Brooklyn Nets: Corner 3-point shooting needs improvement

The Brooklyn Nets deserve credit for embracing the 3-pointer, but offensive success will be limited until these shots start falling.

The Brooklyn Nets embraced the 3-point shot under Kenny Atkinson, and regardless of who the head coach is moving forward, this trend is likely to continue. As has been well documented, three is greater than two, and generally speaking, the analytics favor the long-ball.

The Nets ranked fifth in 3-point rate when the season came to a halt, attempting 42.1 percent of shots from downtown (Houston Rockets are first at 48.9 percent). But despite the offense’s seemingly favorable shot selection, Brooklyn has only made a fifth-worst 34.0 percent of its 3-pointers.

It’s not as if more 3-happy teams inherently shoot lower percentages either. Of the top 10 teams in 3-point rate this season, only three (the Nets, Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves) also ranked in the bottom 10 in 3-point percentage. The Miami Heat have managed to be both seventh in attempt rate and tied for first in 3-point percentage.

Where in particular have the Brooklyn Nets struggled from three? It’s worth breaking down the three 3-point zones: left corner three, right corner three and above the break three.

Left-corner threes

Brooklyn has shot 38.3 percent on 4.3 left corner 3-point attempts per game, 23rd-best in the NBA (Los Angeles Lakers are first at 44.5 percent). Their mark of 4.3 shots per game is tied for eighth-most in the league (the Rockets and Chicago Bulls are tied at 5.1).

Right-corner threes

The Nets have shot a 23rd-best 35.1 percent on 4.5 right corner threes per game (The Dallas Mavericks are first at 43.8 percent). Their mark of 4.5 attempts per game is sixth-most in the NBA (Rockets, 6.0).

Above-the-break threes

Brooklyn’s offense has shot a tied-for-28th-best 33.4 percent on 28.9 above the break threes per game (the Heat are first at 38.8 percent). This mark of 28.9 ranks fifth-most in the league (the Rockets are first at 33.0).

Player Analysis

3-pointers, in particular corner threes, are among the most efficient shots in basketball (behind open looks at the rim). The Nets are taking the right shots but need players to make them. It’s worth looking into which players have performed best (or worst) this season on different types of 3-pointers. Some might deserve more (or less) looks in particular areas.

Performance on ALL threes (this season, listed by number of attempts)

Taurean Prince: 33.9 percent on 431 attempts

Spencer Dinwiddie: 30.8 percent on 400 attempts

Joe Harris: 41.2 percent on 369 attempts

Garrett Temple: 32.4 percent on 346 attempts

Caris LeVert: 38.1 percent on 189 attempts

Kyrie Irving: 39.4 percent on 142 attempts

Wilson Chandler: 30.6 percent on 121 attempts

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: 35.8 percent on 109 attempts

Performance on left corner threes:

Taurean Prince: 26.0 percent on 50 attempts

Garrett Temple: 41.7 percent on 60 attempts

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: 38.1 percent on 21 attempts

Caris LeVert: 44.4 percent on 18 attempts

Joe Harris 67.7 percent on 34 attempts

Kyrie Irving: 60.0 percent on five attempts

Spencer Dinwiddie: 35.3 percent on 17 attempts

Wilson Chandler: 45.5 percent on 11 attempts

Performance on right corner threes:

Taurean Prince: 40.0 percent on 60 attempts

Garrett Temple: 30.6 percent on 49 attempts

Timothe Luwawau-Cabarrot: 41.4 percent on 29 attempts

Spencer Dinwiddie: 27.7 percent on 43 attempts

Wilson Chandler: 33.3 percent on 21 attempts

Joe Harris: 32.3 percent on 31 attempts

Kyrie Irving: 50.0 percent on ten attempts

Caris LeVert: 57.1 percent on seven attempts

Performance on above the break threes:

Spencer Dinwiddie: 31.4 percent on 334 attempts

Joe Harris: 39.1 percent on 304 attempts

Taurean Prince: 34.7 percent on 288 attempts

Garrett Temple: 30.4 percent on 237 attempts

Caris LeVert: 36.8 percent on 163 attempts

Kyrie Irving: 37.8 percent on 127 attempts

Wilson Chandler: 28.1 percent on 89 attempts

Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot: 32.2 percent on 59 attempts

Takeaways

-Some players shot significantly better from one corner than another. Although it’s conceivable someone could be legitimately better from one corner, there isn’t ample evidence to suggest this is the case for any of these players. Joe Harris, for instance, has been much better from the left corner this season but fared equally well from both corners last season (52.4 vs. 51.2 percent). Taurean Prince’s 2-19-20 sizeable corner differential was also nonexistent last season.

More from Hoops Habit

-Luwawu-Cabarrot was solid from the corners (38.1, 41.4 percent). His long-term trajectory as a shooter remains uncertain, but if the Brooklyn Nets can get him enough corner looks, perhaps he can become a strong 3-and-D player.

-It’s great to see Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert shooting so well from the corners, but given their ball-handling responsibilities, they don’t get too many off these opportunities (although LeVert might see more next season when Kevin Durant returns to make his Brooklyn Nets debut). For the same reasons, Spencer Dinwiddie’s poor corner shooting isn’t overly problematic.

-Prince was the only player who shot worse on left corner threes than his overall 3-point percentage (33.9 percent). Dinwiddie, Temple and Harris all shot worse on right corner threes than their overall percentages.

-LeVert’s solid percentage (36.8) on the more difficult above the break threes bodes well for his future as a shooter. On the flip side, Dinwiddie’s struggles in this area are a bit concerning given this large number of attempts. He’s never been a particularly efficient 3-point shooter, and it will be interesting to monitor his role next season. Dinwiddie is still a dangerous scorer, but as Irving, Durant and LeVert chip away at his ball-handling responsibilities, his limitations as an off-ball player may become more glaring.

Conclusion

Adding Durant into the fold will solve a lot of the 3-point shooting problems, and the team should already feel good about what Harris, Irving and LeVert can offer from long-range.

Still, the Brooklyn Nets will need some supporting players to knock down shots consistently, and whether these players are on the current roster is uncertain. Prince shot well last both last season and the beginning of this one, so he is likely the team’s best hope in this regard.

Chandler and Temple have proven capable throughout their veteran careers, but their best days might be behind them. Luwawu-Cabarrot is still a question mark given this season’s limited sample size, but as discussed, he seems to have progressed a bit as a shooter.

Time will tell how this all plays out. Trade, free agency and the draft could all provide avenues to find more shooting if need be.

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Brookyln Nets: Corner 3-point shooting needs improvement

By Jacob Zinkula | Jul 14, 2020