Free throws are some of the easiest shots in basketball, and one point doesn’t seem like a lot, but it adds up to valuable scoring numbers. Often times, games even come down to free throws. Teams intentionally commit fouls to stop the clock, and in times like these, poor shooters are a liability on the court.
Unfortunately, the Kings are a team full of struggling free throw shooters. Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes and Malik Monk are the only players shooting at least 80%, but none of them average more than three free throws per game.
De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis average the most attempts on the team with 6.4 and 4.8, respectively. Fox is shooting 70.9 percent – his worst percentage since the 2019-20 season – and Sabonis is currently at 68.9 percent – his worst mark since his rookie season.
As a result, the Kings are dead last in the league in free throw percentage.
- Oklahoma City Thunder: 83.2%
- Utah Jazz: 83.0%
- Los Angeles Clippers: 81.7%
- Phoenix Suns: 80.6%
- Portland Trail Blazers: 79.3%
- Minnesota Timberwolves: 78.4%
- Golden State Warriors: 78.3%
- San Antonio Spurs: 78.1%
- Los Angeles Lakers: 77.3%
- Houston Rockets: 76.9%
- New Orleans Pelicans: 76.4%
- Memphis Grizzlies: 76.0%
- Denver Nuggets: 75.9%
- Dallas Mavericks: 75.5%
- Sacramento Kings: 72.7%
- Philadelphia 76ers: 83.0%
- Miami Heat: 81.9%
- Boston Celtics: 81.2%
- Atlanta Hawks: 81.0%
- Chicago Bulls: 79.6%
- Charlotte Hornets: 78.5%
- New York Knicks: 78.4%
- Indiana Pacers: 77.9%
- Detroit Pistons: 77.5%
- Milwaukee Bucks: 77.0%
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 76.3%
- Washington Wizards: 76.3%
- Brooklyn Nets: 75.8%
- Orlando Magic: 75.2%
- Toronto Raptors: 74.8%
Having trouble making their free throws has proven to be a problem for the Kings this season. He cost them a win in Milwaukee in January, and even among the Kings huge overtime win against the Timberwolvesit was a factor.
They made 13 of their 24 free throw attempts in the game, but three of the misses came at crunch time. With 52.9 seconds left in overtime and the Kings only three points ahead, Malik Monk missed two free throws. A little later, with about 7 seconds left, Trey Lyles missed another one.
If Karl-Anthony Towns hadn’t thrown a frontcourt pass and Naz Reid hadn’t missed a corner three, the game could have ended very differently. From now on, each game counts in particular.
The Kings can’t afford any unnecessary losses if they want to make the playoffs. They have to find a way to go about their business and make their free throws.
