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Sharif Amlani, PhD
Michael Jordan taking a jump shot

“You Miss 100 Percent of the Shots You Don't Take.”

— Michael Jordan

Is it true that the more you attempt to score, the more you will?

To test this question, I downloaded NBA scoring data for each player from the 1970 to 2020 season. I measure whether the number of field goals a player attempts over the course of the season translates to points scored.

I find that the more you shoot the more you score.

Scatter plot of field goals attempted against points scored

But, it helps to be good at shooting too.

This figure shows that while it is true, the more shots you take the more you score, it also reveals that the better you are at making shots, the faster you will accumulate points.

Points scored by field-goal attempts, grouped by shooting accuracy

So, always shoot your shot, but practice beforehand.