Opponent's 3pt Shooting

[Fear the Putin]

Beside the fact that we are a horrendous defensive team, we really have some sort of aversion to guarding behind the arc. It's an absolute back-breaker to have the opposing team nail 3s uncontested, or with little to no close-out - effectively creating momentum swings that break open games. There is no defensive mindset or strategy, as nearly everyone on the Kings roster look like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off when trying to defend the perimeter. Yes, our team is not filled with extremely high bball IQ players, but they look absolutely lost when an opposing coach is able to pick them apart like a bunch of middle school kids playing against grown men.

Here is the opponent's 3-pt shooting the past 9 games along with their average in bold. Aside from the Indiana/Atlanta games, teams are either making more, shooting more, or both.

02/05 v. Brooklyn - 18/28 (Avg. 5.6/17.2)
02/03 v. Chicago - 11/21 (Avg. 7.4/20.8)
02/01 v. Milwaukee - 8/20 (5.5/15.7)
01/30 v. Memphis - 8/18 (5.9/17.5)
01/28 v. New Orleans - 10/28 (8.8/24.7)
01/26 v. Portland - 9/30 (10.1/28.3)
01/25 v. Charlotte - 20/44 (10.2/29.4)
01/23 v. Indiana - 7/19 (8.4/23.9)
01/21 v. Atlanta - 8/23 (9.2/26.7)

This pace baloney gives opposing teams the green light to shoot at will. The only problem here is that we have absolutely no defensive scheme when our beloved pace suddenly falters.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

This pace baloney gives opposing teams the green light to shoot at will.

It's not "pace", it's that we don't guard the three-point line in the half-court. These are completely different things.

 

[steelevt]

It's not "pace", it's that we don't guard the three-point line in the half-court. These are completely different things.

I notice more uncontested 3s due to lack of rotation when we double team, or get caught on a pick. Also we give up a lot of uncontested 3s in transition but that happens with most teams.

 

[The Hammer]

I notice more uncontested 3s due to lack of rotation when we double team, or get caught on a pick. Also we give up a lot of uncontested 3s in transition but that happens with most teams.

We simply have a horrible defensive system in place.

It's like Karl's obsession with offensive pace is somehow negatively correlated with his understanding of how to defend it.

Our defense is a scheme issue, not lack of "effort".

 

[Fear the Putin]

13/24 for Boston.
Avg is 9.1/27

Game after game. Same outcome.

 

[Npliam]

We simply have a horrible defensive system in place.

It's like Karl's obsession with offensive pace is somehow negatively correlated with his understanding of how to defend it.

Our defense is a scheme issue, not lack of "effort".

I don't think scheme makes as big of a difference as players. Look at this year's Jazz team. When Gobert and Favors are healthy they are a great defensive team when either one of them were out we were average. Same scheme, same coach, different players.

 

[DerekJ]

I think it is both. The Celtic are a very good defensive team and they're playing defensive stalwarts like Isiah Thomas, Kelly Olynik and Jared Sullinger...

 

[Showtime]

It's not "pace", it's that we don't guard the three-point line in the half-court. These are completely different things.

They are different, but related when discussing defense:

The faster the pace, the more opportunities there are to score.
The more opportunities there are to score, the more a poor defense will be exploited.
The more a poor defense is exploited with the 3 ball, the greater potential disparity.

That 64 win Sonics team played at the third highest pace in the league with the second highest scoring in the league, but that was in a league where the league average of 3PTA was 16/game. The game has changed, and the league average is now 22/game (The Spurs last year who were dead last in deep attempts would have been the 7th most deep threat in '96). The 3 pointer has gone from an alternative option in the offense to a staple, and so you can't build an overall team strategy that combines pushing the pace AND leaving the perimeter unguarded in favor of collapsing inside.

Karl's Opp. 3PTA rank/Denver's Pace rank:

2014: 21st/3rd (Shaw)
_____________
2013: 2nd/2nd
2012: 1st/2nd
2011: 2nd/2nd
2010: 17th/5th
2009: 4th/6th
2008: 2nd/1st
2007: 4th/2nd
2006: 3rd/2nd
_____________
2005: 10th/2nd (Bzdelik)

I think it is safe to say that it is part of Karl's strategy to allow the 3 ball on defense while pushing the pace on offense. This leads to a problem the more prevalent the 3 point shot becomes, and the more capable the shooters perform.

You can see this because Shaw's first year showed a Nugget team with the 3rd highest pace, but they still were 21st in allowing 3PTA. You can play at a high pace and defend the deep ball, but Karl exacerbates the issue with his overall strategy.

 

[swisshh]

Key factors to 3pt defensive issue are:

1. Not matching up in transition. Team simply doesn't seem to know how.
2. Bigs not running out on perimeter shooters. Cousins most guilty of this. Marco and some of the guards guilty as well.
3. PnR defense pocket traps or has a soft surround on the ball handler (the soft part being the first issue), but there's no backside rotation to take away the first pass out. So the screener is almost always open.
4. The wings overhelp towards the middle to protect the rim. Doesn't matter who it is. It's obvious that this is by design. Even when the ball handler is somewhat contained, the wing defender is already stepping towards the lane.
5. Rondo cheating off ball and not him or anyone else recovering.
6. Terrible ball contain by perimeter defenders.

 

[SacKings384]

This is a constant issue with George Karl teams. The statistics don't lie. It is not a roster issue.

 

[Npliam]

This is a constant issue with George Karl teams. The statistics don't lie. It is not a roster issue.

Hmm.....I think it could be both.

 

[kingsboi]

I wonder...does this Kings team have the potential to be one of the worst defenses in the history of the game, if not, at least the last decade?

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I wonder...does this Kings team have the potential to be one of the worst defenses in the history of the game, if not, at least the last decade?

Considering that (before today) we were the #22 defense in the league this year, I think it's safe to say "no".

 

[kingsboi]

Considering that (before today) we were the #22 defense in the league this year, I think it's safe to say "no".

There can't be 8 other teams worse than the Kings on defense, can there? 0_0

 

[The Hammer]

I don't think scheme makes as big of a difference as players. Look at this year's Jazz team. When Gobert and Favors are healthy they are a great defensive team when either one of them were out we were average. Same scheme, same coach, different players.

You actually make my point though. They have a great scheme. You have to have a good scheme and adequate/good defensive players. We only have one of the two.

On paper, we have THE BEST defensive front court in the league.

 

[Siranthony]

The Kings aren't the worst team on defense unless they want to be. They have shown they can be tenacious. But they won't play that way ALL THE TIME.. I could understand them loafing it for a game on the road when they are beat. But they play either good or bad in stretches. Not sure why. There are obviously other issues involved.

 

[Ron]

I know that our scandalous 3pt defense is a team defensive failure, and not the product of any player(s) 1-on-1 effort, but I thought it would be interesting to look at the personal aspect of guarding 3-pt shots.

Fortunately, the Player Tracking Defense feature can be pinpointed to address defense against 3-pointers!

This allows us to see the number of 3pt shots taken & made on each of our Kings' players as a defender, but better still -
We can even compare the % of 3pt made by opponent players on each Kings'player to the regular 3pt% of those speific opponent players!!

Curious already?

Kings Players Tracking 3pt D stats

(I filtered only players who played at least 10 games)

Interesting stuff!

 

[Ron]

The Kings aren't the worst team on defense unless they want to be. They have shown they can be tenacious. But they won't play that way ALL THE TIME.. I could understand them loafing it for a game on the road when they are beat. But they play either good or bad in stretches. Not sure why. There are obviously other issues involved.

Actually, there are 8 teams that are worse than the Kings in defending 3-pointers (measured in the 3pt% they allow, in comparison to the opponents' regular 3pt%).

However - we DO rank #1 in the NBA in two things:
1. Opponents ATTEMPT by far more 3s against us than against any other team.
2. The average REGULAR 3pt% of the opponent teams we faced so far is tied for the highest in the league.

 

[Siranthony]

I know that our scandalous 3pt defense is a team defensive failure, and not the product of any player(s) 1-on-1 effort, but I thouggt it would be interesting to look at the personal aspect of guarding 3-pt shots.

Fortunately, the Player Tracking Defense feature can be pinpointed to address defense against 3-pointers!

This allows us to see the number of 3pt shots were taken/made on each of our Kings' players as a defender, but better still -
We can even compare the % of 3pt made by opponent players on each Kings'player to the regular 3pt% of those speific opponent players!!

Curious already?

Kings Players Tracking 3pt D stats

(I filtered only players who played at least 10 games)

Interesting stuff!

Thanks. It is interesting. It appears that the guards are not as bad as it seems. Omri, Rajon, Marco, Rudy and Darren all hold the opposition below they're shooting averages. Curry is really bad statistically. Our bigs do not defend the three well. Rajon gets a lot of three pointers chucked against him with Rudy the second most. I wonder how they determine who's at fault when someone is left wide open? Who blows the assignment? It looks like we force teams into shooting the three and that's why they score more threes.

 

[King Baller]

Thanks. It is interesting. It appears that the guards are not as bad as it seems. Omri, Rajon, Marco, Rudy and Darren all hold the opposition below they're shooting averages. Curry is really bad statistically. Our bigs do not defend the three well. Rajon gets a lot of three pointers chucked against him with Rudy the second most. I wonder how they determine who's at fault when someone is left wide open? Who blows the assignment? It looks like we force teams into shooting the three and that's why they score more threes.

Well yes, Karl's defense stresses covering the paint. So opposing teams do not get too many layups, they get plenty of threes though. It has been this way most of the season. If the other team can hit those threes they win.

Why Karl has not adjusted we will never know.

 

[Ron]

Perhaps I can shed light on that, SirAnthony:
Kings' opponents attempted 1,476 3-pointers this season (50 games in)

The Player Tracking Stats combined account for only 1,436 shots (if I'm not mistaken. I summed it manually, as I'm on my smartphone atm...).
So I guess that only 40 shots were not assigned to anyone.

It seems like a very small number, though (I think we leave shooters open more than 0.8 times per game) , so I think those 40 shots may be just the end-game half court hurls or something...

If that's the case then the tracking system probably DOES have some rule to determine who's guarding the shooters even when they are practically open. (Perhaps it's simply the player closest to the shooter)

 

[Npliam]

You actually make my point though. They have a great scheme. You have to have a good scheme and adequate/good defensive players. We only have one of the two.

On paper, we have THE BEST defensive front court in the league.

Umm....no, you don't.

 

[Fear the Putin]

16/35 by the Cavs. Sorry, but I have no tolerance for this.