Ranking the NBA's Top 25 Three-Point Shooters so Far This Season
Who's the best three-point shooter in the NBA right now?
Statistics are your best friend when deciding the answer to this question. They give a player's accuracy from long distance, how many total makes from beyond the arc he has and a host of other helpful numbers.
But if your answer is based on just one of these statistical categories, you're not doing enough research.
If you're depending on three-point percentage for your decision, you would think Khris Middleton is better than Stephen Curry from distance. If you're just going off of a player's total makes, you might think Wesley Matthews is the league's top long-range sniper.
If you believe one or both of those assertions, I hate to break it to you, but you're wrong.
So, to decide who the league's best three-point shooters really are in 2014-15, we'll use an advanced metric that takes four key statistics into account.
Methodology
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To determine the league's top 25 three-point shooters, we'll use four categories, each with an accompanying statistic:
- Accuracy (three-point field-goal percentage)
- Volume (three-point field-goal attempts per game)
- Frequency (three-point field-goal makes per minute on court)
- Shot Creation (percent of three-point field goals that are assisted)
Accuracy is worth 40 points, Volume is worth 30, Frequency is worth 25 and Shot Creation is worth five.
To get a perfect score in a category, a player must lead the league in the accompanying statistic. For example, Kyle Korver is shooting an NBA-leading 52 percent from three-point range, so he gets the maximum score of 40 points in the Accuracy category.
Essentially, the league's top player in a specific statistic sets the curve for that category. Since Korver shoots 52 percent from distance, a player shooting 26 percent (half of Korver's success rate) would get 20 points in the Accuracy category, half of what Korver got.
The same concept was also applied to the Volume, Frequency and Shot Creation categories.
The scores from each of the categories add up to produce a player's 3PR, or Three-Point Rating, which has a maximum possible score of 100. This is the final tally that will be used to order the league's best 25 long-distance marksmen of 2014-15. Players' rankings in specific categories will also be given in parentheses next to their scores in said categories.
To qualify for the list, a player must average at least one made three-pointer per game. He also has to have participated in least half of his team's games (sorry, Kevin Durant!).
Scores in both specific categories and overall 3PR were rounded to the nearest tenth.
Raw Data
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Below is the statistical data used to determine the ranking. The top 25 players in each category will be listed, with their statistic in parentheses.
Accuracy (Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage)
1. Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks (52.0)
2. Luke Babbitt, New Orleans Pelicans (50.0)
3. Rasual Butler, Washington Wizards (49.5)
4. Courtney Lee, Memphis Grizzlies (49.4)
5. Patrick Patterson, Toronto Raptors (46.3)
6. Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards (45.6)
7. Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers (44.2)
8. Marcus Morris, Phoenix Suns (43.8)
9. Shawne Williams, Miami Heat (43.4)
10. Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies (43.3)
11. Jared Dudley, Milwaukee Bucks (43.2)
12. J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers (42.9)
13. P.J. Tucker, Phoenix Suns (42.9)
14. Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers (42.7)
15. Charlie Villanueva, Dallas Mavericks (42.6)
16. Aaron Brooks, Chicago Bulls (42.4)
17. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors (42.3)
18. Marcus Thornton, Boston Celtics (42.3)
19. Jose Calderon, New York Knicks (42.1)
20. Channing Frye, Orlando Magic (41.7)
21. Mike Dunleavy, Chicago Bulls (41.7)
22. Wayne Ellington, Los Angeles Lakers (41.5)
23. Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City Thunder (41.1)
24. Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons (41.1)
25. Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors (40.5)
Volume (Three-Point Field Goals Attempted Per Game)
1. Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets (7.8)
2. Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers (7.6)
3. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (7.6)
4. Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs (7.4)
5. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (7.1)
6. James Harden, Houston Rockets (7.0)
7. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons (6.8)
8. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors (6.8)
9. Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Pelicans (6.7)
10. Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets (6.5)
11. Gerald Green, Phoenix Suns (6)
12. J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers (5.9)
13. Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets (5.9)
14. Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers (5.8)
15. Brandon Jennings, Detroit Pistons (5.7)
16. C.J. Miles, Indiana Pacers (5.7)
17. Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks (5.7)
18. Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks (5.6)
19. Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers (5.4)
20. Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors (5.4)
21. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (5.3)
22. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (5.3)
23. Mirza Teletovic, Brooklyn Nets (5.1)
24. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors (5.0)
25. Brandon Knight, Milwaukee Bucks (4.9)
Frequency (Three-Point Field-Goal Makes Per Minute On Court)
1. Charlie Villanueva, Dallas Mavericks (0.162)
2. Gerald Green, Phoenix Suns (0.104)
3. Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers (0.097)
4. Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs (0.097)
5. Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers (0.091)
6. Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks (0.089)
7. Anthony Tolliver, Detroit Pistons (0.089)
8. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (0.088)
9. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors (0.086)
10. J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers (0.085)
11. Isaiah Canaan, Houston Rockets (0.084)
12. Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers (0.084)
13. Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets (0.078)
14. Jason Terry, Houston Rockets (0.078)
15. Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Pelicans (0.077)
16. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (0.77)
17. Louis Williams, Toronto Raptors (0.077)
18. Rasual Butler, Washington Wizards (0.077)
19. Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers (0.077)
20. Luke Babbitt, New Orleans Pelicans (0.076)
21. Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons (0.076)
22. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons (0.076)
23. C.J. Miles, Indiana Pacers (0.073)
24. P.J. Hairston, Charlotte Hornets (0.073)
25. Mirza Teletovic, Brooklyn Nets (0.072)
Shot Creation (Percent of Three-Point Field-Goal Makes That Are Unassisted)
1. James Harden, Houston Rockets (53.8)
2. Reggie Jackson, Oklahoma City Thunder (53.3)
3. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (50.0)
4. Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans (50.0)
5. Brandon Jennings, Detroit Pistons (48.8)
6. Gary Neal, Charlotte Hornets (48.1)
7. Jameer Nelson, Boston Celtics (45.2)
8. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors (44.6)
9. Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers (44.2)
10. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (43.2)
11. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (42.9)
12. Aaron Brooks, Chicago Bulls (42.9)
13. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (41.7)
14. Mo Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves (41.7)
15. Louis Williams, Toronto Raptors (41.4)
16. Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers (39.6)
17. Isaiah Canaan, Houston Rockets (39.3)
18. Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings (37.1)
19. Monta Ellis, Dallas Mavericks (35.1)
20. Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings (34.4)
21. Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers (34.0)
22. Greivis Vasquez, Toronto Raptors (33.3)
23. Donald Sloan, Indiana Pacers (33.3)
24. Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets (32.7)
25. Tony Wroten, Philadelphia 76ers (32.1)
Note: All statistics are from Basketball-Reference.com and updated through Jan. 1 games, unless otherwise indicated.
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25. Channing Frye, Orlando Magic
Accuracy Score: 32.1 (20th)
Volume Score: 18.5 (30th)
Frequency Score: 10.1 (37th)
Shot Creation Score: 0.3 (88th)
Total 3PR: 61.0
24. Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks
Accuracy Score: 28.9 (58th)
Volume Score: 21.8 (17th)
Frequency Score: 10.0 (40th)
Shot Creation Score: 1.1 (52nd)
Total 3PR: 61.8
23. Brandon Knight, Milwaukee Bucks
Accuracy Score: 30.9 (30th)
Volume Score: 18.9 (25th)
Frequency Score: 9.4 (46th)
Shot Creation Score: 2.9 (26th)
Total 3PR: 62.1
22. Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors
Accuracy Score: 29.5 (50th)
Volume Score: 20.7 (20th)
Frequency Score: 11.1 (26th)
Shot Creation Score: 1.0 (57th)
Total 3PR: 62.3
21. Isaiah Canaan, Houston Rockets
Accuracy Score: 30.8 (31st)
Volume Score: 15.0 (64th)
Frequency Score: 13.0 (11th)
Shot Creation Score: 3.6 (17th)
Total 3PR: 62.4
20. Louis Williams, Toronto Raptors
Accuracy Score: 28.4 (63rd)
Volume Score: 18.9 (26th)
Frequency Score: 11.8 (17th)
Shot Creation Score: 3.8 (15th)
Total 3PR: 63.0
19. Brandon Jennings, Detroit Pistons
Accuracy Score: 26.3 (84th)
Volume Score: 22.1 (15th)
Frequency Score: 10.4 (34th)
Shot Creation Score: 4.5 (5th)
Total 3PR: 63.3
18. Jamal Crawford, Los Angeles Clippers
Accuracy Score: 27.0 (76th)
Volume Score: 22.3 (14th)
Frequency Score: 11.8 (19th)
Shot Creation Score: 2.4 (32nd)
Total 3PR: 63.6
17. Rasual Butler, Washington Wizards
Accuracy Score: 38.1 (3rd)
Volume Score: 13.6 (79th)
Frequency Score: 11.8 (18th)
Shot Creation Score: 0.6 (Rank)
Total 3PR: 64.1
16. Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Pelicans
Accuracy Score: 25.9 (89th)
Volume Score: 25.8 (9th)
Frequency Score: 11.9 (15th)
Shot Creation Score: 0.6 (68th)
Total 3PR: 64.3
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15. Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers
Accuracy Score: 32.9 (14th)
Volume Score: 18.9 (27th)
Frequency Score: 13.0 (12th)
Shot Creation Score: 0 (t-99th)
Total 3PR: 64.8
Covington has come seemingly out of nowhere to become an elite three-point shooter in just his second season. The 24-year-old small forward, who wasn't drafted in 2013, won the NBA Development League Rookie of the Year Award last season. Two weeks into the 2014-15 campaign, the 76ers picked him up, and he's been a knockdown shooter for tanking Philadelphia.
14. Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets
Accuracy Score: 24.6 (101st)
Volume Score: 30.0 (1st)
Frequency Score: 10.0 (39th)
Shot Creation Score: 1.0 (58th)
Total 3PR: 65.6
Ariza's three-point percentage (32.0) won't wow you, but he's been able to get a lot of shots up and space the floor effectively for Houston. The 29-year-old small forward leads the league in attempts behind the arc per game (7.8), and although his efficiency numbers are down from last year, he's been key to the Houston Rockets' better-than-expected season.
13. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons
Accuracy Score: 27.9 (72nd)
Volume Score: 26.4 (7th)
Frequency Score: 11.7 (22nd)
Shot Creation Score: 1.3 (48th)
Total 3PR: 67.3
Like Covington, Caldwell-Pope's efforts from downtown have mostly gone for naught on a bad team. The 21-year-old's 36.3 percent success rate from three-point range is solid, and the 9-23 Pistons probably wish he would take even more shots from there—Caldwell-Pope's points per three-point attempt (1.09) greatly exceed his points per two-point attempt (0.82).
12. Patrick Beverley, Houston Rockets
Accuracy Score: 30.4 (40th)
Volume Score: 25.2 (10th)
Frequency Score: 12.1 (13th)
Shot Creation Score: 0.8 (64th)
Total 3PR: 68.4
Beverley is known for his tenacious defense, but he'll make you pay if you give him room on the perimeter. The 26-year-old point guard is averaging career highs in three-point accuracy (39.5 percent) and makes per game (2.6). The Dallas Mavericks would've benefited from a more accurate scouting report on Beverley in the Rockets' 95-92 win on Nov. 22, a game in which the floor general drained six threes.
11. Charlie Villanueva, Dallas Mavericks
Accuracy Score: 32.8 (15th)
Volume Score: 10.4 (108th)
Frequency Score: 25.0 (1st)
Shot Creation Score: 0.4 (80th)
Total 3PR: 68.6
Surprised to see Villanueva on here? Don't be. The 30-year-old power forward has been a human torch from downtown off of the bench for the Mavericks this season. He's not as explosive as he used to be, but he could be headed toward a Matt Bonner-type career as a successful stretch 4 on a contender. Villanueva is averaging an amazing 5.8 made three-pointers per 36 minutes this season.
10. J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers
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Accuracy Score: 33.0 (12th)
Volume Score: 22.9 (10th)
Frequency Score: 13.2 (12th)
Shot Creation Score: 0.6 (70th)
Total 3PR: 69.6
J.J. Redick has always been a great three-point shooter. The 30-year-old shooting guard has been above 36 percent from downtown in each of his nine professional seasons.
But in the past couple of years, improvements in other parts of Redick's game, namely defense and mid-range shooting, have been key to getting him more playing time. Redick has started all but one of the games he's played for the Clippers and has averaged at least 28 minutes per contest both years he's been with the team.
If it weren't for Redick's growth in the aforementioned categories, he probably wouldn't be receiving the minutes necessary to earn a spot here.
But since he made those leaps, we give him credit for his success as the essential spot-up shooter in the Clippers' offense. He's currently notching career highs in three-point makes per game (2.5) and long-range accuracy (42.9 percent).
9. James Harden, Houston Rockets
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Accuracy Score: 27.8 (73rd)
Volume Score: 26.9 (6th)
Frequency Score: 10.4 (35th)
Shot Creation Score: 5.0 (1st)
Total 3PR: 70.0
Unlike many players before him on this list, James Harden isn't a role player—not even close.
The 25-year-old shooting guard leads the NBA in scoring (27 points per game), and ESPN's Marc Stein actually tabbed him as the Western Conference MVP of the season's first trimester.
But Harden possesses an underrated and devastating three-point stroke to complement his well-rounded overall game. He averages 2.5 three-point makes per game, good for No. 7 in the NBA, on a respectable 36.1 percent success rate.
Harden's long-range achievements this season are made even more impressive by how many treys he has to create himself—approximately 53.8 percent of his long-distance makes are unassisted, the highest rate in the NBA.
And that's what makes The Beard so tough to guard at the three-point line—he can get hot from behind the arc with or without a pass from a teammate.
8. Gerald Green, Phoenix Suns
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Accuracy Score: 29.8 (46th)
Volume Score: 23.2 (11th)
Frequency Score: 16.1 (2nd)
Shot Creation Score: 2.1 (37th)
Total 3PR: 71.2
Just two years ago, Gerald Green was a high-flying dunker languishing on the Indiana Pacers' bench.
Now, he's a high-flying, ultra-efficient three-point shooter thriving as the No. 1 reserve wing for the Phoenix Suns.
In just 22.2 minutes per game, the 28-year-old shooting guard manages to can 2.3 three-pointers at a well-above-average rate of 38.7 percent. Green's lack of conscience can harm the Suns when his looks aren't going down. But that same unabashed confidence can also swing the game in Phoenix's favor when things are going his way.
Green may be inconsistent, but the overall results from his three-point stroke are much more positive than not.
7. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
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Accuracy Score: 30.0 (42nd)
Volume Score: 27.2 (5th)
Frequency Score: 11.9 (16th)
Shot Creation Score: 4.0 (11th)
Total 3PR: 73.1
Damian Lillard, like James Harden, does so much more than make threes. He's a smooth, athletic point guard who has absolutely no qualms about taking the big shot in crunch time.
But the 24-year-old floor general wouldn't be quite the same player without the constant threat of a three-point shot, off of a dribble or a pass from a teammate.
Lillard is accurate from distance (39.1 percent), but not quite a dead-eye. His main strength is somehow getting up a high volume of shots from behind the arc (7.1 attempts per game) despite being tightly guarded by an opponent on every possession down the court.
His high-volume shooting is apparently helping his team, too—the Portland Trail Blazers are 26-7 and second in the rugged Western Conference.
6. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
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Accuracy Score: 32.6 (17th)
Volume Score: 26.1 (8th)
Frequency Score: 15.0 (9th)
Shot Creation Score: 1.2 (49th)
Total 3PR: 73.2
Although he's the less-heralded member of the Golden State Warriors' Splash Brothers, Klay Thompson is a pretty good shooter himself.
Well, more like really good.
Thompson has somehow gotten even better behind the arc in 2014-15, his fourth season. The 24-year-old shooting guard is producing career highs in three-point percentage (42.3), as well as long-distances makes per game (2.9) and per 36 minutes (3.1).
The 25-5 Warriors certainly wouldn't be where they are right now without the improved three-point shooting, and overall play, of Thompson.
5. Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers
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Accuracy Score: 34.0 (7th)
Volume Score: 21.0 (19th)
Frequency Score: 15.0 (3rd)
Shot Creation Score: 3.7 (16th)
Total 3PR: 73.7
If you thought Gerald Green was the living embodiment of the heat check, think again—it's actually Nick Young.
The 29-year-old shooting guard is very good from long range, and he isn't oblivious to his talents. He's bragged about about hitting 42 three-pointers in a row on Twitter, and has also called himself the league's best 2-guard on the social media site.
That confidence manifests itself into a whole lot of shot attempts. Swaggy P hoists up 17.2 field-goal tries per 36 minutes, 7.9 of which are from behind the arc.
Thankfully for the Lakers, Young has been accurate despite his high volume of long-distance heaves—he's shooting an excellent 44.2 percent from three-point range, a career high.
4. Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers
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Accuracy Score: 31.0 (29th)
Volume Score: 29.4 (2nd)
Frequency Score: 14.0 (5th)
Shot Creation Score: 0.9 (59th)
Total 3PR: 75.2
In the introduction slide of this article, I implied it would be ridiculous to think Wesley Matthews is the best three-point shooter in the NBA.
Although that would be a hard argument to make, Matthews is still a deadly long-range assassin, mainly because of the sheer amount of threes he makes per game. In an average contest, the 28-year-old shooting guard nails 3.1 treys, the best mark in the league.
The only real criticism of Matthews' three-point game is he isn't great off of the dribble—his success rate on pull-ups from downtown is just 32.5 percent, per NBA.com.
Damian Lillard may be the best guard on the Portland Trail Blazers, but Matthews is the better three-point shooter.
3. Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs
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Accuracy Score: 31.0 (27th)
Volume Score: 28.7 (4th)
Frequency Score: 14.9 (4th)
Shot Creation Score: 0.7 (67th)
Total 3PR: 75.3
Danny Green's three-point shooting ability became known around the world after the 2013 NBA Finals. I mean, 27 long-range bombs in a series isn't anything to scoff at.
But the 27-year-old shooting guard has continued to hone his craft as a three-and-D role player for the San Antonio Spurs.
This season, he's posting a career high in three-point makes per game (2.5), while maintaining a typically excellent 40.3 percent success rate from downtown. He's been a rock for the 20-14 Spurs, who've limped through the first two months of the season due to injuries and a slight championship hangover.
Like Wesley Matthews, he's not much of a threat on pull-up threes (30.2 percent), which keeps him from challenging for the top spot on this list.
2. Kyle Korver, Atlanta Hawks
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Accuracy Score: 40.0 (1st)
Volume Score: 21.8 (18th)
Frequency Score: 13.7 (6th)
Shot Creation Score: 0.5 (75th)
Total 3PR: 76.0
I really don't mind if you consider Kyle Korver the best three-point shooter in the league, even if he's No. 2 here.
The 33-year-old shooting guard's success rate from deep has fallen off significantly in the past couple of weeks, but he's still shooting a league-leading 52 percent from downtown. That percentage would be the fifth-best season from behind the arc in NBA history, if it held.
For a detailed report on Korver's impact, read this gem of an article from Grantland's Zach Lowe, written during the offseason. The 23-8 Atlanta Hawks are probably still thanking their lucky stars the Chicago Bulls were willing to give Korver up for just a trade exception and cash in the summer of 2012.
Korver is assisted on nearly all of his three-point shots, as evidenced by his low Shot Creation score. If it weren't for that, he would be the easy No. 1 on this list.
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
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Accuracy Score: 29.8 (45th)
Volume Score: 29.2 (3rd)
Frequency Score: 13.6 (8th)
Shot Creation Score: 4.0 (10th)
Total 3PR: 76.6
Stephen Curry does pretty much everything for the Golden State Warriors, but three-point shooting is his bread and butter.
In fact, I believe he's the best in the league at it, by a very slim margin.
Yes, the 26-year-old point guard's percentage from behind the arc (38.8) is a career-low, and nowhere near as high as Kyle Korver's otherworldly mark in that category, but it's important to understand the context of their production.
While Korver works hard to run around screens to get open, Curry is the chief facilitator of the Warriors' offense. He has much more on his mind than just trying to receive a pass from teammates behind the three-point arc.
Curry also creates more of his own looks, instead of relying on passes from teammates. In fact, 43.1 percent of his made threes are unassisted, compared to 5.5 percent for Korver.
It's really close, but Curry edges out Korver as the NBA's best three-point shooter of 2014-15.
