SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Steve Kerr laid out the public directive during the Golden State Warriors’ first week in Hawaii: He wants to be a high-volume 3-point-shooting team, upping the output despite the loss of one of the most prolific shooters (Klay Thompson) in NBA history.
Last season, the Warriors averaged 38.9 3s per game as a team, ranking fourth behind the Celtics (42.5), Mavericks (39.5) and Kings (39.3). Those first two teams have something in common.
“Being a Finals (media) correspondent, I learned that Dallas and Boston were both top three in the league in 3s,” Brandin Podziemski said. “So I definitely think it plays a part (in winning). Based on our personnel, I do think it’s possible that we for sure can be top five (in attempted 3s), but leading the league is a possibility.”
The Warriors chucked up 48 3s in their preseason opener against the Clippers. They were particularly cold in the first half, finishing 5-of-25, and hit only 11 total. Against the Kings on Wednesday, fortunes reverted to the extreme in a 122-112 victory. The Warriors jacked up 52 3s and made 28 of them, one more than their franchise record for regular-season makes in a game (27 against the Thunder in 2021).
“For real?” Jonathan Kuminga asked.
A small preseason sample isn’t indicative of what’s ahead over the upcoming 82-game marathon. The Grizzlies took 45 per game in their five-game preseason last October and then dropped to 37.8 in the regular season. Ten teams got up at least 40 per game in the preseason. Only one, the Celtics, took that many in the regular season, when the games are tighter and tenser.
But still, the Warriors have taken 100 in two games — more than an attempted 3 per minute — and keep telling the public that this is exactly how they want to play and what Kerr has been continually emphasizing.
“The math just doesn’t add up (if you don’t take a bunch),” Kerr said. “Especially for us. We’re not a team that gets to the free-throw line much. It’d be hard for us to win a lot of games unless we shoot a high volume of 3s.”
Here’s how the makes were spread out Wednesday night:
- Buddy Hield 6-for-7
- Kuminga 4-for-7
- De’Anthony Melton 4-for-9
- Steph Curry 3-for-6
- Lindy Waters III 3-for-5
- Podziemski 2-for-4
- Draymond Green 2-for-3
- Moses Moody 2-for-6
- Kyle Anderson 1-for-1
Andrew Wiggins, whom Kerr said he wants taking near six a game, didn’t even play.
“What I like about this team is that, even though we lost Klay, we have more shooting depth,” Kerr said.
“I feel like it’s a little different in that we have more guys who can shoot the 3 besides Klay and Steph,” Podziemski said.
It’s a volume-by-committee approach, but Kuminga’s success rate could be most vital to the court product and Kerr’s rotational and lineup choices. With Wiggins still out due to sickness, Kerr again started Kuminga at small forward next to Green and a traditional center, this time Kevon Looney.
The Warriors are trying to figure out whether they can force Kuminga into bigger lineups with questionable spacing. For it to work, he will have to become an improved enough volume shooter from 3 that he can either draw defenders out or regularly punish schemes that sag off of him.
“That’s what we’ve been telling him,” Kerr said. “You’re open, shoot it, especially if he’s going to be a (small forward) with Draymond and Loon or Trayce (Jackson-Davis).”
Kuminga made four 3s against the Kings. Three were the catch-and-shoot variety after Curry, Green and Podziemski pierced the heart of the defense, drew a crowd and kicked it out.
“As long as they look clean, the ball moves, open ones, just take it,” Kuminga said. “Don’t hesitate.”
Kuminga went 42 of 128 on catch-and-shoot 3s last season. That was fewer than two per game and only 32.8 percent accuracy. The Warriors want him to take more this season, and he said he wants to bump that percentage “way” upward, spending his summer drilling it. Anywhere in the vicinity of 40 percent would be a massive development.
Jonathan Kuminga on his catch-and-shoot 3s (three tonight): “I’m not overthinking it. Coach wants me to take the ones that are open and not think about it. The more you don’t think about it, the more you make them.”
Videos of his three makes plus the soundbite pic.twitter.com/FBsDWJa6VP
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 10, 2024
“I’m still working on it,” Kuminga said. “I’m just taking the ones that are open. I’m taking better ones with my feet set. I know I’ll make them. I’m not overthinking it. Coach wants me to take the ones that are open and not think about it. The more you don’t think about it, the more you make them.”
(Photo of Draymond Green taking a three-point shot over Domantas Sabonis: Ed Szczepanski / Imagn Images)
