TS% and why it matters
True Shooting percentage (TS%) is an advanced statistic that measures a player’s efficiency at shooting the ball. It is intended to more accurately calculate a player’s shooting than field goal percentage, free throw percentage, and three-point field goal percentage taken individually. Two- and three-point field goals and free throws are all considered in its calculation, combining all three scoring methods into one number.
The formula for TS% is field goal points scored plus free throws made divided by 2x (field goals attempted + 0.44 x free throws attempted).
For example, if the stat line was 16 points scored on six two-pt. field attempts and four three-pt. attempts and 2-2 from the free throw line, the TS% would be 0.639. That’s exceptional. TS% below 50 is terrible, 53-54 is average, 55-59 is good, 60 and above is elite.
Using the same stat line above, the effective field goal percentage, or eFG%, (which doesn’t include FT’s) would be 70%.
Which metric do you prefer?
According to Statmuse, Rudy Goebert has the highest career TS% of 0.67.
The greatest shooter in NBA history, Stephen Curry, in 14 seasons and 882 career regular season games, has the 7th all-time highest TS% of 0.62 (behind Goebert, DeAndre Jordan, Artis Gilmore, Montrezl Harrell, Nikola Jokic, and Cedric Maxwell). On 8,088 points from made 2pt baskets plus 10,170 points on made 3pters plus 3,454 ft’s made for a total of 22,170 points. Steph has attempted 15,653 field goals (2’s + 3’s combined) + 3,801 free throws x 0.44 = 1672.44 (+15,653), for a total divider of 17,325.44 x2 =34916.95. In summary, 21,712 points divided by 34,916.95 is how you calculate the 0.62 TS% of the Baby-Faced Assassin, a.k.a. The Human Torch!
Let’s look at another NBA legend, Wilt Chamberlin. In 16 regular seasons and 1,045 games, and before the 3pt shot, Wilt shot 0.54% from the field (compared to Curry’s 0.48%). It’s at the foul line where The Big Dipper saw a huge drop in his True Shooting %. On 11,862 FTA, Wilt made 6,057 for a barely over 1-for-2 % of 0.51. Curry’s FT line is 3,454 makes on 3,801 attempts for a 0.909 % (good for 1st all-time) . Chamberlin’s TS% is therefore a pedestrian 0.547. Of course, Wilt is still considered one of the greatest players of all-time.
TS% and many other numbers can be fun and instructional to delve into, and provide a broader and still more insightful way at how we look at statistics – and how we can find knowledge from the data.