Denver Nuggets Top-10 Season Recap: Field Goal Efficiency (2015-16)
By Tim Hart
Last season, the Denver Nuggets displayed a wide range of field goal percentages, an important factor in evaluating any given player’s “Basketball IQ.”
We know what you’re thinking. Why do these now? Well, it is for all Nuggets fans and readers alike to remind them of how each player did last season and what to expect from them this season.
Field goal efficiency is an interesting statistic. At first, one might think that a high FG% suggests an ability to make more shots. This is not the case.
More accurately, a high FG% suggests an ability to both take and make smart shots. It doesn’t necessarily determine a player’s ability, but does show how many risks they take, relative to their own abilities as a player. A player with a high FG% is often well in tune with their own skill sets.
These aren’t usually the sort of players that are expected to put up big scoring numbers. Instead, players with high FG%’s are expected to play their roles with consistency. These are the sort of players that many organizations like to use as a foundation for their team.
Building around smart efficient players gives streaky players all the more room and comfort to do what they do.
For the Nuggets, these streaky players are the likes of Danilo Gallinari, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Will Barton, two of which made the Nuggets’ Top 10 FG percentages in the 2015-16 season.