It’s About Three on Threes

The monthlong struggles of Kobe Bryant, Rick Fox and Robert Horry from behind the three-point line have been the slow start during the Lakers’ fast start, albeit minor issues compared to their positive overall play and especially since the team is still averaging a league-best 109.3 points.

But it has been made obvious considering the expected contributions of the three on threes and since their slumps have come at the same time. The Lakers have remained one of the NBA’s better teams in this department--10th heading into Saturday’s action--only because of Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel.

Horry’s slip from 40% in his career and 31.8% last season with the Lakers and Phoenix Suns is understandable in that he has concentrated far less on the outside game since the move to power forward. Indeed, the 25% on three-pointers has come with only six attempts in 12 appearances, compared to 2.7 shots a game in 1996-97.

Bryant also is launching with less frequency--only nine in 11 games, down from almost two per outing during the rookie season that offered a very encouraging 37.5% from behind the arc. He’s at 27.2% now, a drop that comes while he has been getting almost eight overall shots more per game, indicating a greater emphasis on using his gift to drive the lane.

Fox, meanwhile, finished at 36.3% in 1996-97 with the Boston Celtics and is down to 28.3% after the first month with the Lakers.

“I feel great shooting the ball out there,� he said. “Go back and watch the films on some of the shots. They’re circling out or just about going down and then popping out. That’s happened a lot. They’ll go down. I can see if I was shooting bad I would have a problem, but I’m not.�

TONIGHT

vs. Toronto

* 6:30

* Fox Sports West

Site--Forum.

Radio--KLAC (570), KWKW (1330).

Records--Lakers 12-2, Raptors 1-14.

Record vs. Raptors (1996-97)--1-1.

Update--Coming off their 1-2 Eastern swing made more disappointing because it ended Friday with a loss to the 4-8 Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers still have their Forum winning streak alive. At 6-0, they are the only NBA team yet to lose at home, and the six victories have come by an average of 20.8 points. The Raptors have lost 12 in a row and are 0-6 on the road.