Would Kevin Garnett have developed a three-point shot in today's era? (20-24ft data)

[Im Still Ballin]

Kevin Garnett was amazingly good at making very deep mid-range shots. Although there were seasons were he shot threes, I don't think he ever practiced them like players do today. I thought about looking at his 20-24 feet shooting numbers to predict whether he'd have developed a competent three-point shot had it been a priority. Here are the results:

1996-97: 14/36 (6/17 3pt); 2/2 (1/1 3pt)
1997-98: 18/54 (2/7 3pt); 0/2
1998-99: 22/45 (1/4 3pt); 2/4
1999-00: 61/142 (13/38 3pt); 3/15 (0/1 3pt)
2000-01: 35/118 (6/32 3pt); 1/4 (0/1 3pt)
2001-02: 54/126 (15/47 3pt); 2/4 (1/1 3pt)
2002-03: 58/132 (6/21 3pt); 5/13 (1/4 3pt)
2003-04: 72/148 (3/12 3pt); 15/36 (2/4 3pt)
2004-05: 54/108 (2/8 3pt)
2005-06: 55/125 (2/9 3pt)
2006-07: 57/137 (4/20 3pt)
2007-08: 66/135 (0/5 3pt); 25/60 (2/4 3pt)
2008-09: 47/112 (1/1 3pt)
2009-10: 58/134 (1/2 3pt); 18/30
2010-11: 48/98 (1/2 3pt); 2/5
2011-12: 44/96 (0/2 3pt); 19/35 (0/1 3pt)
2012-13: 49/104 (1/4 3pt); 4/6 (0/1 3pt)
2013-14: 20/45 (0/1 3pt); 1/4 (0/1 3pt)
2014-15: 28/58 (1/6 3pt)
2015-16: 14/26 (0/1 3pt)

876/1979 = 44.3% FG (no playoffs)
99/220 = 45.0% FG (playoffs only)
975/2199 = 44.3% FG (combined)

So, there you have it: 44.3% from 20-24 feet. Quite high volume. League average shooting percentages don't change that much from that distance to the typical three-point shooting distances. My conclusion is that I see no reason why he couldn't have become a competent three-point shooter.

https://grantland.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/grant_illo_linegraph_115211.jpg
https://i0.wp.com/thedatajocks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/word-image.png?w=840&ssl=1
https://i.ibb.co/N7wZSV5/Nekk-PPw-d.webp

[iamgine]

It's likely. Anyone is likely to develop a 3 pt shot in today's era. Even Bill Russell.

[ILLsmak]

It really did surprise me how he was money from mid but didn't shoot threes, but I mean... that's me, too. Plenty of NBA players were money from mid and didn't have that extra umph to shoot 3s. But yeah, practice. Those 19 footers were like lay ups for him. I don't think 3s would ever be like that.

The whole 60/40 thing anyway. He is prol never hitting 40%, but it's right to assume in a lot of cases, he can count on that shot 60%.

-Smak

[SouBeachTalents]

It seems very obvious that he would.

[warriorfan]

Eye test plus him being around an 80% ft shooter says probably yes. At least a corner 3 guy

[j3lademaster]

If Channing Frye and Brooke Lopez can, I can definitely see KG being able to develop one.

[90sgoat]

I thought he was better when he played bigger and less good when he settled for jumpers. Better when drawing fouls and getting offensive rebounds.

He must have seen Dirk and decided that 3 point shooting wasn't for him.

[Neal Romer]

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7nJXqhtEvzLCKT2W-OaukmSEvV-yUPXTtkJfR-llZ3oUN8JuYGHRiozKOQ8Qf5PCW6NKtl8USGkURy63Dasgbntq 8yZ1VPvodF1sdihuR4xavJKb95YmSXoDuyHiQx4daYhR/s1600/8+ball+-+signs+point+to+yes.jpg

[GOBB]

A lot of players would have developed a 3pt shot in today’s era where everyone chucks 3’s. And the mid range shot is a lost art.

[tpols]

I feel like it's a similar thing to AD... whose a much better mid long range 2pt shooter than a 3pt shooter. It's just not in everyone's bag to launch 3s better than 2s. Guys like SGA, Booker, Derozan, Murray etc. can live in the midrange and break the defense down with it.

I wouldn't want KG chucking 3s. Let the role players and 2nd option do that, I'd want him putting pressure on the defense inside the arc.

[Kblaze8855]

https://youtu.be/0EXtOryofJQ?si=0UgHoN5dMvTYPhS1


Wouldn’t have been a problem.

It just wasn’t considered intelligent for bigs at the time. It was changing but almost all those guys came up when you were considered soft for shooting a 3 as a big. Even while notably non soft bigs often did it.

[90sgoat]

I wouldn't want KG chucking 3s. Let the role players and 2nd option do that, I'd want him putting pressure on the defense inside the arc.

This.

There are a lot more players who can hit open 3s, than can go get a bucket in a tight playoff game in the midrange.

[999Guy]

I feel like it's a similar thing to AD... whose a much better mid long range 2pt shooter than a 3pt shooter. It's just not in everyone's bag to launch 3s better than 2s. Guys like SGA, Booker, Derozan, Murray etc. can live in the midrange and break the defense down with it.

I wouldn't want KG chucking 3s. Let the role players and 2nd option do that, I'd want him putting pressure on the defense inside the arc.
Eh. AD is an average shooter from everywhere. Probably below average from 3 actually.

And AD is not, a shooter. Like, hunting his shots, and has the defense hunting the contest on his shots. So naturally his jumpers are easier than KG's would've been anyway, and he still misses way more. AD is rim run big. Cuts, lobs, put-backs, rolls, catch and finish.

People tend to only think of when he gets hot like the 2020 playoffs. But he is usually lukewarm or cold.

KG is easily being a decent 3 point shooter. And who knows he'd probably have his hot years from there too.

[999Guy]

I feel like it's a similar thing to AD... whose a much better mid long range 2pt shooter than a 3pt shooter. It's just not in everyone's bag to launch 3s better than 2s. Guys like SGA, Booker, Derozan, Murray etc. can live in the midrange and break the defense down with it.

I wouldn't want KG chucking 3s. Let the role players and 2nd option do that, I'd want him putting pressure on the defense inside the arc.
Eh. AD is an average shooter from everywhere. Probably below average from 3 actually.

And AD is not, a shooter. Like, hunting his shots, and has the defense hunting the contest on his shots. So naturally his jumpers are easier than KG's would've been anyway, and he still misses way more. AD is rim run big. Cuts, lobs, put-backs, rolls, catch and finish.

People tend to only think of when he gets hot like the 2020 playoffs. But he is usually lukewarm or cold.

KG is easily being a decent 3 point shooter. And who knows he'd probably have his hot years from there too.

[Im Still Ballin]

AD had a three-year stretch from 2014-15 to 2016-17 where he was comfortably above average as a mid-range shooter. I'm not sure what happened. He's still okay from 10-16 feet in that paint-extended to free-throw line (15 feet) area. But he hasn't been great on the deep ones in a while.

https://i.ibb.co/19wgTCM/adshooting.png

[gbaLL]

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10

[Im Still Ballin]

https://youtu.be/0EXtOryofJQ?si=0UgHoN5dMvTYPhS1


Wouldn’t have been a problem.

It just wasn’t considered intelligent for bigs at the time. It was changing but almost all those guys came up when you were considered soft for shooting a 3 as a big. Even while notably non soft bigs often did it.

Darius Songaila! He would've been knocking down threes. If he has a place in today's league which I'm not sure he would. Undersized center/tweener big. Guys like him, Marc Blount, and Khris Humphries would need to be on a team like Miami I think.

[dankok8]

AD had a three-year stretch from 2014-15 to 2016-17 where he was comfortably above average as a mid-range shooter. I'm not sure what happened. He's still okay from 10-16 feet in that paint-extended to free-throw line (15 feet) area. But he hasn't been great on the deep ones in a while.

https://i.ibb.co/19wgTCM/adshooting.png

AD was also on fire from long middies in the 2020 and 2023 PS.

Anyways KG would obviously be a good 3pt shooter. I see him in the 37-39% range.

[Im Still Ballin]

AD was also on fire from long middies in the 2020 and 2023 PS.

Anyways KG would obviously be a good 3pt shooter. I see him in the 37-39% range.

That three-point shot would've taken KG's offense to another level for sure, and not just because of improved shot quality/expected value. With his ball-handling, mid-range game, and playmaking (especially off the dribble), he would've been a handful. Would get to the rim off the dribble more often.

Like a better playmaking Karl-Anthony Towns with a little less three-point shooting but way more mid-range ability.

[Soundwave]

If you have good shot mechanics, getting better at 3s is just a matter of practising them more. Though KG had a little hitch in his shot wind up, overall it was a smooth release.