Why field goal percentage is not enough
Plain field goal percentage treats a made three-pointer like a made layup and ignores free throws. True shooting percentage (TS%) measures how many points a player produces per shooting attempt, counting all three ways to score.
TS% = points ÷ (2 × (FGA + 0.44 × FTA))
The 0.44 factor converts free throw attempts into “possessions”: a pair of free throws ends one possession, while and-ones, technicals and three-shot fouls make the average slightly less than 0.5.
Effective field goal percentage
eFG% = (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM) ÷ FGA
It gives a three-pointer 1.5 times the weight of a two. A player shooting 33% from three has the same eFG% as one shooting 50% on twos.
Example
A player scores 28 points on 10 of 20 shooting, with 3 threes and 5 of 6 free throws:
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| FG% | 50.0% |
| eFG% | 57.5% |
| True shooting attempts | 22.6 |
| TS% | 61.8% |
| Points per attempt | 1.24 |
Benchmarks
| TS% | Level |
|---|---|
| 62% and up | Elite efficiency |
| 56 to 62% | Around or above NBA average |
| 50 to 56% | Below average |
| Under 50% | Inefficient |
League averages have risen as teams shoot more threes and free throws: the NBA average was about 53% in the 1990s and about 57 to 58% in recent seasons. College and international averages are lower.
Limits
- TS% says nothing about shot difficulty, creation or defense.
- Small samples swing a lot: a few games are not a trend.
- Compare players within the same league and era, and alongside usage rate, because high-volume scorers face tougher defense.
- Turnovers and offensive rebounds are not included.