Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick named his five greatest shooters in NBA history, placing Stephen Curry at the top of his list while emphasizing the importance of shot difficulty and three-point shooting volume.
Redick, who was widely regarded as one of the league’s best shooters during his playing career, believes Curry has separated himself from everyone else because of his ability to consistently make difficult shots.
“Steph is first. I respect that. Everybody else is way down the list to me. In no particular order, the other four: Klay, Kyle Korver, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller. To me, those are the guys.”
While Curry occupies the top spot, Redick considers Klay Thompson, Kyle Korver, Ray Allen, and Reggie Miller the other four players who deserve recognition among the greatest shooters in NBA history.
Redick explained that evaluating shooters from different eras requires considering how much the game has changed, particularly regarding the types of three-point attempts players take.
“Because when we talk about great shooters, I don’t want to disparage the previous iteration of three-point shooters in the ’80s or the ’90s, but those guys were not shooting the shots we take today. Those guys were not taking the difficult shots we were taking, nor were they shooting it at the volume.”
The former NBA guard argued that shooting percentages alone do not provide a complete picture of a player’s ability.
He believes the difficulty and frequency of attempts are equally important when comparing players across generations.
Redick used former NBA guard Tim Legler as an example, acknowledging his impressive shooting accuracy while pointing out that his role differed significantly from those of Thompson and Korver.
“So yes, a guy like Tim Legler, great shooter. He shot, I think, 55.6% one year to lead the league. But he wasn’t shooting the shots Klay was shooting. He’s not shooting the shots Kyle Korver was shooting.”
According to Redick, the NBA’s increasing emphasis on three-point shooting has changed what teams expect from their best perimeter shooters.
Players are now required to attempt more threes, often while moving without the ball, shooting off screens, or taking contested attempts that were less common in previous decades.
“And that’s not a knock on Tim. It was a different game, and the game has evolved. Now we put such a premium on generating three-point looks. It’s not just about the quality of the look, it’s the volume of looks.”
