NBA Three-Point Shootout

NBA Three-Point Shootout
Date/Time: Saturday, February 13 – 8:30 PM ET
Site: Air Canada Centre – Toronto
TV Coverage: TNT

When the NBA holds the Three-Point Shootout, which begins at 8 PM ET at the All-Star Game site of the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, it is often a crapshoot, so to speak. What we mean, in effect, is that on any given night, some guys can get hot and some can get cold, and there is certainly nothing that says we can not have a longshot winner, if you pardon the pun.

Acknowledging that Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat, who has a calf injury, is out of the contest, replaced by CJ McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers, here are the numbers on the event as they are posted at BetAnySports:

Stephen Curry (Warriors) +150
Klay Thompson (Warriors) +400
JJ Redick (Clippers) +400
Devin Booker (Suns) +1100
James Harden (Rockets) +1250
Kyle Lowry (Raptors) +1150
Khris Middleton (Bucks) +1500
CJ McCollum (Blazers) +2300

As you can see, McCollum, who comes in on very short notice and therefore did not have any “preparation,” is listed as the longest shot in the field. McCollum is tenth in the league in three-pointers made and he is also hitting 39% of them. So he is , on balance, a more appropriate participant than Bosh, a power forward who had made only 81 triples.

The rookie, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, had hit only 56 three-pointers, but he is 40% accurate, and understandably he has had less playing time than most.

There are four All-Stars left in the field. One of them, of course, is the reigning MVP as well as the reigning champion in the event, as well as the ONLY past champion who will be competing here. Stephen Curry was the favorite last year as well, and he is so far ahead of the field this year that it is almost ridiculous. Curry has made 245 triples, which is 84 more than his Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson, who is also in the contest. And he has launched it 540 times, which is 104 times more than James Harden (+1250 at BetAnySports), who is third in the league in scoring and is also a contender in this thing. But let’s face it – those two All-Stars – Thompson and Harden – are valid contenders to best Curry within the space of a couple of minutes of throwing three-pointers up there against the clock.

A few other things must be said. One is that Harden is the least accurate shooter in the field at 35.5%, while JJ Redick of the Clippers, who may be the best pure shooter in the NBA, has the highest percentage of these Three-Point Shootout participants at 47.6%. Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors would be the hometown favorite here – he is under 40% for the season (39.2% to be exact). Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks, who is listed at +1500 at BetAnySports, may be an interesting dark horse, inasmuch as he has hit 40.6% of his three-point attempts and arguably could have been considered for a position in the main event on Sunday.

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