Stephen Curry is undoubtedly the greatest shooter of all time. But that doesn’t mean he holds all of the records in shooting. Nikola Jokic, for instance, calls a significant record his own.
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The Denver Nuggets star has the highest true shooting percentage of any active player who averages 20+ points per game. That is proof that Jokic is the most efficient scorer currently in the NBA. But what exactly is true shooting percentage?
It’s a statistic that has really gained prominence in recent seasons with the rise of the three-point shot. This is because true shooting percentage acknowledges that a three-pointer is worth more than a two-pointer. And so the metric places more value on those shot attempts. There is additional nuance to the statistic.
True shooting percentage also acknowledges free-throw attempts, placing value on a shot not considered in traditional field goal percentage. After adding all these variables into the formula, you have a stat that provides you with a complete picture of a player’s shooting efficiency.
According to the numbers, Jokic has a 63.8% career true shooting percentage to Curry’s 62.5%. Which may come off as surprising to some fans. Well, does it mean the Serbian is a better three-point shooter than Steph?
Highest TS% by an active player with 20+ PPG:
63.8 — Jokic
62.7 — Zion
62.5 — Steph
62.4 — KAT
62.0 — KD pic.twitter.com/TmW4COV9La— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 1, 2025
Not exactly. But it does mean that Jokic has the most efficient shooting percentage of any star currently in the NBA. The interesting thing, though, is that this is way more impressive for Curry than it is for Jokic. Why is this, you may wonder?
Well, because Jokic is a center. When you look at the other names on the list of the highest active true shooting percentages of players averaging over 20PPG, you see big men like Zion Williamson and Karl-Anthony Towns. It proves that centers have higher odds of being efficient scorers.
This is mainly because players like Jokic are typically hanging out around the rim and getting higher percentage looks. Although the Serbian does extend his range beyond the three-point line quite often, he mostly gets his points in the paint. This skyrockets a big man’s true shooting percentage.
That’s why it’s impressive that a guard like Curry can keep up with centers when it comes to this statistic. It proves that he’s the most efficient three-point shooter in the league because he goes for over 11 attempts from that range per game. Drastically higher than Jokic’s 4.7 per contest.
So, at the end of the day, this stat plays more in favor of Curry. Regardless, Jokic’s figure is still impressive, and it shows how lethal a scorer he is as well. It’s just that when someone bests Curry in a shooting stat, it comes off as a big surprise.
