In the midst of a breakout year, Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield has emerged as one of the league’s premier marksmen, but where does he rank among the best?
Buddy Hield has been a revelation for the Sacramento Kings this season. Coming over as the centerpiece in the DeMarcus Cousins trade and labeled as the ‘next Steph Curry‘ by Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive, there was doubt Buddy Hield could be anything more than niche NBA marksman — let alone live up to the lofty expectations placed upon him by ownership.
Regardless, Hield has emerged as a bona-fide star for the Sacramento Kings, in addition to blossoming into one of the NBA’s best marksmen — and potentially the best this season. Still, there’s a lot of competition for that title, as the likes of Malcolm Brogdon and Tobias Harris have become absolute forces shooting the ball, while the likes of Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant still exist.
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To decide the league’s top shooters this season, we’re going to look, not only at three-point percentage, but also efficiency when shooting mid-range jumpers (10 feet and beyond), as well as their free-throw shooting. We’ll decide how they’re ranked by assessing points based on where they rank in FG% 10-16 feet, FG% 16<3PT and FT%. Points will be worth double when ranking according to volume and three-point percentage.
With that in mind, our pool of players was chosen by selecting only those who’ve appeared in at least 30 games, who average at least 8.5 shots per game (field goals and free throws) and who hold traditional shooting splits of at least 45/38/84. Players must also attempt at least three three’s per game.
Specific? Yes, but that leaves us with 12 players who fit our criteria: Joe Harris (BKN), Steph Curry (GSW), Danilo Gallinari (LAC), Tobias Harris (LAC), D.J. Agustin (ORL), Marcus Morris (BOS), Malcolm Brogdon (MIL), Malik Beasley (DEN), Bryn Forbes (SAS), Kyrie Irving (BOS), Kevin Durant (GSW) and of course — Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings.
Right off the bat, the biggest takeaways is that Klay Thompson isn’t there, he missed our cutoff for free throw shooting and three-point percentage. Regardless, there’s no doubting Klay is one of the league’s best shooters. In fact, despite a down season, he would still rank ninth by our metric, thanks to high-volume and solid mid-range shooting, even though he would be dead-last in three-point shooting.
Other takeaways, the Pacific Division is absolutely loaded with shooters and a few major surprises in Augustin, Forbes and Joe Harris being represented. So, how do they stack up to each other? More importantly, where does Buddy Hield rank among them?
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.
No. 8 (tie): Malcolm Brogdon, G Milwaukee Bucks – 44 Total Points
Is Malcolm Brogdon’s appearence surprising to anyone? 2016’s NBA Rookie of the Year, Brogdon is the only NBA player this season with a legitimate shot at making the 50/40/90 club — and he’s doing so by a comfortable margin. In nearly 30 minutes per game, Brogdon is shooting .520/.421/.957 and averaging 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Brogdon has had a breakout season, but scoring low on deep mid-range looks and from three, he remains in the bottom-half of our board. Still, he can hang his hat on the fact he’s tied with one bona-fide superstar…
No. 8 (tie): Kyrie Irving, PG Boston Celtics – 44 Total Points
Ah, our first true superstar comes in at number eight with a total of 44 points. Kyrie, who led the field in shooting percentage on shots 10-16 feet away from the basket, was kept down largely due to low(ish) three-point efficiency and free throw shooting (eleventh in both). Still, there’s not a soul alive who’d doubt Kyrie’s ability as one of the league’s top shooters, especially when he’s the focal point of the East’s fifth-place Celtics.
No. 6: Danilo Gallinari, SF Los Angeles Clippers – 46 Total Points
Danilo Gallinari has enjoyed a stellar season so far, averaging 19 points per game and 6.1 rebounds while functioning as the 1B to Tobias Harris on a surprisingly good Clippers squad. Gallinari ranked highly in the two most important categories — volume and three-point shooting — but was eleventh and twelfth in both mid-Range categories, respectively.
No. 5: Joe Harris, SG Brooklyn Nets – 49 Total Points
Raise your hand if you thought Joe Harris would be among the NBA’s three-point percentage leaders at the seasons halfway point. The four Nets fans who raised their hands can put them down. A young player on his second team in five years (three with Brooklyn), Harris hadn’t shot better than 41.9 percent from three in any season — until now. Currently hitting 47 percent of his triples, Harris is third in the NBA in three-point percentage, trailing Seth Curry and David Bertans (who narrowly missed out in making this list). Harris led in both three-point shooting and two-point shooting from 16+ feet away, but scored low in free throw shooting (twelfth) and short mid-range jumpers (eighth).
No. 4 (tie): Kevin Durant, SF Golden State Warriors – 55 Total Points
Somewhat surprisingly, Kevin Durant is the no. 2 ranked forward here, coming in with 55 total points. Despite ranking highly in nearly every category, including topping the list in volume, Durant’s twelfth ranked three-point shooting held him back from potentially taking the top spot. Still, Durant has consistently proven that he’s one of this generations most prolific scorers and is a bona fide Hall of Famer. Also, if you’re wondering whether I put KD fourth on purpose despite him being tied with “third”? I absolutely did.
No. 4 (tie): Buddy Hield, SG Sacramento Kings – 55 Total Points
Sacramento’s young King checks in at third place in our metric (technically fourth, but who’s counting?), tallying 55 points. Buddy was in the top half of every category, except free throw shooting, topping out at eleventh in three-point percentage. His middling volume, however, kept him back from the second place spot, mostly due to his low free throws per game. Still, counting Buddy as the third best shooter in the league seems about right, considering he’s only just starting to come into his own and has to contend with Steph Curry for the crown. But maybe, just maybe, that Buddy-Steph comparison isn’t too far off. Long live Buddy Buckets!
No. 2: Tobias Harris, F Los Angeles Clippers – 58 Total Points
Tobias Harris? Really? Uh, yeah. Remember when I said Malcolm Brogdon was the only player with a legitimate chance at the 50/40/90 club? Well, that’s not *entirely* correct. While unlikely, Harris does have a chance to make it as well and is the one of the only players with a reasonable chance. Tobias is currently shooting .502/.443/.876, well within striking distance, but has been trailing off as the season progresses. Still, Harris is having an incredible season by any metric and is the leading man for an upstart Los Angeles Clippers team that’s firmly in the Western Conference playoff picture. Harris ranked top-four in every category except free throw percentage, which ultimately cost him the top spot in our rankings.
No. 1: Steph Curry, PG Golden State Warriors – 66 Total Points
Was there any doubt? Steph Curry is arguably (not really, but let’s avoid the argument) the best shooter to ever step foot on a basketball court, showing off otherworldly range and shooting prowess on a nightly basis. While an average mid-range shooter among the others, Curry’s third in three-point shooting and second in both volume and free throw shooting, giving him a massive edge over of the rest of the field. Curry is nearing that age-32 season where most declines start to happen, however, meaning Sacramento Kings fans may not have to wait long before seeing Buddy Hield take the top spot in these rankings one day.