INSIDER: Best Shooter Ever? Not Hoiberg!

[PM5K]

I don't have ESPN Insider but Steve Kerr is clearly the better shooter, one good season doesn't make you the best shooter ever.

I don't know if Kerr is the best ever but he's clearly better than Hoiberg, career is .454 to Hoibergs .400, Kerr is also a .479 shooter from the field to Hoibergs .433.

Yes Hoiberg has I believe the highest percentage ever at this point for a season .534, Kerr shot .524 one season.

You also have to consider that Kerr was taking those shots on a team that was winning, he certainly hit his share of clutch shots and has five championship rings to show for it.....

[Solid D]

http://www.nba.com/media/history/wilt_100_991013.jpg .540 Career FG % :smokin

[PM5K]

Shaq has .578 career but we aren't talking about layups, dunks, and hook shots, we are talking about shooters....

[ShoogarBear]

http://hoops001.tripod.com/GilmoreSA.jpg

[Solid D]

:smokin

[Medvedenko]

Kerr...career averages of 6 points per game...shooter or no shooter...it doesn't matter. Looking at career Fg% is bogus at best. Give me scorer...anyone can shoot a straight away three if that's all they do. Now Kerr is a winner and he's helped teams team where ever he went...but being the best at shooting he's not.

[ShoogarBear]

Nothing wrong with discussing sweet strokes.

For my money, one of the most automatic J's ever belonged to Mike Glenn. They guy was 6'2" and his game consisted almost exclusively of 15-18' jumpers. Not much range beyond that, and he wasn't a leaper.

Check this: he had a lifetime FGP of 54%! And FTP of 86%. His seventh and eighth years in the league he shot .563 and .588!

Not a big scorer (7.6 PPG), but a shooter's shooter.

[Solid D]

All-time career FG% is the A-Train, Artis Gilmore with .599

All-time career 3-Pt FG% is Steve Kerr .477

Here is a list of All-time career FG% in the NBA. I guess you pick out the perimeter players and go from there. Calvin Natt was a 6-6 swingman. Lewis Lloyd and Mo Cheeks were guards.

http://www.nba.com/history/all_time_leaders/AllTimeLeadersFGPQuery.html

All Time Leaders: Field Goal Percentage
Player FGM FGA FG%
1. Artis Gilmore 5,732 9,570 .599
2. Mark West 2,528 4,356 .580
3. Shaquille O'Neal 9,178 15,873 .578
4. Steve Johnson 2,841 4,965 .572
4. Darryl Dawkins 3,477 6,079 .572
6. James Donaldson 3,105 5,442 .571
7. Jeff Ruland 2,105 3,734 .564
8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 15,837 28,307 .559
9. Kevin McHale 6,830 12,334 .554
10. Bobby Jones 3,412 6,199 .550
11. Buck Williams 6,404 11,661 .549
12. Larry Nance 6,370 11,664 .546
12. Otis Thorpe 6,872 12,593 .546
12. Cedric Maxwell 3,433 6,293 .546
15. Charles Barkley 8,435 15,605 .541
16. Adrian Dantley 8,169 15,121 .540
16. Wilt Chamberlain 12,681 23,497 .540
18. Gene Banks 2,134 3,961 .539
19. Swen Nater 2,432 4,528 .537
19. Robert Parish 9,614 17,914 .537
21. Brad Daugherty 3,823 7,189 .532
22. Larry Smith 2,519 4,743 .531
22. Dale Davis 3,489 6,570 .531
24. Calvin Natt 4,003 7,580 .528
25. Bill Cartwright 4,656 8,868 .525
25. Kiki Vandeweghe 6,139 11,699 .525
27. Clifford Ray 2,333 4,450 .524
27. Lewis Lloyd 2,172 4,144 .524
29. Maurice Cheeks 4,906 9,374 .523
29. Alonzo Mourning 4,607 8,808 .523

[Medvedenko]

Good post...to me the best shooter ever was Pete Marivich..dude averaged like 40+ in college before there was a 3 point line...that's just sick.

[ShoogarBear]

The only one on that list who was a great shooter was Vandeweghe. Clearly FGP isn't everything.

Also, note that Mike Glenn would rank 15th on that list but doesn't have enough FGA to qualify.

[boutons]

Did I see stat for Kerr that said his career PPG was 6 with under 2 APG?

[exstatic]

Hoiberg's career average is 5.5ppg, so if Kerr is DQd for that, so is The Mayor.

Steve Kerr is one of the best pure shooters ever to play in the NBA. If Hoiberg breaks the single season record for 3G%, I'll take my hat off to him, but there is still about a quarter of a season to go, and he may not make it. I doubt anyone touches Kerr's career mark on 3G% of .454 for a long, long time. Hoiberg isn't even close at .400. Shooting the long ball (well, OK, shooting and MAKING the long ball :lol) seems to be a lost art.

[Guru of Nothing]

My personal favorite - Andrew Toney. Probably nowhere close to being the best though.

[sickdsm]

I wouldn't consider Hoiberg for best all time but in no way would i for Kerr either. Guys like Miller, Peja and Wally among others don't have the numbers but its what i call the Hassell effect. Noone really worries about them enough for it to matter. When Hoiberg or Kerr get the types of defenders that Miller and peja key on them, then if there numbers don't dip with an Artest, Bowen, Hassell, Kobe, Lebron etc... there, then we can talk.

That being said both Kerr and Hodges 1 and 2 season 3pt marks are worthy of astericks. Both of them were when the 3pt line was moved in closer for those 2 or 3 years.

[ShoogarBear]

That being said both Kerr and Hodges 1 and 2 season 3pt marks are worthy of astericks. Both of them were when the 3pt line was moved in closer for those 2 or 3 years.

Good point. I had forgotten about that.

[Rummpd]

Spurs used to have a great shooter in one Vinny Del Negro = just couldn't do anything else but when he was smooth at times from all over.

Pure stroke in NBA = agree with Dupree, Dirk's mechanics and stroke is about a pretty as can be for a big man - his FTS almost always perfect and range is long.

[Solid D]

Kerr had a marvelous mid-range game, as well as long-range. A 15 footer was a layup.

[Solid D]

I agree with GoN regarding Andrew Toney. Over 50% from the field career.

There were a few guys in the league who were good scorers but I would classify as very good shooters, as well.

Bernard King (.519 career FG%)
Jerry Lucas (.499)
Jon McGlocklin (.489)
Jerry West (.474)

[SpursFanInAustin]

Also take into account that the year Kerr shot 52% was the year the NBA moved the 3-pt line to 22 ft in 94-95 from the original (and current) 23 ft 9 in.

[atlfan25]

kerr shot over 50% 2 years with the line moved in, and over 50% 2 years when the 3 point line was at the current distance.

[IcemanCometh]

uhm Jordan .497% considering he scored 32,292 and he was above .50% before his 2nd comeback thats pretty good.

[JMarkJohns]

I hold Kerr as the best shooter as well, reguardless of his PPG.

Shooting is shooting.

Besides, the INsider article was more about the best shooting seasons more than best shooters.

According to this guys bogus formula, Hoiberg has the best season.

I wouldn't put too much, if any stock into it as Danny freakin' Fortson is like third.

[waly.mg]

If i must to make a Choice i Select Reggie Miller every day and twice on sunday

[1Parker1]

I agree, Reggie Miller without a doubt. What's his career FG% I wonder, especially from the 3 pt range...