The 3-point shot has become the ultimate equalizer in the NBA. It was once just a new strategy that now powers some of the most explosive offenses in the league. In recent years, teams have taken the deep ball to new heights, using it as a deadly weapon capable of turning the tide in seconds. It’s no longer just the requirement for a specialist, it’s now a fundamental part of how teams build and maintain firepower.

After the Boston Celtics tried their best to completely break the mathematical equation with historic 3-point shooting levels last season, en route to a championship, it’s clear that the long ball is here to stay.

The calculation is simply logical. A 3-point shot is worth 150% of a 2-point shot, so if you can make them at a high enough rate, it’s that simple. It can also be quite volatile, inspiring the old adage that “you live in threes, you die in threes”. But teams are becoming so proficient at it and it distorts the geometry of the floor so effectively that it’s worth the gamble if you have the personnel and strategic discipline to get them to take a good look at the basket.

We’re still early in the season, so things will take a few more weeks to stabilize, but there are a few teams that have stood out for their skill so far.

Subscribe to the whiteboard, FanSided’s daily newsletter on all things basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like The Whiteboard, share it with a hater.

For context, the league leader in 3-point percentage last season was Oklahoma City Thunder at 38.9 percent, and the Philadelphia 76ers led the league with 38.7 percent the previous year. So far, three teams eclipse the 40 percent mark. It’s a tall order, but could any team cross that threshold for the entire season? This isn’t unusual, but it hasn’t happened since the shortened 2020-21 season, when the Los Angeles Clippers finished at 41.1 percent for the year.

For all I’m worried about the new form on his jumper, Mikal Bridges shoots 38.7 percent on 3s for a Knicks team that paces the league in this category. This is largely due to the scorching shooting of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson, who are each converting at over 50% so far.

The Cavaliers, Warriors, Hornets and Timberwolves currently round out the top five in 3-point percentage. THE Warriors This shouldn’t come as a surprise since Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield are bombing at over 40 percent on over nine attempts per game, but the others might be a bit of a surprise.

Cleveland converts at a high rate, largely because its volume is limited to its best shooters. They’re actually below league average in attempt rate, but their highest volume shooters — Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Sam Merrill — are all shooting 40 percent from three. A similar story can be observed in New York.

Minnesota and Charlotte, on the other hand, shoot pretty well and pretty often. Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball, in particular, are each shooting over 15 threes per 100 possessions and hitting over 40 percent, which are crazy numbers. As their team’s primary ball handlers, they are driving a new focus on shooting as deep as possible, whether you like it or not.

On the other end of the spectrum, teams should probably be a little afraid of the 6-0 undefeated Thunder doing so while scoring 3-pointers at a rate near the bottom of the league. After leading the league last season, one would expect things to improve over time, which is a terrifying thought.

In a data point that won’t shock anyone, the Celtics lead the league with 3 point attempts per 100 possessions (49.8). With their top-ten attempt rate and success rate, it’s no wonder they have the best offense in the league.

The rest of the top five and bottom five in terms of attempt frequency are:

Rank 2 to 5: Hornets (44.7), Warriors (42.0), Timberwolves (41.8), Bulls (41.3)

Rows 26 to 30: Grizzlies (32.0), Pacers (31.6), Lakers (30.1), Nuggets (29.6), Raptors (29.5)

Moving significantly down from last season to this season, the Pacers could feel the effects of the departure of Buddy Hield, who played a pivotal role in that part of their offense.

Conversely, with DeMar DeRozan gone from Chicago, the Bulls are shooting and converting at rates that are both top ten in the league, which could be one reason for their surprisingly start to the season competent. But be careful, because despite this shot, the Bulls are 29th in the league in offensive rating, according to NBA.com. There’s obviously more to effective scoring in this league than just hitting from downtown.

For a more complete picture, we can take a look at how each team in the league fares in terms of efficiency versus 3-point shooting frequency so far this season:

The Lakers made a big splash by increasing their 3-point attempt rate during training camp, but have yet to see that come to fruition. The Suns, who made similar statements, actually walked their talk, ranking sixth in 3-point percentage at the tenth highest frequency.

The much-publicized addition of Karl-Anthony Towns as the fifth streaker for the Knicks hasn’t actually resulted in a higher 3-point attempt rate overall. Although he and his teammates hit them quite well, it appears that Julius Randle’s game finding shooters, as well as Donte DiVincenzo’s insane attempt rate, may have been more important in generating those shots than many realize. initially thought.

As mentioned, we’re not yet far enough into the season to have a sample that inspires too much confidence, but some of these trends will inevitably persist. The median team attempt rate increased by two attempts per 100 possessions from last season, perhaps indicating that we will continue to see an upward trend across the league. Rest assured, the attention isn’t going away anytime soon and it will be fascinating to see how things develop over the rest of the season.