Brian Keefe Believes Wizards Can Adjust to Three Point Struggles

It's not easy to win in today's NBA if you aren't hitting shots from the outside.

The Wizards have learned that the hard way multiple times this season. A 120-105 loss to Atlanta became the most recent example, as the Hawks knocked down 19 threes on 49 attempts.

The Wizards, on the other hand, only connected on eight. The Wizards didn't just fail to make many. They also didn't take enough.

The Wizards attempted just 26 shots from the outside, good for their second-lowest total of the season. Through eight games, the Wizards have attempted fewer than 30 threes four times.

“We’re probably never going to lead the league in three-point shooting, but what’s best efficiency for us is establishing ourselves at the rim," head coach Brian Keefe said at practice Thursday.

Keefe's assessment is an honest one.

The Wizards are averaging 29.8 attempts from three per game and connecting on only 29%. Both figures are the second-worst in the NBA. Washington's 8.8 made threes per game is the lowest total in the league.

Is that a killer for the Wizards? Keefe believes his team can make up for this in other areas. Keefe said their ability to pressure the rim and get to the free-throw line becomes very important for their offense.

In wins, the Wizards are averaging 30.5 free-throw attempts per night. In losses, that number drops to 22. The Wizards have the personnel to make this approach achievable.

"We're going to be a team that attacks the paint," Keefe said. "We're a big team."

One of Washington's biggest players is obviously Anthony Davis. His 23 points per game lead Washington in scoring, and his last few performances have been immensely strong. He likes to get his shots from the midrange, and Washington is comfortable having him do so.

Allowing him possessions to isolate does slightly diminish their ability to get up more threes. However, Keefe sees a vision in using his rim-scoring ability to create better floor spacing.

"We should be a team that scores a lot in the paint, and I think that's going to open up our spacing for our shooting."

Moreover, Washington's best floor spacers haven't shot efficiently enough from the outside. Tre Johnson has struggled lately, making only two of his last 12 outside shots. His offensive role hasn't been well-defined, and he's settled for many contested midrange shots.

Him returning to form as a shooter would massively help Washington. Additionally, Trae Young is shooting 27% from three, which has hurt the team's overall rate.

Kyshawn George's positive regression from deep has been a welcome sight for Washington. After making just 19% of his threes through the first five games, he's made 48% of his looks over the last three.

Washington's lack of three-point volume doesn't have to be the be-all and end-all, but it will require the team to execute better on the glass and at the rim.

"I think we're going to see our uptick in volume as we grow as a team," Keefe said. "We're going to be efficient...we have three guys that can draw a lot of free