True shooting percentage (TS%), explained: the real scoring-efficiency stat
Why plain field-goal percentage misleads, how true shooting folds in threes and free throws, how to read the numbers, and what counts as good in the modern NBA.
The problem it fixes
Plain field-goal percentage treats a three-pointer and a two-pointer as equal, and ignores free throws entirely. That badly undervalues shooters who live beyond the arc or get to the line. A player hitting 40% of his threes is scoring more efficiently than one hitting 45% of his twos, yet raw FG% ranks the second player higher. True shooting percentage exists to correct that distortion.
What true shooting counts
True shooting percentage (TS%) measures points scored per scoring attempt, counting twos, threes and free throws together on one scale. The formula is points divided by roughly twice the sum of field-goal attempts and a fraction of free-throw attempts. You do not need the algebra — the point is that a made three and trips to the line both get their proper credit, so TS% reflects how many points a player actually produces per shot he uses.
How to read the number
Because it can exceed 50% by design (a three is worth more than a two), TS% runs higher than plain FG%. In the modern NBA, roughly 58% is around league average for efficiency; the best high-volume scorers push into the low 60s, and 55% or below from a primary option is a warning sign. Read it as: for every scoring attempt this player used, how many points came back?
Why efficiency needs volume for context
A bench player can post a gaudy TS% by only taking wide-open layups; a star carries a huge scoring load against set defences and will naturally run a touch lower. So TS% is best read next to usage — how much of the offence a player shoulders. Elite is doing both at once: high volume and high efficiency. Judging efficiency without volume flatters role players and unfairly dings the creators who do the hard work.
Why it matters for team analysis
Teams that generate high-TS% shots — layups, free throws and open threes — while forcing opponents into low-TS% looks (long twos, contested mid-range) tend to win the math over a season. That is why shot quality, not just shot volume, drives modern analysis, and why efficiency numbers like TS% feed the kind of data-driven previews you will find on SportMetrics for basketball fixtures.