This year, Steve Nash will probably get the MVP, deservedly or not, and will definitely get the assists title. His points are at a career high and his FG% is at an amazing .539, with his adj fg% of 63% leading the league. What most don't talk about is his record setting three point shooting. Right now, Nash is shooting 49.8% from the three point line on 5.2 attempts per game. Now that isn't leading the league, but it's certainly the best anybody has done taking that many shots. Nobody has ever taken 325 three point attempts and shot 49% from the three point line. Nash is on a pace for 425 attempts and is shooting 50%. The percentage he's shooting in the amount of shots he's taking is far more impressive than any fred hoiberg or tim legler number that was produced on 0.6 attempts per game or something like that. This is a demonstration that Nash may be the single best shooter in the NBA, between his #1 fg% among guards, #1 adj fg% in the NBA, top ten points per shot in the NBA, top twelve ft% in the NBA (he's having an off year), #2 ALL TIME career ft% (if you count ABA as part of somebody's career), top 5 career three point % all time,
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>NBA Stats Reveal Top ShootersWho are the best shooters, based on NBA statistics? ? Mark Barnes Dec 7, 2006When looking at NBA stats, guys like Carlos Boozer head the leaders for best field goal percentage, but Suite101 is wondering who the best long-distance shooters are.If you want to know who the best professional basketball shooters are, you?ll look up NBA stats under field goal percentage. Most of the top guys will be big men, because they play close to the basket.We decided to take a look at the best pure NBA shooters, and we analyze the NBA stats and beyond. Here are Suite101's top NBA shooters, based on 3-point shooting, free throw shooting percentage and clutch performance shooting.Top Shooters according to NBA stats ? based on a minimum of 3.5 three-point field goal attempts per game and a free throw percentage above 80.Brent Barry, San Antonio Spurs ? Barry?s NBA stats are staggering this season. He?s shooting 51% from 3-point range and 90% from the line.Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns ? These NBA stats don?t lie. Not only is Nash the two-time defending NBA MVP, he?s shooting nearly 50% from the arc and 90% from the stripe. Raja Bell, Phoenix Suns ? With two players on the same sporting NBA stats like these, how is it that the Suns aren?t unbeaten. Bell shot 102 times from behind the arc in the first 14 games and made a whopping 47. He also netted 87% of his free throws.Luther Head, Houston Rockets ? Head has some shocking NBA stats for a second-year player. He?s hitting 49% of his 3-point attempts and shooting 82% from the free throw line.Rashard Lewis, Seattle SuperSonics ? Not only does Lewis make 88% of his freebies, he hit 47 of 113 from long distance early in the season.In spite of these terrific NBA stats, we might not choose the above five shooters, if we needed someone to hit a game-winning 3-pointer.Here?s our top 3 big-time shooters, when the NBA stats are tossed aside.Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards ? Arenas has the smoothest stroke this side of Ernie Els. His 3-point attempts look as fluid and easy as 10-footers. Besides, if you saw the 45-foot bomb Arenas made at the buzzer in a playoff game against Cleveland, you too would be a believer.Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers ? It?s no secret that Kobe doesn?t get a lot of love around here. We?re just not big Kobe Bryant fans. Throw out the subjectivity, though, and there?s no doubt about Bryant?s shooting ability. Anyone who can score 81 in one game can light it up on any given night. If the game?s on the line, you better pick up Kobe when he?s on the bench during the timeout.Kyle Korver, Philadelphia 76ers ? Korver is a robot. A 41% 3-point shooter for his career, Korver is hitting 55% this season. If Kyle Korver gets any kind of look at the basket, just mark it up ? he?s that good.</div>According to this article, Steve Nash comes in second in the NBA's best shooters and Brent Barry comes in first. I can agree with this, but this is stats wise. Non stats wise I believe that Ray Allen is a better shooter then Steve Nash, even though Nash takes less attempts.
I hardly ever see Stevie miss... He's BIG-TIME shooter and hits the shots that count when they need them the most!
Nash by far the best shooting guard in the NBA - he leads guards in FG and 3-point percentages (showed on last night's game vs. the Knicks).On a side-note... Ray Allen was SIC the other night, dropping over 40 pts and hitting 3-pointer after 3-pointer on screens.
I disagree on Nash being the best shooter in the league, yes he is shooting a very high fg percentage but the best shooter in my league is Ray Allen. He might be having a down year(still 25 a game, 44%), but last year he was easily the best shooter and it showed as he broke the all time amount of 3 pointers in a season. Ray Allen is the best pure shooter in the league period.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (moses2121 @ Jan 25 2007, 06:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I disagree on Nash being the best shooter in the league, yes he is shooting a very high fg percentage but the best shooter in my league is Ray Allen. He might be having a down year(still 25 a game, 44%), but last year he was easily the best shooter and it showed as he broke the all time amount of 3 pointers in a season. Ray Allen is the best pure shooter in the league period.</div>IMO that has just as much to do with being a "chucker" as it does with being a great shooter. He has had a lot of room to improve over the past couple years by using his range to set up his mid range game more often but he choosen to throw up 3s even when they aren't going which is why I like Nash over him. Allen may be the best pure shooter we have ever seen but he doesn't come close to Nash when it comes to intelligence with shot selection. Knowing what is and isn't working with your game on any given night is something that Nash thrives and he adjusts his game accordingly which is a key component of being a great shooter.Note: I'm not calling Allen a chucker but he frequently falls in love with the 3 ball when there are better options available to him.
Don't look at fieldgoal percentages to figure this one out. It's the Freethrow percentage that tells the story of how good a shooter really is. EVERY PLAYER shoots freethrows, and all of them are from 15 feet and are completely uneffected by any outside variables. The freethrow is the same for EVERYBODY. Steve Nash is the best shooter in the league.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (phoenix suns @ Jan 25 2007, 02:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Nash by far the best shooting guard in the NBA - he leads guards in FG and 3-point percentages (showed on last night's game vs. the Knicks).On a side-note... Ray Allen was SIC the other night, dropping over 40 pts and hitting 3-pointer after 3-pointer on screens.</div>What? Do you mean best shooter? XD
