Three-Pointers
Three-Pointers Made (3PM) and Three-Pointers Attempted (3PA) track shots converted and taken from beyond the arc. The three-point line is the single rule change that most transformed how basketball is played and analyzed.
Before the three-point line became central to strategy, teams could ignore corner shooters and pack the paint. Now a player who shoots 37% from three is producing more value per shot than one shooting 55% from two. Tracking three-point volume and percentage is essential to understanding modern offensive efficiency.
Benchmarks
- League average: 35–36% three-point percentage
- Good: 38–40%
- Elite: above 42%
Attempts per game — rotation shooter: 2–4 / primary option: 5–7 / volume specialist: 8+
In 2025–26, Olimpia Milano led the EuroLeague in three-point shooting at 39.2% — the only team clearing the 39% threshold — yet finished just 17–21. Žalgiris wasn't far behind at 38.8% with a far better 24–18 record. The gap reveals the fundamental tension of modern spacing: elite shooting opens everything else up, but it doesn't guarantee wins unless the rest of the system converts those advantages into stops and finishes inside.
Tensions
One made three on three attempts produces 1.0 points per shot. One made two on two attempts produces 1.0 points per shot. They're equal — which means anything above 33% from three beats the average two-point attempt. This arithmetic reshaped the entire sport.
The more difficult three-pointers a player attempts — off the dribble, off screens, from distance — the lower their percentage tends to fall. A player shooting 45% on corner threes is doing something different from one shooting 38% on pull-up threes. Same stat, very different skill.
Formula
3P% = 3PM ÷ 3PA × 100
Divide three-pointers made by three-pointers attempted and multiply by 100.
3PM: Three-Pointers Made / 3PA: Three-Pointers Attempted / 3P%: Three-Point Percentage
