John Hollinger ranks the NBA's Top 10 shooting specialists

10. Mike Miller, Memphis Grizzlies
Miller has one of the most gorgeous strokes in basketball, but until last season he hadn't found the net particularly often. Miller made 43.3 percent in 2004-05, however, to rank fourth in the NBA. That helped make up for an unspectacular showing the previous year, when he barely made one 3-pointer a game while hitting at a 37 percent clip.

9. Eric Piatkowski, Houston Rockets/Chicago Bulls
A lot of the players on this list aren't stars in the traditional sense, because they're guys who are in the league only because of their shooting. The Polish Rifle is a good example, hitting 42.5 percent from downtown last year but still rarely playing because his other weaknesses were so pronounced.

8. Ben Gordon, Chicago Bulls
The only rookie to make the list, Gordon was nearly as accurate on 3s (40.5 percent) as he was on 2s (41.4). Some might argue that Gordon should have been excluded from the study because he didn't have a two-year sample like the others, but based on his shooting exploits in college, his season hardly seems surprising. Incidentally, Gordon's inclusion bumped Jim Jackson out of the top 10.

7. Cuttino Mobley, Houston Rockets/Orlando Magic/Sacramento Kings (signed with Los Angeles Clippers)
Only two players finished in the top 10 in both 3-pointers per game and 3-point percentage last season. One was Damon Jones, and the other was Mobley. Mobley's 43.9 percent shooting ranked third in the NBA, while his 2.3 bombs per game rated 10th. He wasn't quite as strong in 2003-04, hitting 39.3 percent, but his long-range shooting ability will be a big boost to a Clippers team that was last in the NBA in 3-pointers.

6. Peja Stojakovic, Sacramento Kings
Peja shot the lights out in 2003-04, hitting 43.3 percent while raining in three a game, but couldn't keep up the pace in 2004-05. His numbers still were outstanding (40.2 percent, 2.6 triples per game), and he had the best 2003-04 of any player on this list. Last year's "slump" kept him out of the top five.

5. Wesley Person, Memphis Grizzlies/Portland Trail Blazers/Atlanta Hawks/Miami Heat/Denver Nuggets
Person is similar to Piatkowski -- a veteran, 6-foot-7 swingman bouncing around the league, but using his shooting to stay afloat. Person got especially hot when he went to Denver last season, hitting 48.5 percent, and that performance should earn him another contract for this season. His career 41.8 percent mark is the best of anyone's in the top 10.

4. Fred Hoiberg, Minnesota Timberwolves (now a free agent)
The Mayor led the NBA in 3-point shooting last season at 48.3 percent and was no slouch the year before (44.2 percent). If we were just looking at percentages, he'd be in the top spot, but because Hoiberg doesn't shoot the rock as often as the top three guys, he falls short. Hopefully we'll get to see his sweet stroke again -- his career is in question after offseason heart surgery.

3. Damon Jones, Milwaukee Bucks/Miami Heat (now a free agent)
Jones exploded onto the scene last season by leading the NBA in 3-pointers -- of course, that might have something to do with the fact that he played alongside Shaquille O'Neal, after signing with the Heat in the offseason. But Jones also earned plenty of those 3s on his own, shooting off the dribble in transition or coming off a high screen. He became the first player since Larry Bird to lead the league in 3-pointers while finishing in the top five in percentage (43.2 percent).

2. Donyell Marshall, Chicago Bulls/Toronto Raptors (signed with Cleveland Cavaliers)
Surprise, surprise. Though nominally a 6-9 power forward, Marshall has become an assassin from the corners. He hit 41.6 percent on 3s last season and set an NBA record with 12 bombs in a game. Believe it or not, Marshall had the best rate of made 3-pointers in the NBA last year, making 2.3 per game in just over 25 minutes of action. His offseason move to the shooting-starved Cavaliers should be a perfect match.

1. Kyle Korver, Philadelphia 76ers
He doesn't rank No.1 in either percentage or frequency, but over the two seasons Korver has been the most consistent (39.1 and 40.5 percent) while hitting at a prolific rate (one every 11.4 minutes in his two seasons). Overall, he ranked fifth in 2003-04 and sixth last season, which doesn't seem like it should add up to No. 1. But most 3-point shooters see their percentages go up and down like yo-yos, which is why several of the top players from 2003-04 (Brent Barry, Anthony Peeler, Rasual Butler) and 2004-05 (Joe Johnson, Eddie House) don't cut the mustard when we combine the two seasons.

Plus, Korver should continue to be among the most deadly shooters for some time. The results are based on his first two seasons in the league, but most players need a year or two of adjustment to get used to the NBA's longer 3-point line. If this is how Korver's "adjustment period" panned out, I can only imagine how many nets he'll be ripping in future seasons.

"TOP GUN" RATINGS (Points added per 40 min.)
Player 2003-04 2004-05 Overall
Kyle Korver .61 .71 .679
Donyell Marshall .34 .85 .678
Damon Jones .18 .90 .66
Fred Hoiberg .44 .74 .64
Wesley Person .39 .75 .63
Peja Stojakovic .73 .56 .62
Cuttino Mobley .34 .68 .57
Ben Gordon N/A .56 .56
Eric Piatkowski .18 .67 .51
Mike Miller .22 .64 .50
 
Out of these 10 guys - only one is the primary focus on defenses. Only one is never left alone in case of the double team. Also only one is still guarded after missing 5 straight shots.

Everything else - just numbers
 
Good point piksi. There's definately a difference between standing out at the arc and hitting open jumpers when the defense cheats off you, and leading your team in scoring while fighting off double teams and working off screens. And again, this is all who was tops last year. If you look at consistency over the past few years, Peja has got to be top two with probably Ray Allen (who doesn't make the list, hmmm). But we don't need John Hollinger and a subscription to ESPN Insider to know that.
 
Read the little intro, it's just a stupid formula that the guy came up with. Basically, it's the highest percentage 3pt shooters, weighted to add value to guys who play less minutes. He just multiplies the % by 3 to determine how many points they score on 3s and then finds that per 40 minutes. Probably the stupidest and most unnecesary stat in the history of sports, as well as the most misleading. Maybe he thought he could pioneer a "Hollinger score" for shooters. Absolutely worthless. You would learn a lot more going to a nba player database and sorting by 3 pt %.
 
Or maybe we could just pick names out of a hat. I could channel some spirits to help. We could print up this list and burn it with the incense. At least then it would be doing somebody some good.
 
Just a mathematical formula. As such, basically irrefutable, but also largely meaningless. Just a measure of who has hit the most threes the most efficiently in the last two years. Outside of the text, no statistical measurement at all of skill level, roles etc.
 
There should always be a Shaq clause in evaluating shooters. Anyone playing with the big monster is assured of an astronomical gob of wide open looks.

IMO the guys that matter are the ones who can still shoot when guarded. My top 5:

Kobe
McGrady
Allen
Wade
Miller (oops gone)
 
Don't forget, Peja CAN shoot while being guarded. Remember all the shots he hits with a hand right in his face? Last season was not quite as good. He does have trouble making his own shot, but he generally does well when guarded. (regular season)
 
chelle said:
He does have trouble making his own shot, but he generally does well when guarded.
Click to expand...
I disagree. Peja has been locked up by good defenders. He genrally does poor when gaurded well.
 
Yoda said:
I disagree. Peja has been locked up by good defenders. He genrally does poor when gaurded well.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the greatest weakness in Peja's game is that a quality defender can often lock him down. He's not the type of player who can score anytime, anywhere.

However, even when a great defender isn't guarding him down he's still not getting open looks because defenses pay so much attention to him. So he's still taking the most difficult shots and getting the fewest open looks of the players on this list.
 
Wait a minute. He goofed! he was supposed to multiply the total value by py plus the square root of MPG divided by the cosecant of the circumference of an official NBA Spalding basketball minus the % of people polled who thought Cassell was jet fugly plus the square root of the IQ of Charles Barkley. That my friends is your answer. :E
 
All you Peja hatas will be eating your hats this year. With SAR and Wells
to watch out for defenders will either not focus so much energy on shutting
down Peja, or they will pay the price by allowing more open looks for the rest of
the team.
 
bibbinator said:
All you Peja hatas will be eating your hats this year. With SAR and Wells
to watch out for defenders will either not focus so much energy on shutting
down Peja, or they will pay the price by allowing more open looks for the rest of
the team.
Click to expand...

There are very FEW Peja haters on this board. What there are, IMHO, are people who aren't buying into the "Peja is #1" theory of Kings basketball any longer.

I, for example, do not HATE any player. I do not hate Peja. What I dislike is the "free pass" some of his fans seem to expect him to get. He's not immune from criticism, IMHO, nor should he be.

There is every reason for ANY Kings fan to hope that Peja does well this year - or any year. If bringing SAR and Bonzi into the mix gives Peja more opportunities to score, that's a good thing.

GO KINGS! (All of them, regardless of the name on the back of their jersey.)
 
VF21 said:
There are very FEW Peja haters on this board. What there are, IMHO, are people who aren't buying into the "Peja is #1" theory of Kings basketball any longer.

...
Click to expand...

I agree, people don't hate Peja, there are a lot here who blame him first and are dying to trade him, making some variation of the claim that he isn't aggressive enough.

Peja does have deficiencies, on a run and gun team he would be
wasted. But on a smart and disciplined team that can break him away from tough defenders, he is a dangerous man, the kind you're glad not to be playing against.
 
VF21 said:
There are very FEW Peja haters on this board. What there are, IMHO, are people who aren't buying into the "Peja is #1" theory of Kings basketball any longer.

I, for example, do not HATE any player. I do not hate Peja. What I dislike is the "free pass" some of his fans seem to expect him to get. He's not immune from criticism, IMHO, nor should he be.

There is every reason for ANY Kings fan to hope that Peja does well this year - or any year. If bringing SAR and Bonzi into the mix gives Peja more opportunities to score, that's a good thing.

GO KINGS! (All of them, regardless of the name on the back of their jersey.)
Click to expand...

This is very true. Peja is my favorite player on the team right now but he is actually the one that I factor into most of my trade ideas and I kinda think it would be a good idea to trade him. Not because I don't like him but because if he wants more then Brad Miller's contract next year I feel that we should let him go. I think it would be nice to get a really nice player for him rather then just let him go next year.

Of course I have no clue what kind of contract that is going to be, what players we can trade for him, etc... so this is actually a really uneducated post :P
 
Peja Won't Be Expensive

As long as Peja is happy with the Kings I don't think he will try to wring every last penny out of contract. Considering the numbers he puts up he won't be cheap, but no one at his level is.

Here's why:

1. He has a family with young children. He can move them all, which he might not want to do, or spend more time away from home. Neither option is great for a man who appears to take his family responsibilities seriously.

2. He isn't an egomaniac. Signing a mega-contract isn't a goal.

Of course this is all dependent on him being happy on the Kings.
That given, come contract time the Kings will have a choice of paying him a contract at some discount to his fair market value, or lhaving to face him as an opponent on a competitive team.
 
bibbinator said:
As long as Peja is happy with the Kings I don't think he will try to wring every last penny out of contract. Considering the numbers he puts up he won't be cheap, but no one at his level is.

Here's why:

1. He has a family with young children. He can move them all, which he might not want to do, or spend more time away from home. Neither option is great for a man who appears to take his family responsibilities seriously.

2. He isn't an egomaniac. Signing a mega-contract isn't a goal.

Of course this is all dependent on him being happy on the Kings.
That given, come contract time the Kings will have a choice of paying him a contract at some discount to his fair market value, or lhaving to face him as an opponent on a competitive team.
Click to expand...

Once upon a time some of that might have mattered.

Now, however, it's all up to the AGENT. Peja's people are going to push for the absolute most they can. Let's be realistic. They work on a percentage. The more Peja gets, the more the agent and all his people get.

The NBA is a business, not a bunch of friendly people sitting around talking about family, players being happy, fair market value, etc. It's all in the hands of the agents. Look at some of the contracts signed already this year.

BTW? Peja only has ONE child, not that it matters a whit. Most NBA players do have families and a lot of them take their responsibilities seriously, as well they should. It's not going to factor into the contract negotiations in any way, shape or form...

I do not mean to spoil the fantasy, but the contract negotiations for Peja aren't going to be touchy-feely. His agent is going to do his utmost to get his client the maximum deal possible. That's what he's paid to do. It will be up to Petrie and the Maloofs to decide whether or not they're willing to pay the piper.
 
bibbinator said:
As long as Peja is happy with the Kings I don't think he will try to wring every last penny out of contract. Considering the numbers he puts up he won't be cheap, but no one at his level is.

Here's why:

1. He has a family with young children. He can move them all, which he might not want to do, or spend more time away from home. Neither option is great for a man who appears to take his family responsibilities seriously.

2. He isn't an egomaniac. Signing a mega-contract isn't a goal.

Of course this is all dependent on him being happy on the Kings.
That given, come contract time the Kings will have a choice of paying him a contract at some discount to his fair market value, or lhaving to face him as an opponent on a competitive team.
Click to expand...

Peja is going to ask for the max -- put it in the book. He was underpaid last contract, and this will be his last chance to make up that money, and his last major contract as a pro. He will ask for the max, whether it be from us or someone else. And while many of the stupidest franchises are in the process of clogging their cap up this summer, there should be plenty of them left next season to go ahead and push him over the top. Look's particularly ridiculous when you ust signed another 20pt scorer for $5mil a year. Does make me wonder how that's going to play out int he lockerroom, as Shareef is currently being outearned by every other forward on the team.
 
Last edited:
BigSong said:
play out how exactly? its kinda hard to be jealous of a guy, when yur getting paid more than him.
Click to expand...

I'm talking about Shareef's mindset. How long will his satisfaction last as the 8th highest paid player on the team? Let alone if he leads us in scoring or whatnot. What happens when Peja goes and asks to be paid three times as much as he's making? What about all of his backups making more than him? There are some interesting issues there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

JasonThompsonFan
Chad Ford Mock 9.0
Replies
20
Views
5K
mac
M
Sac.1989
Gerald Wallace
Replies
12
Views
2K
bajaden
bajaden
Warhawk
Hollinger Historical Franchise rankings - Kings at 25th
Replies
9
Views
2K
Oscar
Oscar
NME
ESPN Rookie Rankings
2
Replies
40
Views
6K
Reem
R
A
Rookie Rankings
2
Replies
32
Views
3K
VF21
VF21
Back
Top