Building The Perfect NBA Player Part VI: Shooting

Welcome to Building The Perfect NBA Player Part VI: Shooting. This is the sixth installment of a 10-part series in which we’ll be building an NBA player from scratch, using 10 different categories to create our player. If you want to keep an eye out for the other parts, check out the “Building” homepage.

What Makes A Good Shooter?

If we took the leader in true shooting percentage and called them the best shooter in the league, this category would be won by Tyson Chandler. Obviously, he isn’t a terrific shooter, he’s just good at playing to his strengths.

For our needs, we want a player that can do a bit of everything. He needs to be able to finish at the rim. He should have a strong mid-range game. He should be able to hit the 3 and finally, he needs to be able to hit those clutch free throws.

When you get down to it, there are a lot of players who are specialists. A guy like Matt Bonner or Steve Novak could win the 3-point shooting competition, but when the heat is on and a man is bearing down on them, would you count on them over anyone on this list? No way.

Let’s take a look at the five candidates for Building The Perfect NBA Player Part VI: Shooting.

Kevin Durant

Season	Age	Tm	Pos	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%
2012-13	24	OKC	SF	81	81	3119	731	1433	.510	139	334	.416	679	750	.905
Career				461	461	17595	4127	8692	.475	701	1878	.373	3303	3738	.884

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/16/2013.

Durant has to be on the list of best shooters in the NBA. He’s effective at the bucket, in the mid-range game and from the free-throw line. He’s coming off one of the finest shooting seasons in the history of the NBA, joining the exclusive 50/40/90 club. He didn’t just sneak in, either. Look at the volume he puts up and consider how much attention he gets on the offensive end. We wouldn’t lose out by picking Durant and he only seems to be improving.

Steve Nash

Season	Age	Tm	Pos	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%
2012-13	38	LAL	PG	50	50	1627	236	475	.497	57	130	.438	107	116	.922
Career				1202	1043	37756	6285	12798	.491	1677	3915	.428	3038	3360	.904

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/16/2013.

Another member of the 50/40/90 club and at age 38, he’s still beating his career averages. Nash is a stark contrast to Durant in that he isn’t going to elevate and shoot over his opponents. Rather, Nash is crafty and has to work to get open. A lot of people thought he had a bad season in 2012-13. Those numbers say otherwise. With the game on the line, is there any other player you want taking an open shot?

Stephen Curry

Season	Age	Tm	Pos	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%
2012-13	24	GSW	PG	78	78	2983	626	1388	.451	272	600	.453	262	291	.900
Career				258	252	9100	1804	3880	.465	644	1443	.446	689	765	.901

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/16/2013.

One of Curry’s finest skills is how quickly he releases the ball. Like his father Dell, Stephen gets hot in a hurry and can turn a game around in a heartbeat with his lightning-quick release and remarkably confident stroke. Don’t forget, this is the guy who put up 54 points at Madison Square Garden by going 11-for-13 from the 3-point line. He could go down as the most prolific 3-point shooter of all time and if he improves his conversions near the rim, maybe he could be one of the best shooters period.

Chris Paul

Season	Age	Tm	Pos	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%
2012-13	27	LAC	PG	70	70	2335	412	856	.481	76	232	.328	286	323	.885
Career				555	555	20277	3630	7675	.473	534	1500	.356	2517	2935	.858

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/16/2013.

Paul is devastating from the mid-range and is an excellent finisher around the rim. His 3-point shooting leaves a bit to be desired, but he more than makes up for it with the other parts of his game. Paul doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to get himself open without elite speed. He is a master at the subtle bumps and pushes that Kobe Bryant lives off of. In the clutch, there aren’t many others in the league that have Paul’s success rate.

LeBron James

Season	Age	Tm	Pos	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	FT	FTA	FT%
2012-13	28	MIA	PF	76	76	2877	765	1354	.565	103	254	.406	403	535	.753
Career				765	764	30374	7559	15411	.490	1020	3026	.337	4943	6617	.747

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/16/2013.

James is by far the best finisher at the basket due to his size and strength. He cuts through defenders like a knife through butter. One aspect of James’ game that doesn’t get enough press is his much-improved jumper. From 16 feet to the 3-point line, James fared better than Curry and Durant during the 2012-13 season. The combination of being able to hit the mid-range jumper with the speed and strength he shows at the rim is part of what makes him such a dangerous player.

		At Rim	3 to 10 ft	10 to 16 ft	16 to 3pt	3pt	FT Line
Stephen Curry	59.9	33.7	45.5	43.7	44.5	90
Kevin Durant	73.8	46.5	47.9	42.9	39.9	90.5
LeBron James	76	46.9	39.4	44.6	39.6	75.3
Steve Nash	68.9	43.8	47.1	50.5	42.9	92.2
Chris Paul	71.6	54.5	50.3	46.8	32.7	88.5

Building The Perfect NBA Player Part VI: Shooting Winner Is…

Steve Nash

Nash has no weaknesses as it pertains to shooting and is our winner. Photo Credit: (Bridget Samuels, Flickr.com)