09 October, 2018
05 May, 2019
6 Michael Bramos (REYER)
02/02/2019
Diccon Lloyd-Smeath's Champions League Insider
to read

Super Sharp Shooters

LONDON (England) - We have all seen Kevin Punter kill teams with shots exclusively off the dribble and marveled at Vince Hunter going 12 for 12 and every shot was a dunk.... But who is the best shooter from every position on the floor in the BCL?

Inspired by the visual below by Kirk Goldsberry, we drafted in Seb Komianos from @Basketistics to help us dive into the data and see who is our best shooter from every position on the floor, then we dug into the film to see the why and how.


When you look at the equivalent BCL shot chart below, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, we needed to clarify how many shots a player needed to have attempted to qualify. i.e., Amar'e Stoudemire hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer for Hapoel Jerusalem and is currently shooting 33% on 3 attempts for the season. That doesn't mean that he would (or wouldn't) qualify as a 3-point shooter - it's just not enough attempts. Also, different areas on the floor are usually a higher priority than others.

Under the basket is priority #1, then from behind the arc for the extra point, and finally midrange shots. We also have a shorter Regular Season than the shooters in Kirk Goldsberry's chart, so we decided that a player with a minimum 50 FGA's from under the basket would qualify, minimum 20 FGA's from behind the arc and minimum 10 FGA's from mid-range.

Under The Rim: Vince Hunter (79%)

It's no surprise to find Vince Hunter as the king under the rim. His overall shooting percentage of 69% is a career-high, as is his 18.6 Points. We know about the dunks and for sure they are the driving force behind his percentages under the rim.


What we have also seen this season from Hunter, is a noticeable improvement in finishing through contact. And with more finesse finishes as well. It's very easy to associate athleticism with high-flying verticals, but if you watch Hunter in the video below, his balance and lateral explosiveness are equally impressive, especially from a relative stand-still. Watch the reverse finishes and the ability to absorb contact and finish.

 

Midrange Right: Cameron Clark (45%)

Cameron Clark is a catch-and-shoot killer from the short corner. He can also face-up or hit turnaround jumpers from the right block. The variety of different ways he can score in the right short corner make him a very tough cover down there.

 

Elbow Right: Kevin Punter (54%)

Kevin Punter may be the most lethal scorer we have seen in the BCL. At the Final Four in Athens last year, he told us that he enjoys watching Kevin Durant more than any other player and it probably shouldn't be a surprise to see him shooting a high percentage from the same spot as KD. For Punter, all of his shots on the right elbow are pull-up jumpers. He is so good at creating enough separation and rising up quickly to shoot. Watch how his torso leans back to create a higher arc and his release is at the peak of his jump.

 

Top of the Key: Gavin Ware 54%

Gavin Ware is a pick-and-pop maestro. He gets so many of his jumpers from screening at the top of the key and taking a couple of steps to separate instead of rolling.

 

Elbow Left: Amath M'Baye (79%)

Amath M'Baye is shooting 62% from 2-point range overall and his 79% from the left elbow is ridiculous. A 62% shot from inside the arc is as efficient as a 40% shot from behind it. When you have a spot that you hit 79% from.... that is definitely your sweet spot. M'Baye's other spot is from the block on either side and when you watch the film, he gets a lot of his left elbow pull-ups from players getting too tight on the block because they are worried about his turnaround jumper. Move and counter move. It's a simple game really.

 

Mid-Range Left: Ali Traore (100%)

It may look incredible to see 100% next to Monsieur Traore here. The issue is at no player has attempted more than 10 shots from that area on the floor. The fact that SIG's veteran is yet to miss from the left block meant we had to include him. #veteranpower

 

Right Corner: Vojtech Hruban (70%)

Hruban is shooting 37% from deep for the season, which is up from 34% last season and 6 attempts per game is a career high. Shooting 70% from the right corner is ridiculous. At 1.98m (6'6") his release is so quick. If a Nymburk playmaker can create any kind of advantage and draw help, this is pretty much an unstoppable shot.

 

Right Wing: Tony Meier (57%)

In his first season in the BCL with CEZ Nymburk, Tony Meier shot 36% from deep. He is shooting 50% on 4 attempts for Promitheas this season. When your 2.06m (6'9") PF can run off screens and nail catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, or run the floor and shoot transition bombs at 57%, you have a versatile weapon.

 

Middle: Kevin Punter (52%)

Kevin Punter is scoring 44% from deep on 6 attempts, a career-high (yes, last year's best scorer is getting better), including 52% from the middle of the floor. Just like the right elbow, everything is off the dribble. Conventional wisdom is that shooting off the dribble is harder. Conventional doesn't seem to be of much concern to Kevin Punter. One thing to note here is that it takes hours of hard work to build a consistent shot off the dribble - even more so than building a smooth catch-and-shoot motion. Punter has been known for his work ethic since his NCAA days at Tennessee.

 

Left Wing: Tomas Delininkaitis (57%)

What else is there to say about Tomas Delininkaitis. Neptunas' gunslinger is shooting at his highest career mark since 2008 (55% from deep overall), including 57% from the left wing. The first shot in the video below tells you everything you need to know. Fading sideways, off the dribble and nothing but nylon. Making the difficult look simple is a good way to understand the way Delininkaitis plays. #veteranpower again.

 

Left Corner: Michael Bramos (73%)

Another veteran enjoying a career season. Bramos is shooting 46% from behind the arc across all competitions (his best ever). He is also shooting 42% on 5 attempts in the BCL, which is also his best BCL season so far. 73% from the left corner is absurd and when you watch the video below, it's useful to remember that some of those were huge shots in the context of the game - and at times Venezia's season

 


The Basketball Champions League's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA or the Basketball Champions League.

The Basketball Champions League's takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.

Diccon Lloyd-Smeath

Diccon Lloyd-Smeath

Diccon is a basketball coach and analyst living in Madrid. Constantly digging in the crates of box scores and clicking through hours of game footage. Diccon is on the hunt for the stories within the stories. If you like to get a closer look at what’s going in the Basketball Champions League, you have found it.