Power Ranking Every NBA Team's Top Pure Shooter

Pure shooters in the NBA are vital to the success of any organization. After all, you always need someone to knock down those big threes from downtown.

Some players make up for their lack of athletic ability with their shooting stroke, while others simply have a money jumper.

So, who's the top shooter from every team and who's the best of the bunch?

30. Omri Casspi, Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings are full of mediocre shooters, which probably holds the team back significantly.

The team’s best shooter is probably the second-year forward out of Israel, Omri Casspi.

He’s more than capable of lighting it up, especially from downtown. He hit six of seven three-point shots in a game earlier this season against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

29. Carlos Delfino, Milwaukee Bucks

Carlos Delfino is not a widely known commodity in the NBA, but he is arguably the best shooter on the Milwaukee Bucks.

You could make a case for Michael Redd, but Redd has been out of action for quite some time and no one’s quite sure what he’s capable of doing at this point in his career.

Delfino is a vital cog in the Bucks’ offense, and his absence has hurt the team this season.

28. Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers

Rudy Fernandez has been nothing but a headache for the Portland Trail Blazers. However, he is vital to the success of the team with his shooting ability.

With Brandon Roy ailing, Fernandez may actually see an increased role that may even get him to stop complaining.

Then the NBA can see what he is truly made of when given enough playing time.

27. Luke Ridnour, Minnesota Timberwolves

Luke Ridnour is not a flashy point guard, but he’s reliable and consistent.

Ridnour wasn’t always the greatest shooter, but he has taken great strides with his jump shot and has become one of the most efficient shooters in the league.

His 45 percent shooting from long range is one of the highest in the league.

26. Marco Belinelli, New Orleans Hornets

Marco Belinelli has quickly become the New Orleans Hornets' best shooter.

Most of his points essentially come from jump shots, with half of his makes being three-pointers.

25. O.J. Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies

O.J. Mayo entered the NBA a deadly shooter. His game has regressed over the past two years, and he was recently demoted to the bench.

Mayo may be in the midst of a serious slump, but don’t let his poor play fool you.

While he has had some trouble this season, when his game is on, he’s a deadly scorer with near-unlimited range on his jump shot.

24. Stephen Jackson, Charlotte Bobcats

The mercurial swingman Stephen Jackson is just as talented as he is a headache to coach.

However, he is extremely versatile and a more than capable shooter, able to light it up on any given night.

23. Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers

After a stint with Team USA over the summer, Eric Gordon has returned to the NBA a changed man.

Gordon has been on a scoring binge, and he’s one of the top scorers in the NBA.

While Gordon has become more of a slasher early on, he has limitless range on his jump shot.

His three-point shooting percentage is down this season, but it’s only a matter of time before he gets back into his groove from downtown.

22. Mike Bibby, Atlanta Hawks

Something drastic has happened to Mike Bibby from last season to this year.

He went from a 38.9 percent shooter from downtown to a blistering 53.8 percent this season. He's nailed 2.2 threes per game, and his three-point percentage actually tops his field goal percentage.

21. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards

Gilbert Arenas has faced plenty of adversity over the last couple of years.

However, it seems that most people have forgotten that he is one of the best shooters in the NBA.

He really hasn’t had a productive season in about four years, but he was a scoring machine during the 2006-07 campaign.

If you’ve watched him at any point this season, you can see that he’s still got it. He opened eyes around the league this season when he drilled seven out of 10 three-pointers in a game against the Chicago Bulls.

20. Ben Gordon, Detroit Pistons

Ben Gordon has not been having a great season by any means as he’s buried on the team’s bench getting less than 30 minutes per game.

However, he is playing extremely efficient, averaging a career high 47.3 percent from the field. His 42 percent shooting from downtown falls just behind his career high set in his sophomore campaign.

Regardless, Gordon is a shooter at heart, and he can go up against the best the NBA has to offer.

19. Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets

Chauncey Billups may be having a down year, but he isn’t called Mr. Big Shot for nothing.

When the game is on the line and Carmelo is either in a funk or being swarmed by defenders, this is the man you want taking the shot.

18. Deron Williams, Utah Jazz

Not only is Deron Williams one of the best shooting point guards in the league, he is arguably the most clutch of the group.

Williams is a fearless shooter.

He uses his deadly crossover to create space for his beautiful step-back jumper. He has deep range and if you slack off him for a moment, he’ll make you pay.

17. Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers

Mo Williams was lights-out when he had LeBron James drawing four defenders at him on every possession, but his shooting has tailed off now that James is no longer there.

His three-point shooting, in particular, has seriously regressed.

However, Williams is still one of the best pure-shooting points in the NBA.

16. Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic

It was a tough decision choosing between Rashard Lewis and J.J. Reddick, but I opted for Lewis because he has been the more consistent and better player over the course of their careers.

From 2007 to 2009, Lewis was the most prolific three-point shooter in the NBA. He made a living behind the arc, and his lanky arms and 6’11” frame made him a nightmare to guard.

Lewis may be on a serious decline, but he’s always useful in an offense set like Stan Van Gundy’s.

15. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs

Manu Ginobili has long been a staple of the San Antonio Spurs. He’s their most prolific scorer, and the team often turns to him as their go-to scorer down the stretch.

After coming off the bench for years, Greg Poppovich finally opted to start the Argentinean, and he has responded with the best numbers of his career.

Ginobili is second in the league in three-point shooting, hitting 2.6 per game.

His elite slashing abilities give him just enough room to work his magic when he needs to pull up for a shot. If he’s getting overcrowded, his step back jumper is one of the deadliest in the NBA.

14. Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks

Standing at 6‘10”, Gallinari makes life difficult for opposing defenders. Once his long arms swing over his head, he can hit shots with impunity.

Danilo Gallinari finished just behind Aaron Brooks in three-point shooting last season, and he could very well finish this season as the leader.

He started the season in a shooting slump but has since worked out of it, and he’s back to drilling jumpers with ease.

13. Kevin Martin, Houston Rockets

This was close between Kevin Martin and Aaron Brooks for the top spot, but I decided to opt for a healthy Kevin Martin as opposed to an injured Aaron Brooks.

Martin has irregular form on his jump shot. He takes the term gunslinger to a new level with the way he pulls the ball to his hip before he lets loose.

Regardless of how ugly the form is, it works and that’s all that really matters.

12. James Jones, Miami Heat

Choosing between Mike Miller and James Jones was no easy feat. Both are lights-out shooters from deep, and I initially went with Miller but changed my mind after looking at what Jones has done so far.

Jones essentially sits behind the arc and waits for that open look all game long: 2.1 out of the 2.5 shots he makes are three-pointers, and he rarely does anything else but shoot.

His 45 percent rate from downtown hovers near the top of the league, and he defines the term pure shooter.

11. Jason Kapono, Philadelphia 76ers

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Jason Kapono is buried deep on the 76ers depth chart, so he really hasn’t had an opportunity to showcase his shooting talents.

From 2006 to 2008, he was arguably the best pure shooter in the game. He shot 51.4 percent from deep during the 2006-07 NBA season and 48.3 percent during the 2007-08 season.

Kapono actually has a pretty ugly-looking jumper, but he’s still one of the best shooters in the NBA.

10. Kyle Korver, Chicago Bulls

Kyle Korver’s job is to do one thing and one thing only: hit jump shots. Whether he’s pulling up from beyond the arc or near the paint, Korver has one of the most reliable jumpers around.

He really leans on his shot to score to make up for his lack of athleticism. The three-ball is the deadliest weapon in his arsenal with a career 41 percent success rate from deep.

Korver is a fearless shooter, and he’s made plenty of clutch buckets over his career.

9. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors

Andrea Bargnani fits into the mold of Dirk Nowitzki—a seven-footer with a deadly jump shot.

The Italian is a matchup nightmare. He’s able to stretch the floor behind the arc and can put the ball on the floor and attack the basket when needed.

Bargnani uses his height to his advantage as he shoots over smaller defenders with relative ease.

8. Anthony Morrow, New Jersey Nets

Anthony Morrow may not be a household name, but he’s an underrated player.

His best asset is his shooting stroke, particularly from three-point range.

Morrow’s career three-point shooting percentage sits at 45.3. He can challenge the all-time leader, Steve Kerr, when he hits the requisite 250 three-pointers made mark to be qualified.

It’s rather puzzling that he hasn’t been invited to the three-point shooting contest, but hopefully he gets a shot this year.

7. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

Not only is Kobe one of the most prolific scorers in the history of the game, he’s one of the best closers.

Kobe has a silky smooth jumper with immaculate form. In fact, he may have the second-nicest-looking jumper behind one other player on this list.

Bryant is capable of hitting shots from pretty much anywhere on the court at the most extreme angles.

Get him into the low post and he’ll abuse you with his turn-around fadeaway all game long.

6. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Kevin Durant is arguably the most prolific scorer in the NBA today.

He may be off to a slow start to the year, but he still leads the league in scoring.

Durant can score in a variety of ways—getting nearly a third of his points at the charity stripe—but it’s his deadly jumper that makes him so difficult to guard.

Standing at 6’10” with lanky arms, when he pulls the ball over his head, he’s extremely difficult to block.

5. Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers

Danny Granger may not be scoring as much this season, but he’s getting the job done and, most importantly, his team is winning.

Granger has a high-arcing shot with a quick release. His bread-and-butter will always be his jump shot with a penchant from long range.

Despite missing 20 games last season, Granger still managed to break the top 10 in three-point field goals made.

He currently sits at No. 3 on the three-point shooting list with 2.5 deep shots per game. His percentage from deep is at 39.5 percent.

4. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry was one of the most prolific scorers while he was playing college ball, and he owes that to his impeccable shooting stroke.

Nicknamed the Baby-Faced Assassin, Curry shoots lights out from pretty much all corners.

Curry has a quick release—which helps him avoid timely blocks—and his accuracy is nearly unmatched at his position.

Only in his second season, Curry’s shooting stroke will undoubtedly improve over time, which is scary when you see how great of a shooter he already is. He was one of the top five best three-point shooters last season, and he’s one of the best right now.

His percentage from behind the arc comes in at 43.6 percent—higher than what a lot of players shoot inside the arc.

3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

For a seven-footer, Dirk Nowitzki’s shooting prowess is on par with the most skilled guards in the NBA.

Whether he was doing running leaners, pull-up jumpers or turn-around fadeaways, Dirk had the whole repertoire.

Couple his towering frame with his silky smooth jumper, and you have an unbridled scoring machine that is near impossible to block. Look no further than his fade-away jumper and the helpless defender assigned to try and stop him.

2. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

Steve Nash will go down in the history books as one of the most prolific shooters from the point guard position. He could very well challenge Mark Price for that honor, if he hasn’t already surpassed him, of course.

Nash is one of the few players on this list to make the illustrious 50-40-90 club (at least 50 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent from deep and 90 percent at the line for the season).

For a guard, Nash manages to consistently stay near the top of the league in field goal percentage. He currently sits at No. 4 on the list for guards.

He uses his pristine dribble-drive to maneuver around the court to find that small opening to drill pull-up jumpers. Also, his transition three-ball is arguably the best in the game today.

1. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics

Ray Allen is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, shooters in the history of the NBA.

Allen has picture-perfect form on his jump shot that even the best players in the game today could envy.

He has made a living running defenders ragged off of screens for catch-and-shoot jumpers. Get him to the line and he’ll make you pay, as he’s one of the greatest free-throw shooters ever.

Allen is drilling 2.1 three-pointers per game at a 42.6 percent clip. He is closing in on Reggie Miller’s all-time record for most three-pointers made. A record he will most assuredly break at some point this season.

Down by three with the game on the line, I’d take Allen any day of the week.