No. 12: D.J. Augustin, PG Orlando Magic – 28 Total Points
Orlando Magic point guard D.J. Augustin has had a solid season, albeit a bit under the radar. On the year, he’s shooting .469/.429/.884 on 10.7 total shots, while adding in 11.6 points and 4.8 assists for the Magic in 28 minutes per game. Still, he comes last (if you want to call top-12 last) in our metric as a result of poor mid-range shooting (when compared to others in this experiment).
No. 11: Malik Beasley, SG Denver Nuggets – 32 Total Points
As a starter for the Western Conference’s second ranked Denver Nuggets, Malik Beasley has been fantastic in his third year in the NBA. In 23.1 minutes per night, Beasley is slashing .484/.420/.913 on just 8.7 shots per night while scoring 10.3 points per game. Beasley barely made the cut for this list, but he’s certainly deserving of recognition as one of the league’s best shooters this season. Beasley was third in shooting percentage on shots between 10-16 feet and in free throw percentage, but low volume (last) and low three-point shooting percentages (fourth) kept from ranking any higher.
No. 10: Bryn Forbes, G San Antonio Spurs – 36 Total Points
Bryn Forbes, who’s in his third year, has been a solid player for the San Antonio Spurs — a team that’s currently sixth in the West despite losing Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. In 28.4 minutes per game, Forbes is draining 41.8 percent of his threes and came in second place in shooting percentage on shots further than 16 feet, but less than three. Unfortunately for Forbes, 41.8 percent on threes is third lowest in this pool of players, coupled with relatively low-volume and you’ve got our tenth place finisher.
No. 9: Marcus Morris, PF Boston Celtics – 37 Total Points
Surprised? Marcus Morris’ name doesn’t often come up in “top-shooter” debates, but here he is, coming in ninth place with 37 points. Morris, for what it’s worth, isn’t a category leader by any stretch — garnering no more than seven points in any category. Still, he’s solid across the board and enjoying a solid season, averaging 14.8 points and 6.1 rebounds on .481/.435/.869 shooting. Morris is no lower than four in any category, but his low-ceiling keeps him locked in the “first four” tier thus far into the season.