Improving Efficiency Through shot selection
Why is shot selection important?
Shot selection can simply be defined as the types of shots you take on the offensive end (open threes, midrange jumper, etc.). While many coaches understand and realize that the days of midrange pull ups and short corner jumpers are over, there are still those that disagree with or at least fail to understand the newer philosophy of rim attempts and threes only.
Whatever your philosophy is, most coaches agree that shot selection is a key component in determining your offensive efficiency. You can have great possessions with ball movement, spacing and extra passes, but if you end up taking a low value/low percentage shot at the end of it all, what did it matter? Ending each possession (that doesn’t end in a turnover) with a “high value” shot will drastically improve your offensive efficiency and points per game.
By The Numbers:
What do I mean when I say a “high value” shot? I mean a shot with a high PPS or Points per Shot.
According to Shot Tracker, the highest value shots in the NBA based on PPS are restricted area attempts, meaning shots at the rim at 1.20 PPS. The second most efficient shot by PPS is the three pointer, with the league average being 1.16 PPS for corner threes and 1.05 PPS for above the break threes.
Compare this to the 0.79 PPS produced by midrange shots and paint attempts.
NBA League Average PPS by Shot Type (1998-2018)
Restricted Area Attempts - 1.20 PPS
Corner Threes - 1.16 PPS
Above the Break Threes - 1.05 PPS
Midrange Attempts - 0.79 PPS
Paint Attempts - 0.79 PPS
The reason for this is simple… restricted area or rim attempts are higher percentage shots compared to midrange attempts, and three pointers are worth three points as opposed to two. This is why you often times see players willingly pass up an open midrange shot in favor of stepping back for a three point attempt. The casual fan may think “What is he doing? Why did he pass up that open shot?” But in reality, this player was simply passing up the lower valued shot in favor of the higher valued shot.
The two most efficient shots in basketball (outside of a free throw) are shots at the rim and three point attempts.
How do we improve shot selection?
Define
The 1st step in implementing this philosophy is clearly defining for your players what types of shots you want to create and take on the offensive end. This also includes defining what a good shot is for each individual player. Basketball isn’t an equal opportunity game… all players cannot take the same types of shots.
Style of Play
Another way to improve your shot selection is through your offensive style of play. If you are wanting to attack the rim and kick out for open three point attempts, it doesn’t make sense to play slow and with poor spacing. You must make sure your style of play creates the types of shots you are wanting to take.
Add Constraints in Practice
You can also add a variety of constraints to your practices to emphasize the shots you are wanting to take. For example, you can change the point system in your practices so midrange or paint attempts are only worth one point. This incentivizes the offense to hunt for attempts at the rim and behind the arc.
Emphasize
Emphasize, emphasize, emphasize! Throughout the year you must constantly be addressing poor shot selection and praising great shot selection, this includes both in practice and games.
Back it up with Numbers
Tracking your shot selection, especially in games, is a great way to show your players how it translates to and affects the game. For example, if we chart a player’s shot by type (rim attempt, midrange and three pointer), we can take the number of total points scored by each type of shot and divide that by the number of attempts to determine the points per shot or PPS. More than likely the player will have a higher PPS on his rim attempts and three pointers compared to his midrange attempts. This can also be done for the entire team from game-to-game and throughout the season.