The Ultimate Scoring Metric
For decades, basketball fans evaluated a player's scoring efficiency solely by looking at their Field Goal Percentage (FG%). However, standard FG% is deeply flawed because it treats a 3-point shot exactly the same as a 2-point layup, and it completely ignores free throws.
Enter True Shooting Percentage (TS%). Developed by advanced basketball statisticians, TS% is the gold standard for measuring a player's true scoring efficiency because it aggregates 2-pointers, 3-pointers, and free throws into one cohesive metric.
The Mathematics of True Shooting
The genius of True Shooting Percentage lies in how it mathematically converts free throws into standard field goal attempts.
Because two free throws generally take the place of one field goal attempt (when fouled in the act of shooting), we use a multiplier. However, we cannot simply divide free throws by 2, because of "And-1" fouls and technical fouls. Analytics experts established the 0.44 multiplier as the perfectly balanced mathematical constant to represent a true shooting possession.
The Formula
To calculate TS%, you take the total points scored and divide it by twice the number of True Shooting Attempts (TSA).
TS% = Points / (2 * (FGA + (0.44 * FTA)))
Analyzing the Result
- If a player has a TS% of 60% or higher, they are scoring at an elite, highly efficient level.
- A TS% of 55% to 58% is considered average to good in the modern NBA.
- A TS% below 52% indicates that the player is an inefficient volume scorer, wasting valuable offensive possessions.