Could you beat Josh Smith in an NBA 3PT Contest?

[Jplaya2023]

I think i'd get him lol

Who's the NBA's worst shooter?

At the season's midpoint, it's safe to say that the Josh Smith era in Detroit isn't going so well.

Did you catch it in the first quarter of the Dallas Mavericks game on Sunday? Smith backed down Shawn Marion on the left block, turned around and launched a contested fadeaway with 12 seconds left on the shot clock. The ball hit the backboard and caromed off out of bounds. That wasn't notable. What was notable was that it bounced off the top of the backboard. Yes, the top.

But that wasn't even the worst Josh Smith misfire of the season. That probably came Jan. 8 against the New York Knicks when he sized up Carmelo Anthony on the right elbow and unfurled a potential game-winning long 2 that looked like it hit a wind gust midair and landed about three feet short of the rim. There was no wind gust. Just gasps from the Madison Square Garden audience.

That shot has been the microcosm of the Detroit Pistons' season so far: aiming high, falling way short. Smith, signed by longtime Detroit GM Joe Dumars this offseason for $54 million, has been the worst version of himself. There is nothing more deflating to a fan base than an ill-advised jumper. This long has been a Smith specialty, but his jump-shooting ability from deep has reached its nadir this season as the Pistons try to find some spacing with Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.

The numbers are staggering. Smith is shooting a ghastly 24.1 percent from downtown this season on 3.6 attempts per game. And it's only getting worse. Over his past 15 games, he is 5-of-34 (14.7 percent) from beyond the arc. One would think he would smarten up and phase out this part of his game, but he shoots more 3-pointers per minute than big-name players who shoot at a far healthier rate such as Rudy Gay (.372), LeBron James (.375) and Andre Iguodala (.433). Smith just can't help himself.

No one in NBA history has averaged at least 3.5 3-pointers per game and shot as poorly on them as Smith.

The closest that anyone has come while shooting this many is Mookie Blaylock in 1997-98, when he converted just 26.9 percent of his 4.8 3s per game. Again, Smith is at 24.1 percent. Smith is probably going down as the worst volume 3-point shooter of all time.

But Smith's incompetence isn't limited to 3-pointers. If you recall, those two shots at the top weren't 3s. Smith's ineptitude on shooting extends far past that. He is shooting 58 percent from the free throw line, far below his career rate of 65 percent. He's shooting just 33.7 percent from the midrange, which is so bad that electing to shoot a 3-pointer at 24.1 percent -- which is effectively 36.1 percent on 2s because of the bonus value of a 3-pointer -- actually yields a higher payoff. Somehow, a Smith 3-pointer is the lesser of two evils.

So, is Smith the NBA's biggest bricklayer?

To answer the question, I've dusted off a handy tool developed years ago by Per Diem predecessor John Hollinger. It's called the Brick Index. It tells us how many points a player costs his team with his shooting compared to the league average on a per-40-minute basis. The metric is based on true shooting percentage, which is a shooting percentage that incorporates 3-point shooting and free throws.

Smith's true shooting percentage this season currently stands at 46.1 percent. For perspective, Kevin Durant has shot that poorly in only one game this season and it came back in November.

The Brick Index takes true shooting percentage a step further and considers shot frequency, not just efficiency. This makes intuitive sense. The more missed shots you take, the more costly it is to your team. Orlando Magic big man Jason Maxiell has a similar true shooting percentage as Smith, but he is self-aware enough to take half as many shots. Smith is another story.

So, how does Smith fare in Brick Index?

Not well at all. Smith has cost his team 1.46 points per 40 minutes on his shooting alone. That's the most damaging rate among 151 qualified players (minimum 1,000 minutes). And it's not really close.

Smith might be a fine finisher at the rim (he shoots 66 percent there), but his frequent jump shooting is so poisonous that it wipes out all of the good work he's done around the basket. Tayshaun Prince registers a far worse true shooting percentage than Smith (42.9 percent), but the Memphis wing barely shoots the ball (9.3 field goal attempts every 36 minutes), so his miscues only inflict pain every so often. Not so with Smith.

 

[USSInsiders]

I could beat him but the funny thing is though, NBA players in practice settings are 100x better looking n/h performance-wise than they are in a game situation

If you've ever been to an NBA pregame like 20-30 minutes where everybody is shooting around, even the benchwarmers, look like elite players. It really puts in perspective how great they are at the game.

I've seen Jason Maxiell warm up and he was automatic from everywhere on the floor and I'm talking net snapping jumpers every time.

I've seen Dwyane Wade, a normally pedestrian shooter, look automatic from behind the three-point line off-balance and off-the-dribble.

 

[LurkMoar]

I could beat him but the funny thing is though, NBA players in practice settings are 100x better looking n/h performance-wise than they are in a game situation

If you've ever been to an NBA pregame like 20-30 minutes where everybody is shooting around, even the benchwarmers, look like elite players. It really puts in perspective how great they are at the game.

I've seen Jason Maxiell warm up and he was automatic from everywhere on the floor and I'm talking net snapping jumpers every time.

I've seen Dwyane Wade, a normally pedestrian shooter, look automatic from behind the three-point line off-balance and off-the-dribble.

me too



i was like why cant you do this in game

 

[AITheAnswerAI]

I could beat him but the funny thing is though, NBA players in practice settings are 100x better looking n/h performance-wise than they are in a game situation

If you've ever been to an NBA pregame like 20-30 minutes where everybody is shooting around, even the benchwarmers, look like elite players. It really puts in perspective how great they are at the game.

I've seen Jason Maxiell warm up and he was automatic from everywhere on the floor and I'm talking net snapping jumpers every time.

I've seen Dwyane Wade, a normally pedestrian shooter, look automatic from behind the three-point line off-balance and off-the-dribble.

This. Almost all nba players are automatic in practice sessions. But why do you say you could beat him? Do you shoot everyday?

 

[USSInsiders]

This. Almost all nba players are automatic in practice sessions. But why do you say you could beat him? Do you shoot everyday?

I'm a great shooter.

 

[EA]

If you've ever been to an NBA pregame like 20-30 minutes where everybody is shooting around, even the benchwarmers, look like elite players. It really puts in perspective how great they are at the game.

I've seen Jason Maxiell warm up and he was automatic from everywhere on the floor and I'm talking net snapping jumpers every time.

I've seen Dwyane Wade, a normally pedestrian shooter, look automatic from behind the three-point line off-balance and off-the-dribble.

Exactly what I came in here to say. I remember watching Team USA when they came here for the Olympics and even Anthony Davis who was fresh out of college was splashing it from everywhere on the court during the warm ups.

Could you imagine Steph Curry in a practice setting

 

[USSInsiders]

Exactly what I came in here to say. I remember watching Team USA when they came here for the Olympics and even Anthony Davis who was fresh out of college was splashing it from everywhere on the court during the warm ups.

Could you imagine Steph Curry in a practice setting

the sound of that net snapping n/h

 

[O.iatlhawksfan]

Honestly I think Smoove would whoop everybody on here in a 3pt contest. He's prolly money when he's not playing in the speed of the game. That's why he takes shots with no shame

 

[USSInsiders]

Honestly I think Smoove would whoop everybody on here in a 3pt contest. He's prolly money when he's not playing in the speed of the game. That's why he takes shots with no shame

He prolly would, but I'd make it competitive

 

[Steezy]

i think my ATL nikkas will shed the truth on this but yes. he used to be a decent shooter but that was damn near a decade ago and his confidence/mechanics is so fukked up that i think if we was in front of folks i like my chance. i like how everybody on the coli thinks everybody else is anthony bennet status but i can hit open jumpers all day..shyt i can hit hella jumpers in pickup . now if you ask me to guard him or dunk on him

edit: Ive played KOTH against will barton this past summer and and i still think he's a better shooter than josh so i like my chances even more

 

[yo moms]

I'm a great shooter.

steve novak is a great shooter and hes in the nba. where is you nikka?

 

[USSInsiders]

steve novak is a great shooter and hes in the nba. where is you nikka?

5'8" and he's nearly 6'10"

 

[yo moms]

5'8" and he's nearly 6'10"

maybe you can be a reserve for the D league

 

[FreshFromATL]

No one here would. I've seen that nikka hit like 20 straight 3's in warmups on multiple occasions only to come out and go 0-7 or 1-5 from 3 in live game situations

 

[606onit]

Yep. Trained with the GAWDS.