Wins Come Easier For Jazz With 3-Point Makes
Jan 22, 2019, 2:54 PM
Utah Jazz guard Kyle Korver (26) hits a shot with Miami Heat forward Justice Winslow at left and guard Dwyane Wade at right during NBA basketball in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018. (Ravell Call, Deseret News)
(Ravell Call, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – In an era of the NBA when long distance weapons rule the league, the Utah Jazz are becoming more and reliant on the 3-pointer.
In each year under head coach Quin Snyder the franchise has increased its 3-point total from the year before. This season, the Jazz are on pace to shoot more than 250 3-pointers than they did last year.
The Jazz aren’t the only team that is shooting more triples, it’s a league wide trend. Players are getting better and better at converting baskets from long range. This season, the league is on pace to have its highest average of 3-point attempts per game of all-time.
That Kyle Korver can shoot a basketball pic.twitter.com/bLvPF9XvJd
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 22, 2019
It’s important to recognize that the league average is 35.5 percent from beyond the arc. The Jazz are 34.3 percent, are a below average 3-point shooting team and rank 23rd in the league in that category.
Who’s Hot and Who’s Not From Beyond The Arc
The Jazz have five above average shooters on the roster. Thabo Sefolosha has the highest percentage of makes on the team with a 46.4 percent average, but has attempted just 28 3-pointers all season.
Royce O’Neale has the second best average on the Jazz with a 42 percent clip, making 0.7 triples per game on 1.7 attempts.
The “Splash Uncles” of Kyle Korver and Joe Ingles bookend Georges Niang for the third and fifth best percentages on the Jazz. They’re also high volume shooters, averaging 5.4 threes per game with Korver having a 40 percent average and Ingles with a 36 percent average. That said, both are shooting below their career average this season.
The most high volume 3-point shooters on the Jazz are Donovan Mitchell and Jae Crowder. Both shoot over six threes per game at a below average clip. Mitchell fires up threes at a 32.1 percent average while Crowder lets them go at 32.7 percent.
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🏀 💧 💧 pic.twitter.com/axA3irK9qg— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) January 22, 2019
Recipe For Success?
But are the wins coming?
Most of the time, when the Jazz are hot from beyond the arc, it’s a recipe for success. When having an above league average night, of shooting 35.5 percent or better from 3-point land, the Jazz are 14-5. When shooting below the league average, they can still find ways to win, just at a much less successful pace with a 12-17 record.
The Jazz will look to make a few threes and find the recipe for success next against Denver on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
