Stats Corner: Pssst... Want to Win 80% of Games?

Recent Stats Corner Features:

• Why the Kings Won: Selective Shooting
• Kings Drawn and 3rd Quartered
• Suckitude Doesn't Compute
• Losing the Close Ones
  

For a change, Stats Corner isn't full of pessimism, trying to show you yet another way the Kings are going out of their way to lose. Instead, I wanted to dive into the numbers and discuss the importance of a weapon the Kings aren't very well known for - their 3 point shooting. While we may wince at ill-advised threes from Artest (did he call glass against Houston?) and Bibby or others, you might be surprised as to the impact the team's shooting from beyond the arc can have.

The Kings are 16-23 on the season, good for a .410 winning percentage. Not exactly awe-inspiring. But did you know that in the games where they make more 3-point shots than the competition, even if that margin is by a single bucket, they are 10-2, so far, the best indicator of whether or not they will win the game, according to our database. Adding on, when the team shoots for a higher percentage of 3-point shots, they are 13-4.

THE IMPACT OF 3-POINTERS ON THE GAME

	KINGS WINS	KINGS LOSSES	Win %
Kings Make More 3-Pointers	10	2	83.3%
Kings Have Higher 3PFG%	13	4	76.5%
Kings Make Fewer 3-Pointers	4	19	17.4%
Kings Have Lower 3PFG%	3	18	14.3%

Conversely, when they make fewer 3-point shots, the Kings are a jaw-dropping 4-19. When they trail in 3-point shooting percentage, the situation is similarly woeful, tallying 3-18, good enough for a .143 winning percentage. That's like losing six games for every time you win one.

Unfortunately, as a team, the Kings are not a good 3-point shooting squad. They have made 31.4% of shots behind the arc, while opponents have successfully sunk 36.4%. Given the above win/loss margins and the fact the Kings are regularly beaten in this category, it's no surprise that they have lost as often as they have.