The stats don't lie|39-year-old James is more accurate than Curry: how outrageous are his three-pointers this season?

In the battle against the Nets, James scored 40 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, and shot 9 of 10 three-pointers, with a shooting rate of 90%! In the words of the famous Su Qun, it is more accurate than his usual free throws. If compared to last season, a major change for James is that the outside line is more accurate. 39-year-old Lao Zhan, turned into a marksman, how accurate are the three points in the 21st season of his career?

Lao Zhan, who is more accurate than the Splash Brothers

It is said that the Splash Brothers are the greatest shooters in NBA history, and so far this season, the 39-year-old James' three-point shot is more accurate than Splash. After playing against the Nets, James' three-point shooting rate has reached 41.6%, while Curry's three-point shooting rate this season is 40.2%, and Thompson's three-point shooting rate this season is 38.3%. If James maintains the advantage until the end of the season, it will be the first time in his career that he has surpassed both Curry and Thompson in three-point shooting percentage (note: excluding the 2019-20 season for which Thompson and Curry were reimbursed).

According to the current data, this is also the most accurate three-point season of James' 21-year career. The previous record was 40.6 percent in 2012-13, when James surpassed Thompson's 40.1 percent shooting percentage, which was in his second year in the league, but was still significantly lower than Curry's 45.3 percent.

So far this season, a total of 100 players have made at least 300 three-point shots, and James' three-point shooting percentage can rank 13th, second only to Russell in the Lakers, and higher than George, Irving, Curry, Harden, Doncic, Tatum and other stars. James is really getting older and more demonic, he has reached the age of retirement, and he has practiced such excellent shooting skills.

James' three-point shooting area

Many people lamented that James was much more accurate than last season. In the 2022-23 season, James shot just 32.1% from three-point range. Specifically, he shot 108 of 344 from the bottom corner with a shooting rate of 31.7%, 10 of 32 from the bottom corner with a shooting rate of 31.3%, including 3 of 13 from the left corner with a shooting rate of 23.1%, and 7 of 19 from the right corner with a shooting rate of 36.8%.

James is shooting 41.6 percent from three-point range so far this season, a significant improvement from last season in all positions. He shot 41.3 percent from 124 of 300 three-pointers from the bottom corner, and he shot 44.2 percent from 19-of-43 from the corner, still with the right corner being more accurate than the left corner. James shot 6-of-20 from three-point range in the left corner and 13-of-23 from three-point range in the right corner to shoot 56.5%.

What is James at in the league this season with his non-bottom corner three-pointers?

Of all the 52 players who have made at least 300 non-corner three-pointers, James ranks fourth in shooting percentage with 41.3 percent, behind Quickley (42.5 percent), Russell (42.3 percent) and Durant (41.7 percent). Of the 52 players, the most ironclad is Poole (32.4%).

James' best three-pointer from the right corner (56.5 percent) ranks ninth among all 195 players who have made at least 20 three-pointers from the right corner, and the Clippers' Powell (67.6 percent) is the most accurate of those 195 players.

Three-point shot time and facing defense

According to the official website, James' three-point shooting percentage (45.8%) is significantly higher than that of his pull-out shot with the ball (32.9%). In addition, James' three-point shooting time and defensive intensity also affect his three-point shooting percentage, which is the same as most players.

For example, James is shooting 42.5% from three-point range with 22-18 seconds left on the offensive time, 45.7% from three-point range with 18-15 seconds left, 41.8% from three-point range with 15-7 seconds left, 29.4% from three-point range with 7-4 seconds left, and 17.2% from three-point range with less than 4 seconds left. Obviously, the more rushed the shot, the more the hit rate suffers.

For example, when the defender is 2-4 feet away from James, his three-point shooting rate is 37.5%, if the distance is 4-6 feet, his three-point shooting rate is 37.8%, and if the distance is more than 6 feet, which is what the NBA often calls a big opening, James can shoot 42.7% from three-point range.

Shooting three-pointers can help prolong your career

In today's post-game interview, James said that he does not need to rely on three-pointers because he can do a lot of things, but he also emphasized that people need to maintain a growth mindset. "The league is now a league with a lot more three-point shooting, and we're going to change that in line with the trend of the league. I'm not the kind of guy who wants to shoot 12, 14 or 15 three-pointers every game, but I want to be respected and then the opposing teams start guarding me from the outside. ”

James also stressed that his feet feel much better. Being able to stay on the court and do more training and shooting helps him maintain his rhythm and make every shot feel the same way, and the natural accuracy comes up. James, who is getting more accurate, has more offensive means and helps him continue to extend his career.

Maintain such a three-point state, next season's All-Star Three-Point Contest, will the 40-year-old Lao Zhan also go up to entertain?