The importance of 3-point shooting in the NBA is Underrated.
The Nuggets shot .325 from the 3-point line in 2014-15 and they had 30 wins. Not a coincidence.
Look at the Top 5 Teams last season (3-point %)
1) Warriors .398
2) Hawks .380
3) Clippers .376
4) Pelicans .370
5) Cavs .367
5b) Spurs .367
Now The Bottom 5:
26) Nets .331
27) Celtics .327
28) NUGGETS .325
29) 76ers .320
30) Hornets .318
Most of the teams that go deep into the Playoffs hit the 3-pointer at a high percentage. Looking at the current Nuggets Roster:
Nuggets 3-point % (2014-15)
Foye .357
Gallo .355
Jameer .354
Chandler .342
Green .298
Barton .284
Arthur .236
Harris .204 (20.4%....yep)
Mudiay .143 (Summer league, but he shot .342 for 12 games in China)
Mudiay and Gary Harris? Oh boy. Yes they can contribute alot without the 3-pointer. But look at the guard template of Curry and Klay hitting 40-43% on High Volume 3-pointers. Mudiay is only 19 (born 1996) so he has time to learn, but some project him as an Andre Miller (can't hit the 3) type point guard. Harris has gotten progressively worse at the 3-pointer since his Freshman year of college. Can Mudiay or Harris improve their 3-point shooting? Yes, but they are only likely to improve modestly.
Other X-factors like Jokic and Ian Clark (unsigned) aren't likely to make a significant dent in the Nuggets 3-point problem. Clearly the players we have Must shoot the 3-pointer Better within Malone's offense.
3-point shooting is not the only way to win in the NBA. But if you can't hit the 3, good luck... It's playing with a disadvantage, and the wins are tough to come by.
What do you think about the Nuggets 3-point shooting? How can the Nuggets go from Clank to Swish?
