True Shooting Percentage Calculator
True Shooting Percentage Calculator
Total points scored (all 2-pt, 3-pt, and free throw points)
Total field goal attempts (2-pointers + 3-pointers combined)
Total free throw attempts
Enter Player Stats
Input points scored, field goal attempts, and free throw attempts to calculate True Shooting Percentage instantly.
Measure overall basketball shooting efficiency with TS% — the gold standard advanced metric
True Shooting Percentage (TS%) is the most comprehensive single metric for measuring a basketball player's scoring efficiency. Unlike traditional field goal percentage, which simply divides made shots by total attempts, TS% accounts for every way a player can score: two-point field goals, three-point field goals, and free throws. This makes it the preferred shooting efficiency metric among NBA analysts, fantasy basketball enthusiasts, coaches, and serious fans who want to understand a player's true value as a scorer. The formula was developed within the APBRmetrics community — a group of statistical analysts focused on applying objective analysis to basketball, similar to how sabermetrics transformed baseball analytics. The central insight is that not all scoring opportunities are equal. A three-pointer scored on one field goal attempt is far more efficient than a two-pointer scored on one attempt, and free throws provide points at no field goal attempt cost. TS% unifies all three into a single number expressed as a percentage, where higher values indicate greater efficiency. The formula for True Shooting Percentage is: TS% = PTS / (2 × TSA) × 100, where TSA (True Shooting Attempts) = FGA + 0.44 × FTA. The 0.44 multiplier is a carefully derived empirical constant that reflects the fraction of free throw trips that actually consume a possession. Not every free throw uses a full possession — and-one situations, technical fouls, and flagrant foul free throws do not cost the offensive team a possession. The 0.44 constant balances all these scenarios, making it a fair way to weigh free throw attempts against field goal attempts. The NBA league average TS% has historically hovered between 52% and 57%, climbing over the decades as the game has evolved toward more efficient shot selection, particularly the rise of the three-point shot. In the current era (2020s), the league average sits around 55–57%. Individual player benchmarks range from below 48% (very poor shooting efficiency) to above 65% (elite, All-Star caliber efficiency). Stephen Curry posted a remarkable 65.3% TS% during the 2020–21 season, one of the highest marks for a high-volume scorer in NBA history. This calculator goes beyond the basic TS% computation. In addition to the primary result, it provides the efficiency rating tier (Elite, Excellent, Above Average, Average, Below Average, or Poor), a visual segmented benchmark gauge showing where the computed value falls among the rating tiers, True Shooting Attempts (TSA) as an intermediate value, step-by-step calculation breakdown, and extended comparison metrics (eFG%, FG%, FT%) when optional advanced stats are provided. A player comparison mode lets you evaluate two players side by side — ideal for fantasy basketball decisions, scouting analysis, or settling arguments about shooting efficiency. Whether you are analyzing an NBA player's season statistics, evaluating a college player's efficiency, tracking your own rec-league shooting, or trying to understand why advanced analytics favor certain players over others, this tool gives you a complete, accurate, and visually clear picture of shooting efficiency. Enter your numbers above and see your TS% result along with a detailed benchmark breakdown instantly.
Understanding True Shooting Percentage
What Is True Shooting Percentage?
True Shooting Percentage (TS%) is an advanced basketball statistic that measures a player's overall scoring efficiency by accounting for all three ways to score: two-point field goals, three-point field goals, and free throws. Developed within the APBRmetrics statistical analysis community, TS% corrects the major weaknesses of traditional field goal percentage, which ignores the added value of three-pointers and completely omits free throws. The result is a single number, expressed as a percentage, that gives a holistic view of how efficiently a player converts scoring opportunities into actual points. The NBA league average typically falls between 55% and 57% in the modern era. A TS% above 60% is considered excellent, while elite scorers like Stephen Curry can reach 65% or higher. The theoretical maximum is 150% (scoring three points on a single field goal attempt with no free throws), though values above 80% are extremely rare in practice for high-volume players.
How Is TS% Calculated?
The True Shooting Percentage formula has two steps. First, calculate True Shooting Attempts (TSA): TSA = FGA + (0.44 × FTA). This combines field goal attempts with a weighted version of free throw attempts, where the 0.44 constant accounts for the fact that not all free throw trips consume a full offensive possession. Second, calculate TS%: TS% = PTS / (2 × TSA) × 100. You divide total points scored by twice the True Shooting Attempts, then multiply by 100 to express the result as a percentage. For example, a player with 1,851 points on 1,205 FGA and 665 FTA has TSA = 1,205 + (0.44 × 665) = 1,205 + 292.6 = 1,497.6. Their TS% = 1,851 / (2 × 1,497.6) × 100 = 61.8%. The factor of 2 in the denominator normalizes the formula so that a perfect two-point shooter (100% FG% with no threes or free throws) would have exactly 100% TS%.
Why Does TS% Matter?
Traditional field goal percentage (FG%) has two major blind spots: it treats every made basket as equal regardless of whether it was worth 2 or 3 points, and it completely ignores free throws. Effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%) corrects the first problem by giving extra weight to three-pointers, but it still ignores free throws entirely. True Shooting Percentage fixes both issues simultaneously. This matters enormously when evaluating players who draw fouls frequently (high free throw volume is a real offensive skill), or who specialize in three-point shooting (three points on one attempt is fundamentally more efficient than two points on one attempt). For fantasy basketball, TS% helps identify undervalued efficient scorers. For coaching, it guides shot selection strategy. For fans and analysts, it provides the most honest single-number answer to the question: how efficiently does this player convert possessions into points?
Limitations of TS%
While TS% is the best single shooting efficiency metric available, it has several important limitations. First, it does not account for shot difficulty — an uncontested mid-range jumper and a heavily contested pull-up three-pointer may have different values as plays even if they contribute equally to TS%. Second, TS% does not capture offensive rebounding (a player who scores on put-backs after missed shots inflates TS% without using extra possessions — or does not penalize correctly because the FGA is already counted). Third, TS% can be misleading for very low-volume players or small sample sizes — a player who takes 2 field goal attempts and scores 6 points (a lucky three-pointer) would have an astronomical TS%. Always consider sample size when interpreting TS%. Fourth, the 0.44 coefficient is an empirical approximation that is accurate on average but not perfect for every individual player. Finally, TS% captures shooting efficiency only — it says nothing about a player's rebounding, defense, passing, or other contributions to winning.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter Basic Stats
Input the player's total points scored (PTS), total field goal attempts (FGA, combining 2-pointers and 3-pointers), and total free throw attempts (FTA). These three numbers are the only required inputs for TS%.
Add Optional Stats for Deeper Analysis
Expand the Advanced Stats section to enter field goals made, three-pointers made and attempted, free throws made, and games played. These unlock eFG%, FG%, FT% comparison metrics and per-game averages in the results panel.
Review Your TS% and Efficiency Rating
Your True Shooting Percentage appears instantly in the results panel along with a color-coded efficiency rating (Elite, Excellent, Above Average, Average, Below Average, or Poor), the benchmark gauge showing where you fall, and a step-by-step calculation breakdown.
Compare Two Players or Export
Switch to the Compare Players tab to enter stats for a second player and see a side-by-side efficiency comparison with the winner highlighted. Use the Export CSV or Print buttons to save your results.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good True Shooting Percentage in the NBA?
In the modern NBA (2020s), the league average True Shooting Percentage sits between 55% and 57%. A TS% above 60% is considered excellent, while 65% or higher is reserved for truly elite shooters. For context, Stephen Curry posted a 65.3% TS% during his 2020–21 season. Role players and efficient big men who operate near the rim often post higher TS% figures than volume scorers because they take higher-percentage shots. Below 52% is considered below average, and anything under 48% represents genuinely poor shooting efficiency. These thresholds can vary slightly depending on player role, era, and league, so always consider context when interpreting a TS% value.
Why does the formula use 0.44 and not 0.5 or 1.0 for free throws?
The 0.44 multiplier is an empirically derived constant that reflects the fraction of free throw trips that actually consume a full offensive possession. Not every free throw situation uses a possession. And-one situations (made field goal plus bonus free throw) do not cost the offense a possession since the basket was already scored. Technical foul free throws do not interrupt possession. Three-shot foul situations give three free throws for the price of one possession. When all these scenarios are averaged out across a season, approximately 44% of free throw attempts actually correspond to using up a possession. Using the full value of 1.0 would overpenalize players who draw fouls, and using 0.5 would underpenalize. The 0.44 constant strikes the empirically correct balance. Some older sources cite 0.475 as an alternative value from earlier statistical work.
What is the difference between TS%, eFG%, and FG%?
These three metrics measure shooting efficiency at different levels of completeness. FG% (Field Goal Percentage) is the simplest: made field goals divided by attempted field goals. It treats every basket equally regardless of whether it was worth 2 or 3 points, and completely ignores free throws. eFG% (Effective Field Goal Percentage) improves on FG% by giving 1.5× weight to three-pointers, acknowledging that a made three is worth 50% more than a made two. However, eFG% still completely ignores free throws. TS% (True Shooting Percentage) is the most complete metric — it incorporates both the extra value of three-pointers (through the point-based formula) and free throws (through the 0.44 FTA adjustment). For players who draw many fouls, the difference between TS% and eFG% can be substantial.
Can TS% be greater than 100%?
Yes, mathematically True Shooting Percentage can exceed 100% and even reach a theoretical maximum of 150%. This happens when a player scores three points on a single field goal attempt with no free throws: TS% = 3 / (2 × 1) × 100 = 150%. In practice, any player who relies heavily on three-point shooting with a high three-point percentage and takes very few free throws can post TS% values above 70% or even 80% in small samples. For high-volume scorers who play significant minutes across a full season, values above 70% are extremely rare. TS% over 100% is almost exclusively seen in small sample sizes (a player who takes only a handful of shots in a season). This calculator will display the calculated value as-is and note when it exceeds 100%.
How do I find the stats needed to calculate TS%?
The three required inputs — points scored (PTS), field goal attempts (FGA), and free throw attempts (FTA) — are among the most basic box score statistics and are available everywhere basketball statistics are published. For NBA players, Basketball Reference (basketball-reference.com) is the most comprehensive free source, with complete season and career totals for every player. ESPN, NBA.com, and Yahoo Sports all provide standard box score stats including these three numbers. For college basketball, Sports Reference's college basketball section covers Division I. For international leagues, sites like EuroLeague.net or Eurobasket.com provide statistics. For personal use tracking a rec league or school team, simply keep a running tally of these three numbers during games.
Is TS% useful for college basketball and international leagues?
Yes, True Shooting Percentage is applicable to any level of basketball where the same scoring rules apply: two-point field goals, three-point field goals (if allowed), and free throws. The formula and the 0.44 constant remain valid across college basketball, international play (FIBA), G League, and EuroLeague. However, the benchmarks for what constitutes 'elite' or 'average' may differ from NBA standards. College basketball tends to have lower overall TS% values because of younger players, faster pace, and different shot selection patterns. When comparing players across different leagues, use TS% as a relative measure within that league rather than applying NBA benchmarks directly. The metric is most useful for within-league comparisons and tracking a player's efficiency trend over time.