I was going through some of our three-level scoring and play type efficiency data and thought it would be fun to list the most efficient players for each shot location/type from the 2024-25 season. I often talk about keeping tabs on players or situations and this is one of the ways I do it. Breaking down efficiency by location or play type can help proxy skills or a potential role fit for a player. We know Rim FG% lacks context generally, the league leaders are always play finishing bigs that don’t self-create. But that information is still useful, it shows a player excelling in their role. Volume is the other piece of this puzzle. Shooting 45% from three doesn’t matter if you only take one a game. In this article I’m using stable stats, which gives every player a small amount of league average results to combat misleading small samples while making the stats more predictive. This one isn’t too serious, this is how stats people have fun.

 

Read my full write up on Stable Stats here

bball-index.com/creating-more-predictive-stats/

 

Scoring Efficiency Leaders

Stable True Shooting %:

1st. Jarrett Allen – CLE – 68.9%

2nd. Daniel Gafford – DAL – 67.4%

3rd. Jalen Duren – DET – 67.0%

Takeaways/notes:

Not surprisingly all of these guys played with elite passers and move well around the basket.

 

Stable Free Throw %: 

1st. Stephen Curry – GSW – 92.1%

2nd. Damian Lillard – MIL – 91.3%

3rd. Kyrie Irving – DAL – 90.2%

Takeaways/notes:

Just a couple of shooting savants.

 

Stable 2PT%: 

1st. Jarrett Allen – CLE – 68.4% 

2nd. Kai Jones – LAC/DAL – 67.4%

3rd. Walker Kessler – UTA – 66.7%

Takeaways/notes:

Again, these are play finishing bigs.

 

Stable Rim FG%

1st. Brandon Clarke – MEM – 77.2%

2nd. Jaxson Hayes – 76.4%

3rd. Jarrett Allen – CLE – 76.1%

Takeaways/notes:

Good to see Clarke this high after missing almost all of 2024 with a leg injury. Allen has always been great at creating passing lanes for his ball handlers with his positioning.

 

Stable Short Midrange FG%

1st. Nikola Jokic – 54.6% 

2nd. Ty Jerome – CLE – 54%

3rd. Nikola Vucevic – CHI – 54.0%

Takeaways/notes:

Jokic has the best floater in NBA history. Ty Jerome having this kind of touch makes me bullish he can repeat last season’s breakout success. Vuvevic was nuts last season from everywhere.

 

 

Stable Long Midrange FG%

1st. Kevin Durant – PHO – 49.6%

2nd. Devin Booker – PHO – 49.0%

3rd. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OKC – 46.3%

Takeaways/notes:

Sometimes stats confirm what we already know.

 

Stable 3PT%: 

1st. Zach LaVine – CHI/SAC – 41.9%

2nd. Taurean Prince – MIL – 40.5%

3rd. Harrison Barnes 40.3%

Takeaways/notes:

LaVine didn’t get enough attention for his insane shooting this year. TP and Barnes have a surprisingly good career 3PT% 

 

-Stable Pull Up 3PT%

1st. Zach LaVine – CHI/SAC – 38.5%

2nd. Anthony Edwards – MIN – 36.6%

3rd. Jordan Poole – WAS – 36.2%

Takeaways/notes:

Ant taking this kind of pull up shooting jump is big for his career outlook. Poole was quietly a really good scorer last season. Again, LaVine was on fire all of last season.

 

-Stable C&S 3PT%: 

1st: Taurean Prince – MIL – 43.4%

2nd: Karl-Anthony Towns – NYK – 41.7%

3rd: Isaiah Joe – OKC 41.7%

Takeaways/notes:

Year 1 of KAT in New York went about as well as it could have. Isaiah Joe’s shot is silky smooth. TP must have heard me call him the most average player in the league on twitter last year. 

 

-Stable Corner 3PT%
1st. Malik Beasley – DET – 45.5%

2nd. Isaiah Joe – OKC – 44.6%

3rd. Garrison Mathews – ATL – 44.2% 

Takeaways/notes:

I know nothing about Garrison Mathews, but this is a useful data point to store away. Beasley balled so hard last year. I kind of wish Isaiah Joe was on a worse team so he could play more. 

 

Stable Points Per Possession by play type

Stable Isolation PPP

1st. Kevin Durant – PHO – 1.11

2nd. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OKC – 1.08

3rd. James Harden – LAC – 1.05 

Takeaways/notes:

That Durant was the most efficient iso scorer in the league at age 36 post achilles is crazy. Harden still has enough juice to separate one on one. SGA is is a nightmare to guard 1v1.

 

Stable PnR Ball Handler

1st. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OKC -1.09

2nd. Tyrese Haliburton – IND – 1.08

3rd. Damian Lillard – MIL – 1.05

Takeaways/notes:

Losing two of the best PnR scorers to achilles injuries in the same year is a bummer. SGA equally unstoppable with or without a ball screen

 

Stable Handoff PPP

1st. Collin Sexton – UTA – 1.16

2nd. Keyonte George – UTA – 1.14  

3rd. Luke Kennard – MEM – 1.11

Takeaways/notes:

Handoffs aren’t run much league wide, but Utah was cooking with them.

 

Stable Off-Screen PPP

1st. Derrick White – BOS – 1.25

2nd. Payton Pritchard – BOS – 1.24

3rd. Malik Monk – SAC -1.24

Takeaways/notes:

Boston had some dynamic movement shooting last season. Draw some more up for Monk!

 

Stable Spot Up PPP

1st. Vit Krejci – ATL – 1.29

2nd. Jalen Brunson – NYK – 1.28

3rd.  Larry Nance Jr. – ATL – 1.27

Takeaways/notes:

This is the most random list here. Brunson being this good off-ball is nuts.

 

Stable Post Ups PPP

1st. Jarrett Allen – CLE- 1.15

2nd. Devin Booker – PHO – 1.10

3rd. Kristaps Porzingis – BOS – 1.10

Takeaways/notes:

D Book doing damage in the post! Porzingis has had 3 straight years as basically the most efficient post option in the league. Jarett Allen is fantastic taking advantage of mismatches.

 

Stable PnR Roll Man

1st. Richaun Holmes – WAS – 1.33

2nd. Max Strus – CLE – 1.31

3rd. Jarrett Allen – CLE – 1.28

Takeaways/notes:

Richaun push shot remains deadly. Strus getting loose? Jarrett Allen, again! 

 

Stable Putback PPP

1st. Brook Lopez – MIL – 1.41

2nd. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OKC – 1.37

3rd. Brandon Miller – CHO – 1.37

Takeaways/notes:

SGA being good at literally everything is crazy. Brandon Miller sighting.

 

Stable Cut PPP

1st. Carris LeVert – CLE/ATL – 1.52

2nd. Rui Hachimura – LAL – 1.50 

3rd. Kai Jones – LAC/DAL – 1.49

Takeaways/notes:

Poor Carris, getting traded midseason. Rui baseline cut for a reverse jam is so good. 

 

Stable Transition PPP

1st. Jarrett Allen – CLE – 1.44

2nd. Mark Williams – CHO – 1.40

3rd.  Daniel Gafford – DAL – 1.39

Takeaways/notes:
Reward the big fellas for running the floor! Mark Willims has long intrigued me