The purpose of this project was to examine the changes in shot selection across the NBA over the last 25 seasons, and to determine what effect, if any, certain players had on these changes. **Understanding how shot selection evolves can help coaches, analysts, and players optimize strategy for future success.
There are three broad categories of shot type in the NBA – short-range, mid-range, and three-pointer.
Short-range shots are shots taken close to the rim or in the paint, ranging from 0-10 feet.
Lakers and NBA legend Kobe Bryant getting to the rim for a layup
Mid-range shots are taken between the edge of the paint and the three-point line, or between 10 and 21 feet.
Heat legend Dwyane Wade taking one of his infamous mid-range “pull-up” jump shots.
Three-pointers, as the name suggests, are taken from anywhere behind the three-point line, which is 21 feet by the baseline and 22 feet everywhere else.
Stephen Curry hitting a deep three-pointer against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden
For most of basketball history, layups and mid-range shots were the most common types of shots, with teams designing their game tactics around these shots.
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In the late 2000s, this began to change…
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In 2009 the Golden State Warriors drafted Stephen Curry, in an attempt to begin to rebuild their franchise after a run of unsuccessful seasons. Little did they know that 10 years later Curry would come to be known as one of the greatest shooters of all time, absolutely dominating everything outside of the arc.
Stephen Curry on Draft Night
Stephen Curry after breaking the all-time NBA three-pointer record.
