True Shooting Percentage and Effective Field Goal Percentage

What it is

• Two efficiency metrics that fix the flaw in raw field-goal percentage by accounting for the extra value of three-pointers (eFG%) and, additionally, free throws (TS%).

Why it matters

• They extend the shot-quality ideas in "Catch-and-Shoot vs.
• Raw FG% treats a 3-pointer and a 2-pointer as equal makes, which undervalues shooters who take and make threes; eFG% corrects this.
• TS% goes further by folding in free throws, capturing the full scoring value of a possession spent shooting — the most complete single shooting-efficiency number.
• These are the baseline vocabulary of modern evaluation: a high-volume scorer with mediocre TS% may be less valuable than a quieter, hyper-efficient one. They extend the shot-quality ideas in "Catch-and-Shoot vs.

How it works

• The 0.5 credits a made three with the half-extra point it's worth relative to a two.
• eFG% = (FGM + 0.5 x 3PM) / FGA. The 0.5 credits a made three with the half-extra point it's worth relative to a two.
• TS% = PTS / (2 x (FGA + 0.44 x FTA)). PTS is total points (including free throws); the denominator estimates "true shot attempts," where the 0.44 coefficient approximates how many possessions free throws consume (since…
• Both are points-per-opportunity measures scaled to look like a percentage; roughly, league-average TS% sits in the high-50s, so ~58-60%+ is good and 50% or below is poor for a primary scorer.
• TS% > eFG% indicates a player draws and converts free throws well; the gap reflects free-throw value.

Teaching cues

• Judge scorers by efficiency at their volume, not just point totals — pair TS% with usage to see true value.
• Use eFG% when free throws aren't relevant (e.g., catch-and-shoot looks); use TS% to evaluate overall scoring efficiency.
• Generating free throws is a skill that TS% rewards — attacking the rim and drawing fouls boosts it even on a cold shooting night.

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