NBA Power Rankings: Each NBA Team's Most Accurate Three Point Shooter
After watching the Orlando Magic pour three point shots on the Pacers a few nights ago I was inspired to do a research article and learn about each NBA team's most accurate outside threat. Some of these results were the expected results and others were quite shocking, such as the NBA's most accurate perimeter shooter so far this season. In this slide show I will be listing the most accurate shooter from each team from 1-30 with 1 being the best and 30 being the worst. So, let us now begin with the NBA's most accurate shooter.
The stats listed in this slide show are through games played on January 30, 2011.
1. Shawne Williams, New York Knicks
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Remember when I stated that some of these results would be shocking? Well, here you go. May I present to you shocking result number 1. Do not worry there are more to come in this slide show.
You may not believe that Shawne Williams has taken a lot of threes and you are right, but the three point % statistic in the NBA lists all those who have taken at least 50 threes. Williams is shooting 53.5% from outside the arc and has hit 38 of his 71 three point attempts. Williams does not play a lot of minutes, but when he is in he is a deadly shooter.
What I like the most about Williams is the fact that he is a shooting big man, and, trust me, there are many more to come in this slide show.
2. Matt Bonner, San Antonio Spurs
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For Spurs fans this is not a shock. All other NBA fans may be wondering how I looked over Ginobili or maybe even George Hill for the Spurs slot in this slide show. Well, deal with it people. Bonner is the Spurs's best perimeter shooter this season and has been a consistent outside threat his whole career.
Bonner is the only other NBA player who has made more threes than he has missed and he just barely earns this recognition. He is shooting 50.4% on the season, making 60 out of 119 three point attempts.
Bonner can sometimes be forgotten on the court, but you will feel sorry if you ever leave Bonner open from outside.
3. Mike Bibby, Atlanta Hawks
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Did you expect Joe Johnson here? Well, I did too. I think this proves that Joe Johnson was not worth the maximum contract offered by the Hawks.
Bibby was a deadly shooter in Sacramento back in his glory days, but now in his decline, I find him to be a better three point shooter than he ever was before. Bibby has accepted his role in Atlanta as the non-scoring point guard, but will still knock down threes is left open.
Bibby is shooting 45.9% and has hit 95 of his 207 three point shots so far this season.
4. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
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For all those out there who are still not sure about Paul being a shooter, you have been extremely mistaken. Paul has quickly become one of the most deadly shooters when left wide open. Paul is the first person on this list that is not a power forward, proving that the three point shot is now being taught as a shot for anyone who is open, even if you are a person like Yao.
Paul is shooting 46.2% hitting 48 of his 104 three point attempts. Paul is almost never open for a three point shot since he gets most of his points by creating a lane to the basket, but he will hit the three if left open.
5. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
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Finally, someone who I actually expected to represent their team as the most accurate shooter. Even for the Hornets I was expecting Belinelli to be more accurate than Paul. Anyway, back to Allen. Pierce may have won the three point shootout last February and may very well be in the contest this season, but Allen is a much more accurate shooter. Allen has been arguably the most accurate three point shooter in NBA history.
This season Allen is shooting 45.3% hitting 96 of his 212 attempts so far this season.
6. Arron Afflalo, Denver Nuggets
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Afflalo, throughout his entire career, has been a lethal perimeter scorer. Whenever left open on the three point line you can guarantee that he will take, and most likely make, any shot given.
Afflalo is shooting 44.6% and has made 75 of his 168 three point attempts.
7. Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Oh Kevin Love. This man is my favorite NBA player and has always been one of my favorites since his one season at UCLA. This guy has got to be this season's Most Improved Player by a landslide, is one of the best scorers in the NBA, is the best rebounder in the NBA, and is actually one of the best three point shooters in the NBA as well. Would anyone like to tell me why he does not deserve to start at PF for the Western Conference All-Star team?
Love has averaged a double double for almost his entire NBA career and has broken out on to the shooting scene this season. Love is also shooting 44.7% from outside and has hit 63 of 141 of his shots from beyond the arc.
8. Daniel Gibson, Cleveland Cavaliers
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This season the Cavaliers may have only a couple of bright spots and Daniel Gibson and his shooting ability is one of them. Boobie broke out on to the NBA scene a couple seasons ago and his since then been known as one of the better three point shooters in the entire league.
Gibson has been with the Cavaliers since they drafted him in 2006 and in his rookie season shot 42% from outside. Perhaps his biggest breakout moment was in the 2008 Rookie Challenge when he won the game's MVP award while playing with the Sophomore team. Since then Gibson has quickly become a top scoring option for Cleveland.
This season Gibson is shooting 44.7% from outside while hitting 72 of 161 three point attempts.
9. Eddie House, Miami Heat
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For once, one of the Miami Thrice does not lead the team in a certain statistical category. Perhaps, is Mike Miller was not injured for half of the season this would have been him, but for now Eddie House is the Heat's most accurate outside threat this season. His three point shot is just about all he brings to the table for the Heat and he is doing a good job of it.
House is shooting 44.8% from outside hitting 39 of his 87 three point attempts so far. Perhaps, if he had more minutes, he would be even more accurate.
10. Vladimir Radmanovic, Golden State Warriors
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Surely the Warriors the best three point shooter is Stephen Curry right? Or maybe Monta Ellis? Or maybe even Dorrell Wright? No sir, the Warriors most accurate deep threat this season has been Vlad Rad. While Curry is known for his shooting, Ellis is a great shooter, and Wright has hit the most threes for the Warriors, Radmanovic is the most accurate. Vlad Rad has always been a great three point shooter and I miss having him here in Charlotte.
Rad is shooting 42.9% from outside while hitting 45 of his 105 three point attempts.
11. Austin Daye, Detroit Pistons
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Is this another unexpected result in your opinion? It is in my opinion since he is teamed up with Ben Gordon, one of the best perimeter shooters the league has ever seen. But, aside of that, Daye is the most accurate Piston this season. The lanky forward out of Gonzaga is one of many of a new prototype of forwards. Many young forwards nowadays, such as Kevin Durant, are getting taller, skinnier, and better at shooting and Daye is one of those.
This season Daye is shooting 43.4% from downtown while hitting 33 of his 76 shot attempts.
12. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors
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Jose Calderon is arguably the best Spanish player in Canadian basketball history thanks to him being a member of the Raptors, the only Canadian NBA franchise.
That was supposed to be a joke, so laugh.
Anyway, Calderon is a great outside threat who is just getting better every season.
Calderon is shooting 42.4% while hitting 39 of 92 three point attempts.
13. John Salmons, Milwaukee Bucks
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John Salmons is probably one of the best journeymen this league has ever seen. After a few OK years in Philly, a couple solid years in Sacramento, and one and a half great seasons in Chicago, Salmons seems to have found a true home in Milwaukee where he has played his basketball. Mostly last season. Salmons is the number one scoring option for the Bucks behind Jennings when he is playing.
Salmons is shooting 42% while hitting 50 of his 119 three point attempts.
14. JJ Redick, Orlando Magic
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At Duke and in Orlando Redick has always been a fantastic three point shooter and has fit into the offenses molded around hitting outside jump shots. Leave Redick open from outside and you will pay for it.
Redick is shooting 41.8% from outside this season and has hit 69 of 165 three point attempts.
15. Anthony Morrow, New Jersey Nets
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Morrow is a deadly shooter in New Jersey and was in Golden State as well. Morrow is a smart player and knows that his role on the team is to get an open three point shot every once in a while.
Morrow is shooting 41.7% while hitting 55 of his 132 three point attempts.
16. Brandon Rush, Indiana Pacers
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Brandon Rush has just recently broken out onto the scene as the Pacers leading outside threat. Rush was a little used player in the NBA until this season when the Pacers plugged him into the starting lineup and Rush has developed as a solid scorer and shooter.
This season Rush is shooting 41.7% while hitting 55 of his 132 three point attempts, same as Morrow.
17. DeShawn Stevenson, Dallas Mavericks
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In this picture, Stevenson is giving the "three in your face" symbol for a reason. That reason is because he is deadly from outside while open or even with a man in his face. He will pull up for any three point shot, create a shot, force a shot, whatever it takes for him to find the bottom of the net from outside. And he does it well too. He is out-shooting teammates like Dirk and Kidd from outside, which says something about his skills.
Stevenson is shooting 41.7% as well and has hit 73 out of 175 three point attempts.
18. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
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Steve Nashty is one of the best three point shooters the world has ever seen. Nash, like Ray Allen, has been one of the most feared shooters in the league for his entire career. If this guy is left open beyond the arc, the defending point guard will pay for it.
Nash is currently shooting 41% and has hit 50 of his 122 three point shots.
19. Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies
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The fact that Gay is on this list surprises me because I do not think of Gay as a three point shooter necessarily, but it doesn't surprise me because the Grizzlies are honestly not a good three point shooting team. Gay will knock down an outside shot every once in a while.
This season Gay is shooting 40.8% while hitting 53 of his 130 outside attempts.
20. Kyle Korver, Chicago Bulls
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Oh, Kyle Korver. Korver has been one of my favorite players in the NBA since his years in Philadelphia when he played the biggest role of his career. His years in Utah saw a decline in his scoring but his three point stroke never got worse and he is showing it off in Chicago now.
Korver is currently shooting 40.6% from outside and has hit 65 of his 160 attempts from beyond the arc.
21. Jodie Meeks, Philadelphia 76ers
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Jodie who? That's right. Jodie Meeks, a second year guard out of Kentucky, broke out this season as a three point shooter and, like Brandon Rush, has found himself plugged into the Sixers starting lineup because of his developing abilities as a pure scorer.
Meeks is shooting 40.1% from deep and has made 63 of his 157 three point attempts.
22. Kevin Martin, Houston Rockets
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Could someone please explain to me why Sacramento swapped this guy for Ron Artest. Martin was one of the best players Sacramento had seen in several years and is now one of the best pure scorers in the entire NBA. Martin is within the top 5 in the NBA in three point field goals made and attempted.
Martin is shooting 40% from outside and has made 102 of his 255 three point attempts this season.
23. Steve Blake, Los Angeles Lakers
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Steve Blake has been a solid backup point guard for his entire career and has been a great three point shooter all this time as well. People already knew Blake was a shooter before coming to the Lakers this year, but the Lakers offense has been able to showcase Blake's ability to shoot the ball when he is in the game.
Blake is shooting 39.7% from downtown hitting on 50 of his 126 attempts.
24. Nick Young, Washington Wizards
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Honestly, I think Nick Young's ability to shoot the ball very well is a side effect of having one of the most awesome heads of hair in the NBA. With Gilbert Arenas being shipped to Orlando for Rashard Lewis, Young has stepped up and accepted the role of go-to-scorer for the young Washington Wizards. I know John Wall and Lewis are good scorers as well, but Young has really stepped up his game since the trade.
Young is shooting 39.6% from outside hitting on 74 of his 187 attempts.
25. Omri Casspi, Sacramento Kings
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Casspi is a young player whose game reminds me of Peja Stojakovic in his younger days or his most recent years in New Orleans. Casspi is one of the primary scoring options on this young Kings team, but most of the time he is doing from the three point line.
Right now Casspi is shooting 39.1% from outside and has made 68 of his 174 outside attempts.
26. D.J. Augustin, Charlotte Bobcats
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Finally, one of my Charlotte Bobcats is on this list. Augustin, in his third year in the NBA and first as a starter, is playing better at this point in his career than Raymond Felton was. Augustin has done a great job of replacing Felton as our point guard and he does not get the credit he deserves for it. Augustin is the best young shooter the Bobcats have and he is doing a great job shooting and sharing the ball this season.
This season Augustin is shooting 38.6% from outside and has made 76 of his 197 three point shot attempts.
27. Al-Farouq Aminu, Los Angeles Clippers
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Aminu isn't really having the rookie season many thought he would have, but he is shooting better from downtown than any other Clipper this season. In his years at Wake Forest and his short NBA career so far, Aminu has been known as a shooter and nothing else really. Aminu is also the first rookie to make this list, meaning he is the best three point shooting rookie in the league.
This season Aminu is shooting 38.1% from deep and has hit 37 of his 97 three point attempts.
28. Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers
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Last season, Matthews was an undrafted rookie for the Utah Jazz and a great end of the season with them. His play at the end of the season earned him a pretty nice sized contract with the Portland Trail Blazers starting this season. With the absence of Brandon Roy this season, Matthews has become Portland's second scoring option behind LaMarcus Aldridge, who I believe should be an All-Star this season.
Right now Matthews is shooting 38.1% from outside and has hit 86 of his 226 downtown shots.
29. James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder
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James Harden has, hands down, the best facial hair in the NBA, but I was very surprised to see him on this list and not Kevin Durant. Harden is a good three point shooter, but I do not believe he is as good a shooter as Durant, he is just more accurate this season.
Harden is shooting 37.4% from downtown and has connected on 58 of his 155 three point attempts.
30. Raja Bell, Utah Jazz
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Bell has been a solid scorer for almost his entire career. He was great for the Suns, he was one of the best players the Bobcats have ever seen, he screwed over the Golden State Warriors last season, and since his surgery has not been the same. He was a good pickup for the Jazz because he is still a good three point shooter, but he can not score with the same ease anymore.
Bell is shooting 36.7% from outside this season and has hit 47 of his 128 three point attempts.
Any Confusion?
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I do not want this article to make you feel like the guy in the picture so I am going to clear up any confusion. This article was not listing each team's best outside shooter, just the most accurate. For example, I do not think Steve Blake is a better three point shooter than Kobe or that James Harden is a better three point shooter than the Durantula, they are just simply more accurate and that is what this article was about.
