What Is True Shooting Percentage? The NBA Metric That Actually Measures Efficiency
Field goal percentage is a lie. Or at least, it's a very incomplete truth. A player who shoots 50% from the field sounds efficient, right? But what if all those shots are layups? And what about free throws and three-pointers? Enter True Shooting Percentage — the metric that actually tells you how efficient a scorer is.
The Formula (Don't Panic)
TS% = Points / (2 × True Shooting Attempts)
True Shooting Attempts = FGA + (0.44 × FTA)
That 0.44 multiplier accounts for the fact that not all free throw trips are created equal — and-ones, technical free throws, and three-shot fouls all have different possession costs. The formula weighs everything — twos, threes, and free throws — into a single efficiency number.
League average TS% is typically around 57-58%. Elite scorers hit 62%+. The most efficient seasons in NBA history top 70%.
Why It Matters
Consider two players:
Player A: 25 PPG on 45% FG, 30% from three, 85% FT → TS% of about 56%
Player B: 22 PPG on 48% FG, 38% from three, 90% FT → TS% of about 63%
Player A scores more points, but Player B is significantly more efficient. Per possession, Player B is producing more value. Over a season, that efficiency compounds. Teams built around efficient scorers win more games because they get more points per possession.
The All-Time TS% Leaders
The most efficient volume scorers in NBA history tell the story of basketball's evolution:
- Peak Steph Curry (~67% TS): Three-point shooting at high volume with elite efficiency
- Peak LeBron (~65% TS): Dominant at the rim with improving three-point shooting
- Peak KD (~66% TS): Unstoppable mid-range game combined with high-volume three-point shooting
- DeAndre Jordan (~67% TS): Only shot at the rim and free throw line — incredibly efficient but extremely limited shot diet
The Criticism
TS% doesn't account for shot creation difficulty. A catch-and-shoot three is easier than a step-back three off the dribble, but TS% treats them equally. Players who create their own shots (like isolation scorers) will naturally have lower TS% than players who benefit from others' playmaking.
Context always matters. But as a single-number summary of scoring efficiency, nothing beats TS%. Next time someone tells you a player is scoring 30 a game, ask about their True Shooting. The number might change your opinion entirely.