent offensive weapon and be more assertive in taking three-point shots, avoiding hesitation in favor of mid-range attempts.

The players already recognize this

Thankfully for coach Vaughn, his players are aware of the issues that popped up with their hesitation to shoot threes. After the game, Cam Johnson went to the podium and talked about their lack of threes and how it was an issue for them the whole game.

"We only shot 29 threes, and they made 25. So that's a big difference in terms of the flow of the game and points and how they accumulate," Johnson said.

By knowing this, expect the Nets to bombard teams with more three-pointers than before. They will look to maximize their scoring so they won't have this issue anymore against the Kings.

The Nets' four-game winning streak gets snapped by the Sacramento Kings

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Peter Sunjic
PETER SUNJIC

Peter's journey with basketball commenced in the first grade, and it has since evolved into an integral part of his life. Standing on the brink of a potential professional playing career, Peter ultimately chose to pursue a degree in Political Science and Journalism in Zagreb, Croatia. Despite this academic pursuit, his deep-rooted love for the game of basketball endured, undiminished. Now, as a writer and editor, Peter finds an avenue to channel his unwavering passion for basketball-related news and analysis. Whether it's deciphering the latest happenings or delving into the lore of old-school basketball, he covers every corner of the NBA world.

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