field goal percentage

{{Short description|Statistic in basketball}}

{{Refimprove|date=December 2009}}

File:NBA FG%.webp

Field goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted.{{cite web |title=Field Goal Percentage (FG%) |url=https://jr.nba.com/field-goal-percentage-fg/ |website=Jr. NBA |date=20 September 2015 |access-date=19 June 2018}} Its abbreviation is FG%. Although three-point field goal percentage is often calculated separately, three-point field goals are included in the general field goal percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes higher efficiency.

In basketball, a FG% of .500 (50%) or above is considered a good percentage, although this criterion does not apply equally to all positions. Guards usually have lower FG% than forwards and centers. Field goal percentage does not completely tell the skill of a player, but a low field goal percentage can indicate a poor offensive player or a player who takes many difficult shots.

In the NBA, center Shaquille O'Neal had a high career FG% (around .580) because he played near the basket making many high percentage layups and dunks. Guard Allen Iverson often had a low FG% (around .420) because he took the bulk of his team's shot attempts, even with high difficulty shots.

The NBA career record for field goal percentage is held by DeAndre Jordan at 0.673.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/fg_pct_career.html|title=NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for Field Goal Pct - Basketball-Reference.com|website=Basketball-Reference.com}} Currently, the highest field goal percentage record for a single season is 0.742 by New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson which was set during the abbreviated 2019–20 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/fg_pct_season.html|title=NBA & ABA Single Season Leaders and Records for Field Goal Pct - Basketball-Reference.com|website=Basketball-Reference.com}} Before Mitchell Robinson, NBA Hall of Fame player Wilt Chamberlain held the record from 1971-1972 to 2019-2020 with a season high field goal percentage of 0.727.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/fg_pct_season.html|title=NBA & ABA Single Season Leaders and Records for Field Goal Pct - Basketball-Reference.com|website=Basketball-Reference.com}}

Field goal percentages were substantially lower in the NBA until the mid-to-late 1960s.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/fg_pct_yearly.html|title=NBA & ABA Year-by-Year Leaders and Records for Field Goal Pct - Basketball-Reference.com|website=Basketball-Reference.com}} For this reason, many early NBA stars have low field goal percentages, such as Bob Cousy at .375, and George Mikan, Bob Pettit, and Bill Russell, whose career field goal percentages of .404, .436, and .440, respectively, are much lower than later post players.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/awards/hof.html|title=Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees - Basketball-Reference.com|website=Basketball-Reference.com}}

Three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage are usually kept as additional statistics. Their abbreviations are 3FG% and FT%, respectively. A 3FG% of .400 and above is a very good percentage, while a FT% of .900 or above is well regarded.