Sports Media

Report: 2023 NBA 3-point contest lineup drops

Vendetta Sports Media / NBA / February 14, 2023

Report: 2023 NBA 3-point contest lineup drops

The 3-Point Contest has been a staple of NBA All-Star weekend activities since 1986. NBA insider Shams Charania revealed this year’s eight participants via Twitter, with 2020 winner Buddy Hield and Damian Lillard headlining the eight participants.

Sources: NBA 3-Point Contest participants at All-Star Weekend: Boston's Jayson Tatum, Sacramento's Kevin Huerter, Miami's Tyler Herro, Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, Portland's Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons and Utah's Lauri Markkanen.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 14, 2023

More than half of the participants are making their first appearance in the event, with Hield, Lillard and Tatum the only returners. Hield, having won on a buzzer-beater three years ago, is the only returning winner of the event.

Buddy Hield's 3-PT Contest-winning round after Book dropped 26 right before 💰 pic.twitter.com/1bnjfsIa5L
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 16, 2020

This year’s lineup contains a mixture of pure snipers (Huerter, Herro) and big-name superstars (Lillard, Tatum). Of the 82 players currently averaging five or more three-point attempts per game, the eight players selected stand at fourth, eighth, 17th, 23rd, 31st, 35th, 38th and 52nd in terms of efficiency, respectively — Hield is fourth, Tatum is 52nd.

Lillard, Simons, Tatum, Hield and Herro are all in the top-13 in three-point attempts per game this season. Lillard leads the pack, attempting 11.0 per game. Huerter is the only participant on the outside of the top-16 in three-pointers made per game.

Some notable high-volume three-point shooters were excluded from this year’s field, such as Klay Thompson (39.6% on 10.7 attempts), LaMelo Ball (36.6% on 10.5 attempts) and Donovan Mitchell (38.8% on 9.4 attempts).

On the other hand, players like Yuta Watanabe (48.1% on 2.5 attempts), Gary Harris (45.7% on 4.0 attempts) and Isaiah Joe (45.4% on 4.7 attempts), are a couple of the most efficient shooters in the league but didn’t turn enough heads with their lower volume.