NBA Updates PH – Two years ago, Stephen Curry set the NBA record for the most 3-pointers made in a career. Since then, his number has only gone up. He could keep playing well into his 40s if he wanted to. If you count this coming season, that’s at least five more years. If he does that, he will almost certainly make more than 4,000 3s in his career.
That’s a large amount. People think his record will never be broken, or at least not for a very long time, and almost certainly not by a present player. But wait a minute. There is one player in the NBA who could pass the Warriors star if he keeps up his current pace, but you probably need to think of his name right now.
It’s not James Harden who will move into second place all-time this season. It’s not Luka Doncic, who will make more than 3,000 3-pointers in his career, but to get to 4,000 would take a big jump in percentage from what he’s done so far. It’s not Damian Lillard or Paul George, even though both could end up in the top five players of all time. It’s not Curry’s partner, Klay Thompson, who is 34 years old and has missed two full seasons of play.
Buddy Hield is the one to keep an eye on.
Hield has made the second-most 3s in four of the last five seasons, and in the fifth season, he made the fourth-most 3s. No one, not even Curry, has made more 3-pointers than Hield since the 2017-18 season.
Hield has averaged 276 made 3s over the past five seasons. If he does that again this season, he will move from 29th on the all-time list to 17th. He will pass Dirk Nowitzki and move into 16th place if he gets a few more points. If he gets 284, he’ll pass Jason Kidd and move up to 15th place.
It’s pretty close. Last season, Buddy Hield made 288 3s for the Pacers, which was second only to Thompson’s 301. Even though this is only Hield’s eighth season, the guy never misses a game. In the last six seasons, Hield has played at least 70 games and four times, he has played at least 80. He has missed a total of three games over the last two years.
Let’s say that Curry and Hield play until they are 40. That means Curry has five more seasons, and Hield has ten more. Up to this point in their careers, Hield has made an average of 243 more 3s per season than Curry. Hield has made 1,705 three-pointers so far. If he makes his average of 276 three-pointers every season for the next 10 years, he will have made just under 4,500 in his career.
For Curry, let’s say he makes 300 3-pointers each season for the next five years, which is about his average over the last six seasons he hasn’t missed time with an illness. That would give him a career total of 4,890. Yes, that’s still more than Hield, but not by much, and that’s if he doesn’t get hurt for good in the next five years. Buddy Hield may play a few years longer than Curry or have a few huge years where he makes more than 300 3s.
I wouldn’t bet on Hield breaking the all-time 3-point record before he quits, but I wouldn’t rule it out. Hield is one of the greatest 3-point shooters in NBA history but is often overlooked. Even though he’s past his best, he’ll be around for a long time because he can make every 3-point shot.
Last season, Hield made 45.8% of his spot-up jumpers (91st percentile, according to Synergy), 42% of his pull-up 3s, 41.5% of his catch-and-shoots, 61% of his step-back 3s, and 42.5% of his total 3s, including 41.3% from above the break, 51.1% from the right corner, and 45.7% from the left corner.
The guy is a killer and won’t be done shooting for a long time. Again, Curry’s record could last for a very long time. Maybe for always. But if someone does pass him in the future, Hield might be the one to do it.
