My third-annual NBA team-wide shooting rankings come at an interesting time in terms of how we consume the league, as the consternation about 3s, how teams get shots and how often they make shots has been a dominating conversation for some.
A lot of the discussion stems from the success of the Boston Celtics, who score a higher percentage of their points from 3-point range than any team in league history. Last season’s Celtics scored 41 percent of their points from 3, the only team in the league to reach the 40 percent plateau in 2023-24. They became the first NBA champion to score more than 40 percent of their-regular season points from 3. This season, seven teams are scoring at least 40 percent of their points from 3, with the Celtics leading the way with a record 47.5 percent.
Asked Joe Mazzulla today about 3-point shot volume and the possession battle.
Everyone knows that Celtics shoot more 3s than everybody. But what makes the margin devastating is two things:
A. Fewest turnovers per game
B. Celtics are only NBA team in top-4 in both opp. 3s and 3% pic.twitter.com/v2Rbqq9DYa— Law Murray ⚛️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) November 26, 2024
Through the NBA Cup, the volume of 3s leaguewide is at an all-time high. In 389 games, teams are making 13.5 3s per game on 37.5 attempts, an average percentage of only 35.9 percent; the record is 36.7 percent, which last occurred in 2021. The volume of 3s may make it seem like the game is not played inside nearly enough, but that’s not the case.
In 1997, the team that scored the lowest percentage of their points in the paint were the champion Chicago Bulls (35.6 percent), and that was the last season with a compressed 3-point line above the break. That season’s playoff-bound Washington Bullets led the league by scoring 49 percent of their points in the paint. The woeful Washington Wizards led the league in percentage of points scored in the paint last season at 48.2 percent, while the champion Celtics mirrored the 1997 Bulls by scoring a league-low 39 percent of the points in the paint.
“I think there’s different types of 3s. There’s good 3s, and there’s bad 3s,” said Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick, who made 1,950 3s in his 15-year NBA career. “I think if you were to sort of model out how you could become a high volume, efficient shooting 3-point team, you would want 3s in transition. You would be able to have some off-ball movers. You’d be able to have individual shot creators that could draw a second defender to get you in the blender. You’d be able to have a guy who could shoot efficiently high volume off the dribble. … You have to play to the strengths of your personnel. Not everybody has Boston’s roster, with eight guys that can bang 3s at a really efficient clip. I don’t think the league and play style is as homogenized as people make it out to be.”
These shooting rankings include the midrange field goal, which for our purposes are non-paint 2s calculated by the NBA. Those are the shots that have declined from previous eras to now. Instead of the catch-and-shoot shots coming from power forwards above the key, the only midrange shots you see primarily are taken by stars in isolation or coming off ball screens. When you see the volume and efficiency of all shots this season, you can see how it makes more sense for teams to only take midrange shots when defenses cede them:
Shooting averages/percentages (Dec. 18)
| Area | Makes | Attempts | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
FGs |
41.2 |
88.6 |
0.464 |
Points/attempt |
|
|
3s |
13.5 |
37.5 |
0.359 |
1.08 |
|
|
FTs |
17.2 |
22.2 |
0.777 |
0.78 |
|
|
value |
|||||
|
RESTRICTED |
17.1 |
26 |
0.656 |
1.312 |
|
|
NON-RA |
7.2 |
16.7 |
0.429 |
0.86 |
|
|
MIDRANGE |
3.5 |
8.4 |
0.41 |
0.82 |
|
|
CORNER 3 |
3.7 |
9.5 |
0.385 |
1.16 |
|
|
ATB 3 |
9.8 |
27.7 |
0.354 |
1.06 |
|
|
OUTSIDE PAINT |
17.0 |
45.9 |
0.369 |
Asked Mike Brown about coaching DeMar DeRozan’s team, which means coaching the team that takes and makes the most midrange FGs
Among other things, Brown discussed the 2018 Rockets with James Harden missing 27 3s in a row and how their no-middy policy helped the Warriors defense. pic.twitter.com/jYG3sTSq5j
— Law Murray ⚛️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) November 23, 2024
I am not weighing any shots in the paint and I am not considering the volume of free throws. To compile the rankings, I took the average of the following five categories:
- midrange field goals made per game (non-paint 2s)
- midrange field goal percentage
- 3s made per game
- 3-point percentage
- free-throw percentage
The rankings look at the shooting around the league, but also why teams are better or worse overall compared to where they rank in terms of throwing a key through a lock. Here are the 2024 shooting rankings:
1. New York Knicks | Average rank: 5.0
2023 rank: 13th
2022 rank: 30th
Greatest strength: second in 3-point percentage
Greatest weakness: 11th in 3s made
Analysis: The Knicks have come a long way the past couple of years, but that’s what happens when you go from Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish and Julius Randle to Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns. Jalen Brunson is making 43.2 percent from 3, and not playing a non-shooter like center Mitchell Robinson improves the shooting across the board. If there is a weakness, it’s that the only shooters the Knicks have off the bench are guards Miles McBride and Cameron Payne; Towns is their only shooter taller than 6-foot-7.
2. Phoenix Suns | Average rank: 5.4
2023 rank: 15th
2022 rank: fourth
Greatest strength: fourth in midrange
Greatest weakness: seventh in free-throw percentage
Analysis: The Suns’ strength from a shooting perspective is having Devin Booker and Kevin Durant both making around 2.0 midrange field goals a game, with Booker making 51 percent of his non-paint 2s and Durant at 45.9 percent. Phoenix also has a high floor when it comes to shooting, as only its centers and rookie Ryan Dunn are poor free-throw shooters. But the Suns aren’t a better team because they routinely get beat in the paint and in the possession battle.
3. Brooklyn Nets | Average rank: 5.8
2023 rank: 11th
2022 rank: second
Greatest strength: first in midrange percentage
Greatest weakness: 15th in midrange field goals per game
Analysis: There’s no team that demonstrates how shooting isn’t everything like the Dennis Schröder version of the Brooklyn Nets. Obviously, the Nets are likely to decline across the board after trading Schröder for the contract of injured guard De’Anthony Melton. But Schröder was making a scorching 60.5 percent of his 1.9 midrange field goal attempts per game, and Cam Thomas was hitting 52.8 percent of his 3.1 attempts before he injured his hamstring. The Nets, however, were awful in the paint and transition margins even with Schröder.
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4. Oklahoma City Thunder | Average rank: 7.8
2023 rank: first
2022 rank: 16th
Greatest strength: first in free-throw percentage
Greatest weakness: 19th in 3-point percentage
Analysis: The Thunder led these rankings last year, and they still have strong shooters overall, guided by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his 86.4 percent clip from the free-throw line. The NBA Cup showed where the Thunder can be better, though, as they were a below-average 3-point shooting team even before they went to the basement with a 5-of-32 performance from 3 against the Bucks. Those numbers won’t count toward their season statistics, but the sub-30 percent 3-point shooting from Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso bears watching. Both players were over 40 percent last season.
5. Cleveland Cavaliers | Average rank: 8.2
2023 rank: 18th
2022 rank: 14th
Greatest strength: first in 3-point percentage
Greatest weakness: 14th in free-throw percentage
Analysis: The Cavaliers are another high-floor shooting team without glaring weaknesses or neglections. Both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell have been great shooting the ball from everywhere, as they are both north of 40 percent from 3 and around 40 percent in the midrange. Caris LeVert is only shooting 68.3 percent from the free-throw line, yet makes 48.8 percent from 3. That captures where the Cavaliers are as a shooting club, but they are an elite team overall because they win possession and paint battles as well.
6. Milwaukee Bucks | Average rank: 10.0
2023 rank: third
2022 rank: 10th
Greatest strength: second in midrange field goal percentage
Greatest weakness: 29th in free-throw percentage
Analysis: Giannis Antetokounmpo has traded in his sub 30-percent 3-point attempts for a team-leading 4.1 midrange field goal attempts per game, and Antetokounmpo is making 46.3 percent of those non-paint 2s. While Antetokounmpo is also tanking Milwaukee’s free-throw percentage by shooting a career-worst 61.5 percent, he is surrounded by shot-makers, with backup big Bobby Portis and co-stars Damian Lillard and the recovering Khris Middleton also capable of high-volume midrange proficiency.
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7. Sacramento Kings | Average rank: 10.4
2023 rank: 20th
2022 rank: 11th
Greatest strength: first in midrange field goals per game
Greatest weakness: 22nd in 3s per game
Analysis: DeMar DeRozan makes 4.5 midrange field goals per game. That’s more than all but four entire teams. The flip side is that DeRozan doesn’t make 3s every game and the Kings lack depth. But DeRozan is in his 12th-straight year of scoring 20-plus points per game, and De’Aaron Fox is a decent threat from the midrange as well.
8. Chicago Bulls | Average rank: 11.0
2023 rank: 10th
2022 rank: eighth
Greatest strength: second in 3s per game
Greatest weakness: 21st in midrange field goals per game
Analysis: Of the 12 players who have spent time in Chicago’s rotation this season, nine of them average at least 1.0 3s per game, led by wings Zach LaVine and Coby White. DeRozan was replaced by Josh Giddey, leaving LaVine as the only consistent midrange threat. The biggest difference between the Bulls and the Celtics is the possession battle. Chicago is more balanced than Boston when it comes to shooting, but only the Wizards and Jazz are worse when it comes to possession margin.
9. Dallas Mavericks | Average rank: 11.8
2023 rank: 16th
2022 rank: 15th
Greatest strength: sixth in 3-point percentage
Greatest weakness: 22nd in free-throw percentage
Analysis: The Mavericks are outscoring teams in the paint this season, but their accuracy from 3 makes that mean more. The addition of 39.1 percent 3-point shooter Klay Thompson to pair with guard Kyrie Irving shooting a career-best 46.8 percent from 3 makes them an ideal complementary perimeter offense. And this is with Luka Dončić’s shooting numbers below his standard, along with two centers who both shoot free throws in the 60s.
10. Boston Celtics | Average rank: 12.2
2023 rank: seventh
2022 rank: first
Greatest strength: first in 3s made per game
Greatest weakness: 24th in midrange field goals per game
Analysis: With Kristaps Porziņģis in the lineup, Boston has eight 3-point shooters who play 20-plus minutes per game. Porziņģis has only played in seven of 26 games, so these rankings don’t reflect full-strength Boston. But a concern for the Celtics is that, while star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were adequate in the midrange last season, both have been subpar in that category this season to go with average 3-point accuracy. Boston takes more 3s than anyone else, but its efficiency from all over the floor has been less than extraordinary. The Celtics make up for their streakiness by winning the possession battle consistently, ensuring they will at least attempt more field goals and free throws than their opponents.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum elevates for a shot as Washington’s Bilal Coulibaly defends. (Geoff Burke / Imagn Images)
11. Indiana Pacers | Average rank: 12.4
2023 rank: eighth
2022 rank: 19th
Greatest strength: sixth in midrange field goals per game
Greatest weakness: 19th in 3s made per game
Analysis: Having power forward Pascal Siakam gives the Pacers a consistent source of offense at the second level. Indiana really misses wings Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard, while guard Andrew Nembhard has struggled with injury and a shooting slump from 3, though Nembhard is still a decent midrange shooter. The Pacers have regressed to one of the worst teams in the league in the possession battle, which has led to their disappointing start after making the Eastern Conference finals in May.
12. Minnesota Timberwolves | Average rank: 14.4
2023 rank: 12th
2022 rank: 20th
Greatest strength: eighth in 3s made per game
Greatest weakness: 26th in midrange field goals per game
Analysis: Player A attempted 13.1 shots outside the paint per game, making 4.3 3s. Player B attempted 11.6 shots outside the paint per game, making 3.6 3s. Player C attempted 18.7 shots outside the paint per game, making 2.3 3s. Player D attempted 15.0 shots outside the paint per game, making 0.4 3s.
Player A is Anthony Edwards this season. Player B is Stephen Curry in 2014-15, his first MVP season. Player C Is Kobe Bryant in 2005-06 in his highest scoring season. And Player D is Michael Jordan in 1997-98 with the Last Dance Bulls.
13. Detroit Pistons | Average rank: 16.2
2023 rank: 23rd
2022 rank: 22nd
Greatest strength: 12th in midrange field goals per game
Greatest weakness: 25th in free-throw percentage
Analysis: The Pistons have Cade Cunningham, which means they have a player who is capable of scoring at the midrange consistently. Cunningham’s backcourt partner Jaden Ivey is a subpar free-throw shooter at 73.1 percent. But Detroit has gone from having bad shooters to having adequate shooters. The Pistons just need to help Cunningham take better care of the ball so they can get more shots.
14. LA Clippers | Average rank: 16.6
2023 rank: ninth
2022 rank: ninth
Greatest strength: 10th in 3-point percentage
Greatest weakness: 22nd in midrange field goals per game
Analysis: LA is the one team that more or less is as good as its shooting on a nightly basis. When the Clippers make better than 35 percent of their 3s, they are 12-3. When they shoot under 35 percent, they are 3-9. Norman Powell shooting 48.4 percent from 3 to begin the year is incredible considering he attempts 8.0 per game. But the Clippers don’t really have any midrange threats. That is, until Kawhi Leonard comes back.
15. Miami Heat | Average rank: 16.8
2023 rank: sixth
2022 rank: 24th
Greatest strength: eighth in 3-point percentage
Greatest weakness: 29th in midrange field goals per game
Analysis: The Heat being a top-10 3-point accuracy team is a real credit to the season Tyler Herro has been having. Herro is Miami’s nominal point guard now that Terry Rozier comes off the bench, and Herro is averaging career highs in volume (4.2 3s per game) and percentage (41.3). But Miami’s midrange effectiveness has fallen off a cliff. Herro rarely takes them, and it hasn’t been a strength of Jimmy Butler’s game this season or last season.
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16. San Antonio Spurs | Average rank: 17.2
2023 rank: 21st
2022 rank: 21st
Greatest strength: 10th in free-throw percentage
Greatest weakness: 24th in midrange percentage
Analysis: One of the scariest offensive developments for center Victor Wembanyama is that he went from 79.6 percent free throws as a rookie to 88.9 percent this season. Unfortunately, Wembanyama is one of 34 players who have attempted at least 50 midrange field goals this season. At 35.1 percent, his efficiency among those 34 players ranks 32nd.
17. Memphis Grizzlies | Average rank: 17.6
2023 rank: 25th
2022 rank: 23rd
Greatest strength: 10th in midrange percentage
Greatest weakness: 28th in midrange field goals per game
Analysis: Shooting guard Desmond Bane leads the Grizzlies in midrange field goal attempts, and he makes 50 percent of his non-paint 2s. But Bane only attempts 1.4 midrange field goals per game. Memphis has consistently refused to take midrange field goals under coach Taylor Jenkins.
T-18. Charlotte Hornets | Average rank: 18.2
2023 rank: 26th
2022 rank: 28th
Greatest strength: sixth in 3s per game
Greatest weakness: 29th in midrange percentage
Analysis: New Hornets coach Charles Lee was on championship staffs under Joe Mazzulla in Boston and Mike Budenholzer in Milwaukee, so of course he’s going to encourage an elevated 3-point volume. Starting guards LaMelo Ball (4.6 3s per game) and Brandon Miller (3.9 3s per game) both fire away, but neither is a good midrange shooter, as they both shoot a worse percentage on non-paint 2s than on 3s.
T-18. Denver Nuggets | Average rank: 18.2
2023 rank: 19th
2022 rank: fifth
Greatest strength: seventh in 3-point percentage
Greatest weakness: 27th in free-throw percentage
Analysis: The Nuggets are getting a decent 3-point shooting season from most of their rotation, led by Michael Porter Jr.’s 38.5 percent on a team-high 6.0 attempts per game. Nikola Jokić (48.9 percent), Aaron Gordon (46.2 percent) and Christian Braun (40.3 percent) are all shooting career highs while starting. But backup point guard Russell Westbrook is down to a career-low 62.8 percent from the free-throw line, while Porter is also down at 68.9 percent from the stripe. Denver’s 3-point accuracy is enhanced by its willingness to live in the paint while running as much as possible.
T-18. Los Angeles Lakers | Average rank: 18.2
2023 rank: 29th
2022 rank: 29th
Greatest strength: 11th in midrange field goals per game
Greatest weakness: 25th in 3s made per game
Analysis: Having both Anthony Davis and LeBron James allows the Lakers to have two players who can get their shot off anytime they need. Both players make more than 1.0 midrange field goals per game, with James at 41.4 percent on non-paint 2s. But the Lakers are making fewer 3s per game this season under Redick than last season, with demoted point guard D’Angelo Russell going from 3.0 3s per game in 2023-24 to a seven-year low 2.0 3s per game this season.
Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Lakers are making fewer 3s this season than last. (Kirby Lee / Imagn Images)
21. New Orleans Pelicans | Average rank: 18.4
2023 rank: 22nd
2022 rank: 12th
Greatest strength: third in midrange field goals per game
Greatest weakness: 30th in 3s made per game
Analysis: Brandon Ingram is capable of carrying the DeRozan midrange merchant torch. Before his ankle injury, Ingram was making 2.6 midrange field goals per game, at a pristine 45.5 percent clip. Two-way contract Brandon Boston Jr. is even better, making 49.1 percent of his 2.4 midrange attempts. But injuries have stripped New Orleans from having a group of 3-point shooters that show up every night.
22. Portland Trail Blazers | Average rank: 19.0
2023 rank: 14th
2022 rank: 13th
Greatest strength: 13th in midrange percentage
Greatest weakness: 25th in 3-point percentage
Analysis: Center Deandre Ayton leads Portland with 2.2 midrange attempts per game, but shooting guard Shaedon Sharpe makes 48.6 percent of his 1.9 midrange attempts. Unfortunately, Sharpe makes only 27 percent from 3, and he is one of three guards (Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson) who attempts at least 3.0 3s per game but makes worse than 35 percent of them.
23. Golden State Warriors | Average rank: 19.6
2023 rank: fifth
2022 rank: third
Greatest strength: fourth in 3s made per game
Greatest weakness: 30th in free-throw percentage
Analysis: Eight of the 13 players the Warriors have considered rotation players make at least 1.0 3s per game. That includes De’Anthony Melton, who underwent ACL surgery and was traded to Brooklyn for Dennis Schröder. Of those eight shooters, three of them (Melton, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga) were well under 70 percent on free throws. Non-shooters Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kevon Looney, Kyle Anderson and Gary Payton II have all been well under 70 percent free throws as well.
24. Atlanta Hawks | Average rank: 20.2
2023 rank: second
2022 rank: 18th
Greatest strength: 11th in midrange percentage
Greatest weakness: 27th in midrange field goals per game
Analysis: The Hawks are a lot like the Grizzlies, as they have players who are capable of making non-paint 2s at a high level. But coach Quin Snyder has never been big on midrange field goals dating back to his time with the Utah Jazz.
25. Utah Jazz | Average rank: 20.4
2023 rank: 24th
2022 rank: seventh
Greatest strength: ninth in free-throw percentage
Greatest weakness: 30th in midrange
Analysis: Speaking of the Jazz, Utah has four players who average between 1.0 and 1.5 midrange field goal attempts per game. None of those players (Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson) shoot better than 38 percent on those non-paint 2s. At least Markkanen, Sexton and John Collins are all shooting better than 87 percent from the free-throw line.
26. Houston Rockets | Average rank: 21.0
2023 rank: 17th
2022 rank: 26th
Greatest strength: eighth in midrange field goals per game
Greatest weakness: 28th in 3-point percentage
Analysis: Point guard Fred VanVleet is effective in the midrange, making 1.0 non-paint 2s per game. But VanVleet and shooting guard Jalen Green are the only Rockets who attempt more than 6.0 3s per game, and VanVleet only makes 30.3 percent while Green only makes 31.3 percent. Houston is an awful shooting team, but the Rockets are one of the best teams in the West due to their league-leading pursuit of their missed shots to go with the second-best defense in the league.
27. Washington Wizards | Average rank: 22.4
2023 rank: 28th
2022 rank: 17th
Greatest strength: 13th in midrange field goals per game
Greatest weakness: 29th in 3-point percentage
Analysis: Seven Wizards attempt between 1.0 and 2.0 midrange field goals per game, and rookie Bub Carrington (45.9 percent) and backup center Jonas Valančiūnas (41.9 percent) should probably take more of them. But Washington has a mix of veterans (Kyle Kuzma, 27.6 percent 3s) and rookies (Alexandre Sarr, 26.5 percent 3s; Kyshawn George, 24.7 percent 3s) who have been dreadful shooting 3s.
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28. Orlando Magic | Average rank: 23.0
2023 rank: 30th
2022 rank: 25th
Greatest strength: 12th in free-throw percentage
Greatest weakness: 30th in 3-point percentage
Analysis: This is actually an improvement for what has consistently been one of the NBA’s worst shooting teams recently. Orlando signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and he is shooting a career-low 29.1 percent from 3 for the league’s least accurate 3-point shooting team. But like last season, the Magic are showing that you can be a good team despite being terrible at shooting if you can do things like rebound and force turnovers. Orlando also has dealt with injuries to top players Paolo Banchero and 88.1 percent free-throw shooter Franz Wagner.
29. Toronto Raptors | Average rank: 23.4
2023 rank: 27th
2022 rank: 27th
Greatest strength: 18th in midrange field goals per game
Greatest weakness: 29th in 3s made per game
Analysis: The Raptors are always low in these rankings, and this year, they’re at their lowest point yet. Second-year shooting guard Gradey Dick is making 1.3 midrange field goals per game at a 47.5 percent clip, one of the most impressive marks in the league. Injuries to All-Star Scottie Barnes and point guard Immanuel Quickley have kept what little firepower the Raptors have from establishing a consistent perimeter attack.
30. Philadelphia 76ers | Average rank: 24.2
2023 rank: fourth
2022 rank: sixth
Greatest strength: 19th in midrange field goals per game
Greatest weakness: 28th in midrange percentage
Analysis: The missed games by Joel Embiid and Paul George have limited the Sixers so much in terms of shooting talent. The good news is that George is starting to put some games together, and he can still hit from midrange at a high level. The bad news is that Embiid has not been able to do that. The ugly news is that, out of 75 players to attempt 30 midrange field goals this season, All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey ranks ahead of only Jalen Green at 27.3 percent on 33 attempts. Combine that with a lack of role players who can shoot (especially now that rookie Jared McCain is out indefinitely with a knee injury), and you have the worst shooting team in basketball.
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(Top photo of Jalen Brunson and Kelly Oubre: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
