Ranked! A list of NBA players with the best field goal percentage

Ranked! A list of NBA players with the best field goal percentage

Ciku Njuguna
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:22 PM

The field goal percentage metric is an important aspect of basketball for both players and teams. This field goal metric measures the efficiency of field goals made to attempts by players or the team cumulatively. Players with the best field goal percentage in the NBA tend to be accurate with their shots.

Did Kareem ever make a 3?
Ralph Sampson of the Houston Rockets battles for post position during the 1984 NBA game against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the LA Lakers at the Forum in LA, California. Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein.
Source: Getty Images

The NBA uses the field goal percentage to measure how well a player or team shoots the ball during a game. Although the metric does not tell the overall skills of players, low FG% indicates that a team's or players' offensive play is limited.

What is a field goal percentage?

The ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted is calculated by dividing the number of made shots by the total number of shot attempts. The FG% uses a scale of .000 to 1.000.

Centres tend to have better FG% than other players due to their positioning on the basketball court. Thanks to their proximity to the basket, they can make many high-percentage layups and dunks. DeAndre Jordan, a centre for the Denver Nuggets, holds the best field goal percentage in the NBA with a percentage of .6744.

Is Artis Gilmore a Hall of Famer?
San Antonio Spurs Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore rebounds against Earl Cureton of the Detroit Pistons at the Pontiac Silverdome circa 1984 in Pontiac, Michigan. Photo by NBA Photo Library/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

Who has NBA's best field goal percentages all time?

The NBA has seen players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Karl Anthony Malone, who hold the record for all-time field goals. Although their FGs are good, they lag in field goal percentages. Here is a list of players with the best field goal percentage in the history of the NBA.

Player

Position

Field goals

Field goals attempted

Field goal percentage

10.

Hassan Whiteside

Center

2,687

4,583

.5862%

9.

Dwight Howard

Center/power forward

7,051

12,016

.5868%

8.

Steven Adams

Center

2,698

4,595

.5871%

7.

Mason Plumlee

Center/forward

2,378

4,033

.5896%

6.

Tyson Chandler

Center/power forward

3,558

5,964

.5965%

5.

Artis Gilmore

Center

5,732

9,570

.5989%

4.

Montrezl Harrell

Center/power forward

2,469

3,992

.6184%

3.

Clint Capela

Center

2,702

4,322

.6251%

2.

Rudy Gobert

Center

2,995

4,573

.6549%

1.

DeAndre Jordan

Center

3,680

5,456

.6744%

10. Hassan Whiteside

Hassan Whiteside is an unrestricted free agent who plays for the Utah Jazz. He was the 33rd overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft selection by the Sacramento Kings and has been on the roaster for other teams, such as Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Miami Heat.

Whiteside has raked up 2,687 field goals in his career with 4,583 attempts. He has an overall FGM average of 5.3 with an average of 9.0 FGA. Whiteside scored an overall .5862 field goal percentage in his NBA career.

How good is Hassan Whiteside?
Hassan Whiteside blocks a shot during a game between Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in November 2021 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photo by Chris Gardner.
Source: Getty Images

9. Dwight Howard

Born on the 8th of December 1985, Dwight David Howard II is a professional basketball player playing with the Taoyuan Leopards in Taiwan. He is an NBA champion, three-time Defensive Player of the Year and an eight-time All-Star. Howard has played for Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.

Dwight's record in the NBA is quite remarkable. He amassed 7,051 field goals in his NBA career with 12,016 attempts. His overall FG percentage stands at .5868.

8. Steven Adams

Steven Adams is a New Zealand professional basketball player who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. He was the 12th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has represented Oklahoma City Thunder, New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association.

Where does Steven Adams rank?
Steven Adams of the Grizzlies grabs the rebound during a game against the New York Knicks in November 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

7. Mason Plumlee

Mason Plumlee is an American basketball player who plays as a centre rd for the Charlotte Hornets. He was the 22nd overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2013 NBA draft. Mason has played for different teams in the league, such as Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons. Plumlee has an overall score of 2,378 goals with 4,033 attempts. Mason has an FG percentage of .5896.

6. Tyson Chandler

Tyson Chandler is a retired National Basketball Association player and the player development coach for the Dallas Mavericks. He was the number 2 overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft. Tyson, who played for the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers, made a name for himself defensive end of the court.

Is Tyson Chandler a Hall of Famer?
Tyson Chandler of the Houston Rockets runs down court during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center on November 13, 2019, in Houston, Texas. Photo by Bob Levey.
Source: Getty Images

5. Artis Gilmore

Artis Gilmore, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, is best remembered as the all-time leader in blocks for the Chicago Bulls. He played in the NBA and the now-defunct American Basketball Association. He spent his five seasons in the ABA with the Kentucky Colonel before moving to the NBA with Chicago Bulls.

Gilmore was a prolific and effective shooter with 5,732 FGs. In 1988, he retired as the all-time FG% of .5989 in the NBA

4. Montrezl Harrell

Montrezl Harrell is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers. He was selected in the second round of the 2015 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers two years later. Montrelz, who has represented other teams such as Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets, shoots at a high rate and averages 18.6 points per year.

Is Montrezl Harrell a good rebounder?
76ers power forward Montrezl Harrell drives to the basket during the game against the Orlando Magic in November 2022 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

3. Clint Capela

Clint Capela is a Swiss professional basketball player who plays for the Atlanta Hawks. He was selected as the 25th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. Capela has also represented the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Capela, who plays as a centre alongside Jalen Johnson, Trae Young and Onyeka Okongwu, has amassed a field goal percentage of .6251 with 2,702 field goals and 4,322 attempts.

2. Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert is a French professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is best known for his defensive work and has also had success in offensive rebounding. Rudy has represented the Utah Jazz in the NBA.

Has Rudy Gobert ever shot a 3?
Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts to a call during a game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena on December 09, 2022, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photo by Alex Goodlett.
Source: Getty Images

1. DeAndre Jordan

Who has the best field goal percentage in NBA history? DeAndre Jordan holds the record for the best field goal percentage in the National Basketball Association. DeAndre, who plays for the Denver Nuggets, has a field goal percentage of .6744, the all-time best by a player in the league.

Throughout his career, Jordan has never been a high-volume shooter. However, he has raked up 3,680 field goals with only 5,456 attempts.

Who has the highest field goal percentage this season?
Deandre Jordan of the Denver Nuggets rebounds against the Utah Jazz on October 19, 2022, at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

Who has the highest field goal percentage in an NBA game?

The San Antonio Spurs team with the best field goal percentage NBA in one game is the San Antonio Spurs. The team set the record highest field goal percentage in an NBA game on the 16th of April 1983 during a game against Dallas Mavericks, and their record stands at .707.

Which player has the NBA's highest field goal percentage in a season?

Mitchell Robinson holds the record for the most field goal percentage in a season. He raked up an FG% of .7419 in the 2019-20 season playing for the New York Knicks.

Only four players in NBA history have a field goal percentage of over .6%. These players were more accurate at getting the ball in the basket than anyone else.

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Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.