Calculate True Shooting Percentage (TS%) to measure total basketball scoring efficiency across 2-pointers, 3-pointers, and free throws with the free TS Calculator. Computes True Shot Attempts (TSA), Points Per Scoring Attempt, Points Added Above Average, and comparative eFG% vs TS% analytics with NBA benchmark diagnostics.
Elite Historic Efficiency • 1.34 Points Per True Scoring Attempt
Points per scoring attempt
Above league avg
FGA + 0.44×FTA
Live-ball shooting
FTA per FGA
All scoring sources
In modern basketball analytics, True Shooting Percentage (TS%) represents the definitive, all-in-one measurement of scoring efficiency. While traditional Field Goal Percentage (FG%) measures raw shot makes and Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%) credits the added value of 3-pointers, only True Shooting accounts for all three scoring avenues simultaneously: 2-point field goals, 3-point field goals, and free throws.
Measures raw live-ball accuracy (\(\text{FGM}/\text{FGA}\)). Ignores 3-point bonuses and completely excludes free throws.
Adjusts live-ball shooting for 3-pointers (\((\text{FGM} + 0.5\times\text{3PM})/\text{FGA}\)), but ignores free throws.
Measures total points scored per scoring possession consumed (\(\text{PTS} / [2\times\text{TSA}]\)). The true universal standard.
How to evaluate any player or team's True Shooting Percentage against current NBA and collegiate baselines:
| TS% Range | Efficiency Tier | Points Per TSA | Historic NBA Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≥ 66.0% | Elite Historic / MVP | ≥ 1.32 PTS/TSA | Stephen Curry (2015-16 MVP: 66.9%), Nikola Jokić (2022-23: 70.1%) |
| 60.0% – 65.9% | High-Level All-Star | 1.20 – 1.31 PTS/TSA | James Harden (2018-19: 61.6%), Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard |
| 56.0% – 59.9% | NBA League Average | 1.12 – 1.19 PTS/TSA | Standard NBA rotation starter benchmark (~58.0% league baseline) |
| 52.0% – 55.9% | Below Average | 1.04 – 1.11 PTS/TSA | Mid-range heavy primary creators with low free throw rates |
| < 52.0% | Inefficient Volume | < 1.04 PTS/TSA | Inefficient scorers consuming possessions at sub-replacement rates |
Select Direct Mode (Total Points, FGA, FTA) for instant 3-field solving, or Detailed Mode (FGM, 3PM, FTM, FGA, FTA) to automatically tabulate points and eFG%.
Input total Points scored, Field Goal Attempts (2P + 3P), and Free Throw Attempts from your basketball box score.
Adjust the baseline slider (default \(58.0\%\)) to calculate exact Points Added Above Average (True Shooting Added).
Inspect your True Shooting %, Points Per True Shot Attempt (PTS/TSA), Free Throw Rate (FTr), and step-by-step KaTeX breakdown.
Since shooting fouls typically award two free throws, why does the True Shooting formula multiply Free Throw Attempts by \(0.44\) instead of \(0.50\)?
If every free throw came in pairs of two, the multiplier would be exactly \(0.50\) (\(2\text{ FTs} = 1\text{ possession}\)). However, basketball features several special free throw scenarios:
Empirical tracking across millions of NBA possessions confirms that \(0.44 \times \text{FTA}\) provides an almost flawless approximation of true possession usage.
Efficiency alone is incomplete without volume. A reserve player who shoots \(70.0\%\text{ TS\%}\) on \(4\text{ shots per game}\) has far less offensive value than a superstar who maintains \(64.0\%\text{ TS\%}\) on \(22\text{ shots per game}\).
During Stephen Curry's 2015-16 unanimous MVP season, his \(66.9\%\text{ TS\%}\) on \(1,774\text{ TSA}\) generated \(+317.0\text{ Points Added Above Average}\), the highest single-season mark in modern NBA history!
Instant Direct scoring mode and full Box Score breakdown with automatic eFG% integration.
Calculates exact scoring output per possession consumed (\(2 \times [\text{TS}\%/100]\)).
Dynamic slider allows customized league benchmark comparison to quantify surplus points generated.
Measures foul-drawing frequency (\(\text{FTA}/\text{FGA}\)) to evaluate offensive pressure.
Stacked progress bars visually comparing Traditional FG% vs. eFG% vs. True Shooting %.
One-click presets for Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokić, James Harden, Damian Lillard, and NBA average.
Why do high-volume free throw shooters (like James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Joel Embiid) consistently post elite True Shooting Percentages despite modest traditional FG%?
An \(85\%\) free throw shooter going to the line for two shots scores \(1.70\text{ points}\) on approximately \(0.88\text{ True Shot Attempts}\). That equates to an incredible \(1.93\text{ Points Per Scoring Possession}\) (\(96.6\%\text{ TS\%}\))! Drawing fouls is statistically the single most efficient offensive play in basketball.
Across NBA playoff history, league-wide True Shooting Percentage drops by an average of \(2.5\%\text{ to }3.8\%\) compared to the regular season. Why does this happen?
Reaching a True Shooting Percentage above \(60.0\%\) while carrying a high offensive usage rate (\(>28\%\)) is the rarest achievement in professional basketball. NBA history reveals four distinct paths to elite efficiency:
Combines historically elite 3-point volume (\(11+\text{ 3PA/game}\)) with unmatched accuracy (\(43\%-45\%\)) and \(91\%\) free throw shooting, breaking the efficiency curve without relying on heavy foul-baiting.
Maximizes the mathematical extremes of the sport: step-back 3-pointers and relentless rim attacks that generate \(10\text{ to }12\text{ free throw attempts}\) per game, converting at \(86\%\).
Maintains an elite TS% despite taking mid-range jumpers by shooting an absurd \(55\%\) from \(16\text{ to }22\text{ feet}\), \(40\%\) on 3s, and \(90\%\) from the free-throw line over a 7-foot frame.
Generates a \(70.0\%+\text{ TS\%}\) through soft-touch floaters, post hooks (\(68\%\) in the paint), high free throw accuracy (\(82\%\)), and selective wide-open trailer 3-pointers (\(38\%\)).
A guard shooting \(42.0\%\) from the field with high 3-point volume and \(85\%\) FT shooting frequently yields a \(59.5\%\text{ TS\%}\), out-scoring a \(49.0\%\) pure mid-range shooter who never gets fouled.
A player scoring \(25\text{ PPG}\) on \(51.0\%\text{ TS\%}\) actively costs their team points compared to league baseline. The TS Calculator's Points Added card exposes negative possession drag.
By adjusting the league benchmark slider, users can accurately compare Michael Jordan's \(60.3\%\text{ TS\%}\) in 1988 (against a \(53.8\%\) league avg) to modern superstars.
At the team level, Net True Shooting Differential (\(\Delta_{\text{TS}} = \text{Team TS\%} - \text{Opponent TS\%}\)) is the single strongest statistical predictor of regular season wins and playoff series victories. Over the last 25 NBA seasons, teams finishing in the Top 3 in Net TS% won the NBA Championship in \(72\%\) of campaigns.
Generated by spacing the floor with corner 3s, drawing fouls on interior drives, and avoiding low-percentage contested mid-range pull-ups.
Achieved by disciplined walling at the rim (denying fouls) and running opponents off the 3-point line into contested mid-range floaters.
To elevate your True Shooting Percentage above the competitive \(60.0\%\) threshold, apply this 4-pillar analytical framework to your training and game film:
Drawing a shooting foul generates approximately \(1.60\text{ to }1.80\text{ points per possession}\). Absorbing contact instead of avoiding it with off-balance floaters is the fastest way to boost TS%.
A player who shoots \(60\%\) on free throws generates only \(1.20\text{ PTS/TSA}\), whereas shooting \(85\%\) yields an elite \(1.70\text{ PTS/TSA}\). Elite free throw shooting amplifies every foul drawn.
An 18-foot jumper made at \(40\%\) yields \(0.80\text{ PTS/TSA}\). Stepping behind the arc and shooting \(35\%\) on 3s yields \(1.05\text{ PTS/TSA}\)—an instant \(31\%\) efficiency increase.
Input your points, field goal attempts, and free throws into the TS Calculator after every scrimmage to identify whether your scoring output is contributing positive Points Added.
In professional basketball analytics, efficiency cannot be evaluated in a vacuum without measuring Offensive Usage Rate (\(\text{USG}\%\)). As a player takes on a larger share of team possessions, their True Shooting Percentage naturally degrades due to opposing defensive focus, double-teams, and late-shot-clock bailout responsibilities.
Spot-up corner shooters and rim-running lob threats often post \(65\%-72\%\text{ TS\%}\) because they strictly take open, spoon-fed scoring opportunities created by primary playmakers.
Secondary shot creators and balanced scoring options typically record \(56\%-59\%\text{ TS\%}\), balancing self-created attacks with assisted perimeter spacing.
Primary heliocentric engines who maintain a \(60.0\%+\text{ TS\%}\) on \(30\%+\text{ Usage}\) (such as Stephen Curry, James Harden, Nikola Jokić, and Joel Embiid) are the most valuable assets in the modern game.
A team or player's overall True Shooting Percentage is composed of two drastically different basketball environments:
Uncontested rim runaways, cross-court alley-oops, and trailing pull-up 3s against scrambling defenses generate massive scoring returns per possession.
Set defenses with protected paint areas and locked-in rotations reduce scoring efficiency by nearly \(16\%\), making elite half-court creators vital in postseason play.
Using the TS Calculator (True Shooting Percentage) to separate a player's half-court numbers from transition numbers reveals whether their scoring efficiency is self-sustaining or dependent on fastbreak pace.
Why modern NBA shot charts look like a horseshoe with heavy density at the rim and beyond the arc:
Comprehensive answers to common questions about True Shooting Percentage (TS%), True Shot Attempts (TSA), and scoring efficiency formulas.
