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NBA Greatest Shooters of All Time: Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Seth Curry, et al
The Best Outside Shooters: Jerry West, Reggie Miller,
Who were the greatest NBA shooters of all time? The all-time points rankings
are not the best measuring rod, because players with extremely long careers may
have been much less accurate shooters than players with fewer points. We can't
consult PPG (Points Per Game) because some great scorers were not great
shooters: for instance Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain, who both struggled to
make free throws.
Since stats like points and PPG stats don't tell the whole story, I have provided my
subjective rankings along with reasons for each
player's inclusion or exclusion. Three things I consider in my rankings are
clutch shooting, scoring efficiency (career field
goal percentage, free throw percentage and three-point field goal percentage) and
what would probably have happened if older players had the option of
the three-pointer. I also consider things like the 50-40-90 club, which is ultra-exclusive
with only eight members. The 50-40-90 club is limited to players
who made 50% of their field goals, 40% of their three-pointers, and 90% of their
free throws for an entire season. The eight members of the 50-40-90 club are
Steve Nash (4 times), Larry Bird (2 times), Reggie Miller, Mark Price, Dirk
Nowitzki, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Malcolm Brogdon.
Another measuring rod is effective three-point
field goal percentage, which adjusts a player's field goal percentage to account
for the fact that a made three-pointer is worth more points than a made
two-pointer.
NOTE: I am not going to consider part-time players and three-point specialists
for my top ten. This eliminates players like Kyle Korver, Brent Barry, J. J.
Reddick and Steve Kerr. A truly great shooter should be able to start, make
all-star teams, compete for MVP awards, and score from all over the court. My
top ten consists of all-time great players who were
great shooters. And results matter more than style, although there are some very
stylish shooters in my personal list. But I will make some observations about
surprises I found when I studied a stat called "true shooting percentage" ...
My personal Top Ten NBA Shooters of All Time
1. Larry Bird: The gunslinger known as "Larry Legend" was the greatest clutch shooter
in NBA history. And he may
have been the best all-round shooter as well. Bird's field goal percentage
was .509 on two-point shots and he wasn't padding that stat with a lot of dunks.
Many of his two-pointers had a high degree of difficulty. Despite standing
six-foot-nine, Bird was
one of the best three-point shooters of his era, connecting better than .400 six
times and winning the first three NBA three-point contests. And Bird made .886 of his
free throws. Bird was the first NBA player to join the 50-40-90 club, and he is
one of only two players to make it more than once. If he were
starting over today with the modern game's focus on three-pointers, I'm sure the savvy
Bird would be practicing and shooting more three-pointers. But in his era the
three-pointer was a side dish rather than the main entree. In any case, to
top it all off, Bird averaged 10.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists for his stellar
career. He was a three-time MVP and made the all-star team 12 times in 13
seasons.
2. Steve Nash: I rank Nash only slightly behind Bird, giving Bird the edge
because of his propensity for hitting game-winning shots in big games. Nash is
the all-time leader in free throw percentage, at .9043. He was a member of the
50-40-90 club a record four times; Bird is the only other player to make the
club more than once. Nash's career field goal percentage
of .490 is not as good as Bird's, but it's damn good for a point guard. And Nash
didn't shoot near as much as Bird, averaging 14.3 PPG for his career. Nash's
.428 three-point accuracy was remarkable for his era. I give a slight edge to
Bird, because he's the shooter I want taking a last-second shot to win the NBA
championship, but Nash in his prime was the best overall shooter. And Nash was a
legit superstar who won two MVP awards and was an all-star eight times.
3. Stephen Curry: The all-time leader in effective field goal percentage for
perimeter players, at .5802, the not-so-towering Curry rates just a hair below
giants like Artis Gilmore and Shaquille O'Neal. And Curry may be the purest
shooter of all time, if we're handing out style points. When all is said and
done, Curry may pass Nash and Bird on my list. But his career field goal
percentage of .478 is not as good as Nash's or Bird's, so only time will tell.
However, one thing is certain: together Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson form the
best-shooting backcourt in NBA history, based on their combined effective field
goal percentages.
4. Jerry West: I think the man known as "The Logo" will probably remain securely
in fourth place on the all-time PPG list when all is said and done, just behind
Michael Jordan and his former teammates Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor. But
just imagine what the sharpshooting West would have averaged per game with the
three-pointer! I have no doubt that he would be challenging Chamberlain and
Jordan for the top spot. West's .474 field goal percentage and his range suggest that he
would have been one of the all-time best three-point marksmen. And people who
saw him play say West could get his shot off quicker then Steph Curry. So I am
moving West up to number four on my personal list.
5. Michael Jordan: The man known as "Air Jordan" is the number one scorer
of all time, at 30.12 PPG for his stellar career. He was also famously a clutch
shooter, perhaps second only to Bird when it comes to making big shots in big
games. In addition to his scoring prowess, Jordan was
an incredible athlete, and a great defender. And his career field goal
percentage of .497 is better than that of most of the major scorers who weren't
super tall. But Jordan was not as good an outside shooter as Jerry
West and Pete Maravich, so an interesting question about the three-pointer
becomes: "What would have happened with a level playing field?" And I find it
ironic that MJ's championship rings are used to argue that he was the GOAT
("greatest of all time"). Jordan's teams didn't win
anything his first six years, which included seasons in which he
averaged 37.1, 35.0, 32.5 and 33.6 points per page. MJ was a great scorer who
became a winner only
when the Bulls assembled superior teams that included players like
Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Bill Cartwright, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, John
Paxon, Steve Kerr, Ron Harper, et al. To me it makes absolutely no sense to say
that MJ is the GOAT because he played on superior teams. When Wilt Chamberlain
was lucky enough to play on superior teams, he won too. But his teams usually
ended up playing the Boston Celtics when they had the superior team. By
the "rings" logic, the best player of all time was Bill Russell, because he has
the most rings (11). And his teammates would be superior to MJ because they had more
rings: Sam Jones (10), K. C. Jones (8), Tom Heinsohn (8), Tom Sanders (8), John
Havlicek (8), Frank Ramsey (7), and Jim Loscutoff (7). But of course it makes no
sense to say Loscutoff was "greater" than MJ because he had more
rings. Thus it makes no sense to say that MJ was "greater" than other great
players because his teams won more rings. If we put MJ on the worst team in the
NBA, would he suddenly no longer be great? No, he would still be great but his
team wouldn't be winning any rings.
6. Pete Maravich: This may be my most controversial pick. But Pete
Maravich had seasons in which he averaged 31.1, 27.7, 27.0, 26.1, and 25.9
points per game. He did this while being his team's primary ball-handler, with
everyone knowing "Pistol Pete" was also the primary scoring threat. And he did it
without the three-pointer. When the three-pointer was introduced toward the end
of his career, Maravich connected on .667 of his attempts (granted, the sample
size is skimpy). The mind boggles at
what he might have done in the modern NBA. And his career field goal percentage
of .441 is rather amazing considering his "degree of difficulty." No one ever
made impossible shots look as "easy" as the Pistol. Also, when Maravich died
prematurely, it turned out that he had a congenital heart defect. What if he had
been perfectly healthy and had the three-pointer? Again, the mind boggles.
7. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The sky hook left defenders defenseless and helped
Jabbar become the NBA's all-time points leader while maintaining a stellar .5595
effective field goal percentage. Also, Jabbar's
24.6 career average is a bit misleading. He played so long that his overall
average declined with age. In his prime he was good for around 26 points and 14 rebounds, regular
as clockwork. But he wouldn't have been helped by the three-pointer as much as
West, Maravich and Bird.
8. Charles Barkley: While we don't think of him as one of the great pure
shooters, in reality Barkly was a high volume scorer who ranks
just a hair below Abdul-Jabbar with an effective field goal percentage of
.5578. And Barkley was nearly a foot shorter! Furthermore, Barkley is in the top
ten for career PER (Personal Efficiency Rating). So give the man his props,
because he was not only a real force, but a very accurate and efficient scorer.
9. Reggie Miller: With an effective field goal percentage of .5441, Miller gets
extra credit for high volume scoring and for making big shots in big games.
10. Rick Barry: One of the all-time best free throw shooters (.900) despite shooting them
underhanded, Barry would have benefitted from having the three-pointer during
his prime years. (He averaged 30.5 PPG during his ABA days with the
three-pointer.)
Near Misses
Elgin Baylor: It remains to be seen whether LeBron James or Kevin Durant can
pass Baylor's 27.36 PPG. It seems more likely that their PPGs will decline,
especially if they elect to continue playing past their primes. So I think
Baylor will remain in third place on the career PPG list, but only time can tell
for sure. Baylor is just out of my top ten because he would not have benefitted as
much as West, Maravich and Bird from the three-pointer. Also, Baylor's .431 field goal percentage
falls short of my top three. But it's hard to argue with that brilliant 27.36
scoring average. And Baylor was the prototype of the athletically gifted,
acrobatic small forwards to come: Dr. J, Dominique Wilkins, et al. The first
pick in the first round of the 1958 NBA draft, Baylor averaged 24.9 points as a
rookie, then racked up seasons of 29.6, 34.8, 38.3 and 34.0 in one of the
hottest scoring streaks in NBA history. And he did it while grabbing close to 20
rebounds per game and averaging around five assists. His 1961-62 season, in
which he averaged 38.3 points, 18.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists, is second only to
Chamberlain's best years in "complete offensive domination."
Oscar Robertson: The Big O's career field goal percentage (.485) is damn good
for a high-scoring guard of his era, but I don't think he would have benefitted
from the three-pointer as much as some of my higher picks. But Robertson may have been the best all-round guard in NBA history, or he's right
up there with Jordan, West and Magic. If I'm picking an all-time team, mine has
Robertson in the backcourt.
My Revised "Level Playing Field" List
This is my projected list if everyone started out from scratch with current
rules and the modern emphasis on three-pointers: Jerry West, Pete Maravich,
Stephen Curry, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson,
Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Reggie Miller
Up-and-Coming
Stephen Curry may end up being the greatest pure shooter in NBA history, if he
isn't already.
James Harden set a record with 32 consecutive 30-point games in 2019.
Others: Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Paul George, Joel Embiid,
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kemba Walker, Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard,
Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, Blake Griffin
True Shooting Percentage Surprises
When I studied true shooting percentages, I found some surprises. For instance,
DeAndre Jordan is the all-time leader in true shooting percentage at .6363!
Well, perhaps that's not so surprising if most of his shots are dunks and
layups. But what about Cedric Maxwell, who wasn't exactly a beast at 6-8 and
only 205 pounds? Or how about the unlikely Dave Twardzik at just 6-1 and 175
pounds? Adrian Dantley is also in the top ten, despite being an undersized
forward at 6-5 and 208 pounds. How did he get his shots off so accurately amid
all the NBA's towering trees? And Dantley shot a
LOT, averaging 30 points or higher four years running, and more
than 26.5 points in eight different seasons. Charles Barkley was another
extremely proficient undersized forward, coming in at number twelve. I was
surprised by Magic Johnson at number thirteen, because I had always thought of
him as more of a playmaker than an extremely efficient shooter. John Stockton
was a mild surprise at number fifteen — another guard
better known for his playmaking abilities. Ditto for Steve Nash at number
nineteen, tied with Kevin McHale. And a tip of the cap to high-volume outside
shooters who made the top twenty: Stephen Curry, Reggie Miller and James Harden.
Best Three-Point Shooters
These rankings take efficiency and volume into account, and are a bit subjective
...
Stephen Curry (44.0% on super-high volume)
Kyle Korver (43.0% career, a record 53.6% in 2009-2010, high volume)
Ray Allen (super-high volume, 40.0% career)
Reggie Miller (super-high volume, 39.5% career)
Steve Kerr (45.4% career, lower volume)
Hubert Davis (44.1% career, lower volume)
Drazen Petrovic (43.7% career)
Steve Nash (42.8% career)
Klay Thompson (41.9% career)
Larry Bird (so clutch, even on fall-away three pointers)
Dale Ellis (an early three-point specialist who evolved from a post scorer)
Peja Stojakovic
Wesley Person
J. J. Redick
Jason Terry
Mike Miller
Vince Carter
Paul Pierce
Jason Kidd
Jamal Crawford
Great Scorers Who Were Not Great Pure Shooters
Wilt Chamberlain: The Big Dipper averaged 30.07 PPG with a .5397 effective field
goal percentage. What's to complain about, or not to like? (Well, there is his
dreadful free throw shooting.) Chamberlain has five of the top six scoring
seasons in NBA history, including an unfathomable 50.36 ppg in 1961-1962.
Shaquille O'Neal: The man known as "Shaq" averaged 23.69 PPG with a .582 FGP.
There's no telling how much his woeful .527 free throw percentage hurt his
scoring, because opposing teams would employ the "hack a Shaq" defensive
technique, preferring their odds with Shaq at the line.
George Mikan: At six-foot-ten, Mikan was the NBA's first superstar big man. He
led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive seasons and finished with career
averages of
23.13 PPG and .404 FGP.
Honorable Mentions
Bernard King: A former New York City playground legend, Bernard King formed the
"Ernie and Bernie Show" when he joined Ernie Gunfeld at the University of
Tennessee and was a three-time All-American despite skipping his senior year to
go pro. King was also a three-time SEC player of the year; the only other
three-time winner was Pete Maravich. As an NBA rookie, King scored 24.2 PPG and
set the New Jersey Nets franchise record for points in a season. He quickly
developed into a high volume scorer with superior accuracy despite standing only
six-foot-seven; for instance he averaged 21.9 PPG with a .588 FGP at age 24. His
keys to scoring were quickness of foot and a quick release. After returning to
New York to play with the Knicks, at age 27 he averaged 26.3 PPG with a
glittering .572 FGP. At age 28 he averaged 32.9 with a .530 FGP. King had three
50 point games (two consecutive) and one 60 point game within a calendar year
and scored 34.8 during the 1984 playoffs. But at the height of his glory,
devastating knee injuries cost him two years and severely hampered the rest of
his career. King never recovered his pre-injury explosiveness. At age 34 he
completed his comeback by completely revamping his game, averaging 28.4 PPG
despite his physical limitations. King became the oldest All-Star game starter,
only to be forced to retire when his knees gave out again. For his career King
averaged 22.5 PPG with a .518 FGA, but that was just a shadow of what he had
done in his prime before his injuries. The only NBA players with higher season
scoring averages than Bernard King's 32.9 are Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan,
Rick Barry, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo, Elgin Baylor, Nate
"Tiny" Archibald, and George Gervin. That's how good he was, and he was still
getting better when disaster struck.
Adrian Dantley: A rather amazing player, he averaged
24.3 PPG with a .540 FGP while shooting mostly inside at only six-foot-five!
J. J. Reddick: At the time I wrote this, Reddick was #24 in the effective field
goal percentage rankings, at .5524.
Mike Miller: With an the effective field goal percentage of .5500, Miller is a
highly accurate long-range bomber.
Klay Thompson: Another highly effective long-range bomber, with extra credit for
higher volume, Thompson has a career effective field goal percentage of .5493.
John Stockton: The NBA's all-time assist leader was a helluva shooter too, with
an effective field goal percentage of .5463.
Karl Malone: Someone as big and strong as the
Mailman should have been able to make better than .516 percent of his field
goals, but it's hard to argue with 25.2 PPG and better-than-average accuracy.
George Gervin: The "Iceman" was almost as accurate (.511) as Malone, while shooting mostly from
the outside. But oddly his three-point accuracy was under .300.
Dominque Wilkins: The "Human Highlight Film" was a
dominating scorer and his .461 field goal percentage is not bad for his degree
of difficulty.
Kobe Bryant: Bryant's .447 career field goal percentage is not terrible but not
great, and he took 4 three-pointers per game while only making .329. But his
24.99 career scoring average is hard to ignore.
Allen Iverson: His .425 career field goal percentage is not good enough to make
my top ten, but he was a dynamic scorer.
Bob Pettit: He was a star of a very different game, but a .436 field goal
percentage is low for a big man.
Julius Erving: The high-flying Dr. J averaged 28.7 in the ABA, but only 22.0 for
his NBA career, with just one season above 25 PPG.
Bob McAdoo: In his prime, McAdoo led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive
seasons with averages of 31.1, 34.5 and 30.6; he had seven seasons in which he
averaged 25.8 or higher. His career averages were 22.1 PPG and .503 FGP.
Neil Johnston: A six-foot-eight center, Johnston led the NBA in scoring for
three consecutive seasons and finished with career averages of
19.42 PPG and .444 FGP.NBA All-Time PPG Leaders (Points Per Game)
* Indicates a member of the Hall of Fame
Rank
PPG
1. Michael Jordan*
30.12
2. Wilt Chamberlain*
30.07
3. Elgin Baylor*
27.36
4. LeBron James
27.18
5. Kevin Durant
27.13
6. Jerry West*
27.03
7. Allen Iverson*
26.66
8. Bob Pettit*
26.36
9. Oscar Robertson*
25.68
10. George Gervin*
25.09
11. Karl Malone*
25.02
12. Kobe Bryant
24.99
13. Dominique Wilkins*
24.83
14. Rick Barry*
24.78
15. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* 24.61
16. Larry Bird*
24.29
17. Adrian Dantley*
24.27
18. Pete Maravich*
24.24
19. Julius Erving*
24.16
20. Carmelo Anthony
24.01
21. Shaquille O'Neal*
23.69
22. Anthony Davis
23.54
23. Damian Lillard
23.24
24. Stephen Curry
23.22
25. George Mikan*
23.13
26. James Harden
23.12
27. Russell Westbrook
22.98
28. Paul Arizin*
22.81
29. David Thompson*
22.67
30. Dan Issel*
22.56
31. Bernard King*
22.49
32. Dwyane Wade
22.40
33. Charles Barkley*
22.14
34. Bob McAdoo*
22.05
35. Kyrie Irving
22.01
36. Geoff Petrie
21.82
37. Hakeem Olajuwon*
21.77
38. Blake Griffin
21.57
39. DeMarcus Cousins
21.53
40. Alex English*
21.47
41. Dirk Nowitzki
21.20
42. Billy Cunningham*
21.18
43. David Robinson*
21.06
44. Mitch Richmond*
21.00
45. Patrick Ewing*
20.98
46. Elvin Hayes*
20.96
47. John Havlicek*
20.78
48. Charlie Scott*
20.69
49. John Drew
20.69
50. Glenn Robinson
20.69
51. John Brisker
20.69
52. Chris Webber
20.68
53. Gilbert Arenas
20.66
54. Clyde Drexler*
20.44
55. Dave Bing*
20.34
56. Moses Malone*
20.33
57. Spencer Haywood*
20.27
58. World B. Free
20.27
59. Bob Verga
20.23
60. George McGinnis*
20.20
61. Lou Hudson
20.16
62. Marques Johnson
20.10
63. Walt Bellamy*
20.08
64. Bob Lanier*
20.07
65. Darel Carrier
20.03
66. Mark Aguirre
20.00
67. DeMar DeRozan
19.83
68. Mike Mitchell
19.78
69. Kiki Vandeweghe
19.73
70. Paul Pierce
19.66
71. Tracy McGrady*
19.60
72. Magic Johnson*
19.54
73. Neil Johnston*
19.42
74. Levern Tart
19.40
75. LaMarcus Aldridge
19.37
76. Klay Thompson
19.29
77. Stephon Marbury
19.26
78. Kemba Walker
19.25
79. Chris Bosh
19.25
80. Jack Twyman*
19.25
81. Hal Greer*
19.24
82. Isiah Thomas*
19.23
83. George Yardley*
19.20
84. Larry Jones
19.07
85. Jamal Mashburn
19.06
86. Jeff Malone
19.04
87. Tim Duncan
19.03
88. Michael Redd
19.03
89. Yao Ming*
19.03
90. John Wall
18.96
91. Brad Daugherty
18.96
92. Derrick Rose
18.92
93. Amar'e Stoudemire
18.91
94. Walter Davis
18.90
95. Walt Frazier*
18.89
96. Donnie Freeman
18.88
97. Isaiah Thomas
18.86
98. Ray Allen*
18.85
99. Earl Monroe*
18.85
100. Paul George
18.82
Related Pages:
Who is the NBA GOAT?,
NBA All-Time PPG Leaders,
NBA Greatest Scorers,
NBA Greatest Shooters,
Weird Sports Trivia,
Weird Baseball Facts and Trivia,
Best Baseball Nicknames,
Mike Trout Nicknames,
Is Mike Trout the GOAT?,
Baseball Hall of Fame: The Best Candidates,
Why Pete Rose Should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame,
Baseball's WAR
100 Team,
Baseball's All-Time Leaders in WAR per Season,
Baseball's All-Time Leaders in WAR7,
All-Time Cincinnati Reds Baseball Team,
Big Red Machine Chronology,
The Greatest Baseball Infields of All Time,
Cincinnati Reds Trivia
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