BEST NBA SHOOTERS OF ALL TIME
We look to answer the common question: Who is the greatest three-point shooter of all time?
Counting down the top 10, players are examined from all eras. The criteria being analyzed include shooting accuracy, isolating both pull-up and spot-ups attempts, in addition to three-point volume, presumed three-point shot difficulty, and finally speed of release.
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Honorable Mentions
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk impresses as the only seven-footer on this list. In addition to his patented one-legged fall-away, he was one of the first legitimate stretch bigs. The German legend could pull up, but was absolutely lethal as the trail man on the late break. Dirk continued to be a killer as a pop man.
His shot was not the quickest ever, but it made no difference. At a true seven-feet with long arms, he had a hyper-elevated release point. Dirk could calmly drain triples with shorter defenders "in his grill." A catch-and-shoot master, Nowitzki still hit 42.1% of these three-balls in his second-last NBA season at age-39.
JJ Redick
The former Duke star was able to maintain his foothold in the league through consistent three-point marksmanship. JJ possessed all the elements of a prime time 3pt shooter. His ability to shot off movement at a high level unearthed further value in the half-court besides just being a spot-up guy.
Off-the-ball was where JJ could also shine brightly. His conditioning was always on point so that he could regularly sprint around pindowns and staggers. On the catch, his feet setup (ten toes to the rim), shoulder squaring, and shot motion all happened in quick succession while not compromising technique in the process.
James Harden
James has developed into a highly accurate and balanced three-point shooter. His plethora of step-backs fully illustrates this, covering a lot of ground on his step and still rising up squared to the basket. The vast majority of his step-back threes are located above-the-break. James has managed to lead the league in above-the-break threes made from 2017-2018 to 2019-2020.
He has cultivated an absolutely devastating step-back three out of his isolations. This acts as the second main option alongside slashing to the hoop for James to select from when going one-on-one. He lets several of these step-backs fly on a nightly basis but sustains his robust efficiency level. A number of these actually lead to free throws in their own right and even some four-point plays.
He can pull the trigger on these shots stepping back to both his left and his right. It is a virtually unblockable shot given the fact that Harden wisely waits for his defender to lean back or momentarily freeze before pulling up. Opposing defenses can only hope that these shots don’t go down for James.
#10 ~ Steve Kerr
Steve Kerr was a three-point specialist in the purest sense. His value was heavily intertwined with his three-point marksmanship. The California native's best season came in 1994-1995, Michael Jordan's second retirement season (re-joining the Bulls later that year). He nailed 52.4% of his triples that year. Speaking of Michael, Kerr earned his respect by being able to knock down the open shots that he and Scottie created.
Had Kerr played in the pace-and-space era, he'd likely be even higher on this list. Unfortunately for him, elite shooters did not shoot even half as many times per game as modern day ones do. Steve still proved valuable by being so insanely accurate with the attempts he did put up. Something that encapsulates all this is this: Kerr has the highest career 3pt% in NBA hisory at 45.4% yet doesn't even crack the top-200 in all-time makes.
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#9 ~ Larry Bird
Larry Legend played NBA basketball at a time where the three-ball was more of a novelty than it was a core component of team offenses. If not for that, his sharpshooting could have been displayed on a substantially higher volume than it was. For instance, he shot 40%+ from deep in nearly half of his NBA seasons. Volume wise, his high-point was sadly just 3.3 attempts/game.
Larry won the Three-Point Contest three seasons in a row. He put on arguably the most impressive performance in one of these ever during his final 1988 appearance. He put on a show in that final round, burying second-place Dale Ellis. Here and in normal games, Larry slung in threes without getting off the ground much. Alas, it worked for him at 6-foot-9.
#8 ~ Damian Lillard
Lillard is fond of the hard step-back and sidestep threes, using these to get his shot off against taller, hounding defenders. He has an extremely efficient and fundamentally sound shooting form which he maximizes his via tremendous balance even when he fades. Damian does not need much time or space to fire from deep.
His impeccable form and the quickness of Damian’s release allow for him to rack up pull-up threes off of screens or as a trailer coming into the frontcourt. He shot 40.4% on over 400 pull-up threes in 2019-2020. It the exaggeratedly deep range though that truly separates "Logo Lillard" from the rest of the pack.
He commands respect from the defense as soon as he crosses into the frontcourt, often pulling up shortly into the possession. The 2019-2020 season saw Damian hit 45.4% of his numerous three-point attempts taken with 22-18 seconds left on the shot clock.
Damian uses a low set point on his shots from downtown which helps him generate power up through his body. This helps him maintain his proper shooting mechanics despite the shot being so long distance. He still gets it off cleanly thanks to a fluid and concise stroke.
#7 ~ Steve Nash
Steve is best known for his playmaking skills. This is fair, sporting a career average of 8.5 assists per game. He became a Hall of Famer and two-time MVP by turning himself into a complete point guard. One of those components is jump shooting.
Nash could shoot off-the-bounce with the best of them. This made defenders have to eventually go over all ball screens with Steve. That development played right into Nash's hands, now able to pick apart the defense with his man chasing behind him. Steve got lots of lift on his jumper and had tremendous balance as a shooter.
The Canadian guard shot over 40% from deep in 14 of his NBA seasons. Nash was in the league as it began to trend towards the three-point shooting era that modern-day basketball has become. This is all to say that he was as efficient as he was on a moderate-to-high volume of threes. Moreover, he had nine 90%+ seasons from the free throw line, again a testament to his all-around magnificence as a shooter.
#6 ~ Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant has cemented himself as the greatest big-man-sized shooter of all time. At a lanky 6-foot-10, defenders can't even hope of bothering his shot letting alone getting a hand on it. After making multiple stops across his NBA career in varied offensive systems, KD has clearly shown he is an all-time great distance shooter on both the spot-up and pull-up levels.
He tends to shoot squarely in the 40's on his catch-and-shoot triples.Durant couples that marksmanship with equally as impressive number off the bounce. The Hall of Fame shoe-in rains down loads of treys as the ball-handler in isos and pick-and-roll sets alike.
#5 ~ Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver is the king of spot-up shooting. Sure, his off-ball movement and ancillary scoring abilities may fall short of the following players. Spotting up and simple catching-and-firing in the most basic sense is what Korver was born to do. His release is insanely fast and he has the size at 6'7" to boot. He doesn't even need to dip the ball whatsoever on-the-catch to fire up an accurate jumper.
The Creighton product was an All Star in 2014-2015 while shooting a whopping 49.2% on a large volume of threes. That was just one of the four seasons where he paced the Association in 3pt%. The others included Korver shooting 53.6%, 47.2%, and 45.1% from three-point land.
On a historical level, Kyle shows up in both the three-point volume and percentage record books. He is in the top-5 for three-point makes over his carerer. Kyle Korver is also in the top-15 for best three-point percentages.
#4 ~ Reggie Miller
Reggie was one of the first players who blended elite three-point volume (for the time) and three-point accuracy. There was much more to his offense than this, but he is best known as a shooter and for good reason. Miller sits just under 40% from deep on his career. He has 2,560 career triples which puts him within the top-5 ever.
Reggie was a thin 6'7" but he played like a much bulkier player. He invited contact, looked to attack and of course, was a killer from deep. That mental toughness allowed him to have supreme confidence in himself that his next three-ball was going in regardless of the prior attempt's outcome.
#3 ~ Ray Allen
"Jesus Shuttlesworth" is way more than just a shooter. Beyond shooting , the Hall of Famer scored in a bunch of other ways. As he matured and his athleticism waned, he became much fonder of the three-ball. This happened to coincide with the outset of the late 2000/early 2010's three-point revolution.
Ray helped the Celtics win their 17th championship alongside Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo. During that 2008 playoff run he shot 39.6% from downtown. His second chip was earned down in Miami with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh by his side. At the age of 37, Allen still managed to knock down 40.6% of his three-balls during that postseason including one of the biggest shots in Finals history.
Ray used to practice shooting in a pitch black gym. His balance, footwork, energy transfer and elevation were all first-class. Ray Allen was a professional shooter to the core.
#2 ~ Klay Thompson
The man who comprises one half of the Splash Brothers happens to also be one of the greatest shooters this league has ever seen. Klay's blend of size, impeccable shooting form, quick release, and razor-sharp focus all amount to him being a historically great three-point shooter. Klay has never had a season with a sub-40% three-point clip.
He has perfected his jump shot so that there is virtually zero wasted motion. This allows him to take quick, but never rushed shots. Thompson is also adept at remaining on balance regardless of whether he is shooting off the catch or off the dribble. He doesn't sacrifice his shooting form even after taking a one-dribble sidestep to avoid the closeout but remain behind the line.
Klay owns the record for most threes in a single game. His 14 three-pointers that game is something truly inconceivable. He was still incredibly efficient shooting 14 of 24 that night from three (58.3%). Klay Thompson epitomizes the perfect shooter in all of mindset, movement, size, and stroke.
#1 ~ Stephen Curry
Wardell Stephen Curry II is by most accounts the greatest jump shooter the NBA has ever seen. His form is flawless, a picturesque motion with a lightning quick release. Curry's range is nearly unlimited inside the half-court.
His propensity to pull up from deep is constantly top of mind for the defense. The 6’3” Curry knocked down a ridiculous 43.8% of his pull-up threes in his second MVP season of 2015-2016. He commands instant attention as soon as he crosses the midcourt line. This gravity already begins to have positive effects on the team's offense before a play even begins.
Curry is virtually a perfectly crafted off-ball player. He is very quick and agile which makes his movement without the basketball so dangerous. His prolific long-range shooting causes defenders to chase extremely hard as Stephen maneuvers. He uses their aggressiveness to his advantage.
All of this has led to ample success on both a team and a personal level. In 2015-2016, Curry became the first ever unanimous MVP. He swished 5.1 threes a game and shot 45.4% while doing it. His humungous 402 three-point makes not only led the league but shattered the NBA record (which he previously set). Team wise, he has three rings out in Golden State.
