After listening to “The Vertical with J.J. Redick” I was inspired to provide my list of underrated shooters. Redick had a conversation with another great shooter in Kyle Korver, where they both gave their opinion on their four underrated shooters who don’t get enough credit. Some of the names included were Peja Stojakovic, Glen Rice, Dell Curry and more. It’s a great conversation because there were a lot of amazing shooters that played in this league and some of them didn’t get as much shine because the three-pointer wasn’t as prominent as it is now. But with that being said, I’m going to delve into my four underrated three-point shooters.
4.) Allan Houston
Allan Houston was always a great shooter in my eyes. Perfect form and great balance. He never got the credit he deserved as a shooter or as a scorer in my eyes. Teams dreaded leaving him open because they knew more likely than not, it was going in. Houston was a nice compliment to the Knicks dominant center in Patrick Ewing. Whenever Ewing drew a double team, he knew where to go to with the ball. Allan Houston was very efficient as well with a .402 percentage behind the arc, that’s what you like to see in a great shooter.
3.) Eddie Jones
My love for Eddie Jones came as a young kid playing NBA Live. Before Kobe Bryant became Kobe Bryant, Eddie Jones was the 2-man for the Los Angeles Lakers. I remember no matter who I played against, I used to dominate with Jones behind the three-point line. He sits at the 21st spot on the all-time list of three pointers made. He was a vital piece of multiple teams, especially the Miami Heat during the 04-05 season, that included a young Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. Eddie Jones was a great shooter and I believe his talent really went under the radar.
2.) J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith was a guy that I could not leave off my list. This New Jersey native has always been tough shot maker throughout his career. His off the court issues have taken away from his game and has given him a bad name around the league, but man can this guy shoot the ball. When J.R. is feeling it, he can light the gym up in a heart beat. The 2013 6th Man of the Year has been in the top 10 in three pointers made in the season five times throughout his career. Smith is a great catch-and-shoot player but he can also get off his own shot with no problem. Although his off the court antics have somewhat tarnished his name, J.R. Smith is still a great shooter.
1.) Kobe Bryant
I know this is a name that you probably didn’t expect to see here, but Kobe Bryant is a name that gets forgotten about when it comes to shooting the ball. He’s always been known as a great scorer but that one thing that many credit him for that Michael Jordan didn’t have was the ability to shoot outside. Bryant is tied for the record of the most threes in a game with 12; which was recently tied by who may be the best three shooter we’ve ever seen in Steph Curry. The Black Mamba is number 11 on the all-time list for three pointers made, only 15 threes away from cracking that 10th spot. What made Kobe such a dynamic shooter is that he had that clutch gene as well. He’s made a lot of threes but he’s also made a lot of clutch threes. Kobe Bryant is an all-time great, which he gets a lot of credit for, but I believe he doesn’t get enough credit when discussing the top shooters.
