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The modern NBA is heavily reliant on three-point shooting, making franchises seek elite shooters above all else. Although shooting guards and small forwards are the traditional three-point shooters, teams now adopt an all-inclusive approach where all five members on the floor are expected to shoot if given the opportunity.
Nikola Vucevic deserves mention for his three-point shooting. While he did not make this list, he shot an effective 40% from deep during the 2020-21 NBA season while attempting 440 three-pointers.
Without further ado, here are the 10 best three-point shooters heading into the 2021-22 NBA season.
#10 Klay Thompson
The Golden State Warriors have undoubtedly missed out on the contributions of Klay Thompson last season and will be excited about his return.
Thompson, who tore his ACL in the 2019 NBA Finals, was set to make a return in the 2020-21 season. However, he sustained another injury during the offseason that kept him on the sidelines for a second consecutive season.
While he has not had any action in two years, Thompson remains one of the deadliest shooters from downtown. He holds the record for the most three-pointers in a single game, sinking 14 against the Chicago Bulls in October 2018. Throughout his eight-year career, he has not shot below 40% from three-point range.
It will take some time for the 6'6" guard to reach top gear. Regardless, he will light things up from beyond the arc when he makes a return to the NBA.
#9 Joe Ingles
Joe Ingles has fit perfectly into his role as a sixth man for the Utah Jazz. The veteran wing man was brought in to keep the offense running whenever Donovan Mitchell takes a breather.
Ingles will continue to provide for the Jazz off the bench as he was offered a contract extension in the 2021 NBA offseason.
The 33-year-old shot a career-high 45.1% from deep while attempting 6.1 three-pointers per game last season. He will look to continue producing at a similar rate this upcoming season.
#8 Seth Curry
Seth Curry is one of the Curry brothers who is lighting things up from deep in the NBA. It is easy not to recognize Seth's shooting ability because of the role he plays for the team. However, he converts at an incredibly efficient rate and does so consistently.
Seth has struggled to find his footing in the NBA as he has played for seven different teams in eight seasons. He currently plays for his father-in-law, Doc Rivers, and the Philadelphia 76ers. His 2020-21 season numbers from three-point range are exemplary as he shot 45% on 4.9 attempts per game.
#7 Zach LaVine
Although Zach LaVine will never settle for three-point shots when he can deliver another masterpiece throwdown for his highlight reel, he is a decent three-point shooter.
The Chicago Bulls guard has not lost the spring in his step despite missing almost the entire 2017-18 season due to an ACL tear.
LaVine's numbers from range significantly increased in the 2020-21 season. After shooting 38% during the 2019-20 season, he exploded for 41.9% from deep last season while making almost the same number of attempts.
#6 Buddy Hield
Several trade rumors have linked Buddy Hield to a move away from Sacramento due to his eagerness to feature in the NBA playoffs. For the time being, he is staying put as no favorable trade deal has been reached.
It is unclear how Hield's 2021-22 NBA campaign will turn out. However, seeing that the Sacramento Kings are looking to build around the backcourt duo of De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton, he remains an elite perimeter threat.
Hield has continually operated at an efficient rate and has been the primary scorer for the Kings. Although his percentages have dropped in recent seasons, he is still a better shot than many traditional shooting guards in the NBA. His 2018-19 season has been his most impressive from deep as he shot 42.7% while playing all 82 games in the season.
Hield ended the 2020-21 season with 39.1% shooting from three-point range, a significant drop despite making more attempts. Regardless, he knows how to shoot the ball and will be an incredible addition to any team in the 2021-22 NBA season.
#5 Duncan Robinson
In only three seasons in the NBA, Duncan Robinson has moved up the ranks to establish himself as one of the best three-point shooters in the league. Considering the current Miami Heat roster, the 27-year-old is the best perimeter threat.
Robinson shot 40.8% from beyond the arc during the 2020-21 NBA season and can do better. To improve efficiency, he will need to work more on creating his shots.
Currently, the 27-year-old relies heavily on the catch-and-shoot as 97.2% of his three-pointers last season were assisted.
#4 Damian Lillard
Although percentages tell a lot about a player's performance, they do not tell the full story. Damian Lillard's three-point shooting percentage might be low due to the ridiculous nature of the shots he attempts. While many shooters hug the NBA's 24-foot perimeter line, Lillard rises from just about anywhere on the half-court.
The 30-year-old ended the 2020-21 NBA season shooting 39.1% from three-point range while attempting 10.5 shots per game. In the playoffs, he shot an effective 44.9% with 13 attempts per game.
Lillard currently holds the record for the most three-pointers in the NBA playoffs after he drained 12 three-pointers against the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 last season. His two clutch game-tying 3s sent the game into double overtime, but the Portland Trail Blazers eventually lost the game.
#3 James Harden
James Harden will go down in history as one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. He is one of two players in league history who has scored over 300 three-pointers in one season.
Harden made 378 three-pointers in his 2018-19 MVP season. He came close to crossing the 300-point mark the following season but failed to make another three-point shot.
Although Harden will likely focus on creating for teammates during his second season with the Brooklyn Nets, we will still be seeing a lot of his step-back three-pointers. In the 36 games he played for the Nets during the 2020-21 NBA season, he converted 36.6% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
#2 Joe Harris
Joe Harris has been the principal beneficiary of Harden's dimes, and he certainly took advantage of it. While he has shot at an efficient clip for the past four seasons, he had an NBA career-high average last season while making 6.4 attempts per game.
Harris led the NBA in three-point shooting, converting on 47.5% of his 444 attempts. Although he was underwhelming in the playoffs, he still had a decent 40% three-point shooting campaign.
With the Nets maintaining their core, Harris will retain his position as the starting small forward. He will likely be open a lot of the time as either Harden, Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant can draw the double-team and leave him wide open.
With decent ball movement, Harris will be perfectly placed to lead the league on three-point shooting if he successfully converts.
#1 Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is the best three-point shooter in the NBA. Of course, this is meant as no disrespect to the great Ray Allen. However, Steph has set several records in the three-point shooting department and is on course to become the all-time leading scorer from three-point range.
Allen has made 2,973 three-pointers and currently sits atop the all-time leaderboard. However, Steph will surpass that number in the 2021-22 NBA season if he makes at least 145 three-pointers.
On Chef Curry's best shooting campaign (the 2015-16 season), he drained a record-setting 402 three-pointers.
Since the 2012-13 season, Steph has not scored below 200 three-pointers when he played in at least 50 games. While we wait to see how things play out for the Golden State Warriors guard, no one in the NBA comes close to being as great a three-point shooter as he is.
Guess the Lakers players!
