Is a half court shot worth 4 points? No, it‘s 3 – here‘s why
Before we get into the nuances around half court shots, let‘s establish the clear baseline:
Under the standard professional basketball rulebook, a successfully made half court heave is worth 3 points – the same as any other shot scored from beyond the 3-point arc.
Now let‘s break down exactly why this is…
A brief history of basketball shot values
The original rules of basketball devised by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 awarded every cleanly made basket 1 point, regardless of shot distance or difficulty. This held true for decades until ABA and NBA leagues began experimenting with additional point values for longer shots in the 1960s.
Over this transitional period, there were some obscure variances:
- In the 1961-1962 season, the ABA Western Division briefly used a scheme with baskets under 12 feet worth 1 point, between 12-21 feet worth 2 points, and beyond 21 feet worth 3 points
- In the 1964-1965 season, the NBA Eastern Division ran a limited trial of just 1 extra point for baskets made beyond 20 feet
Eventually, the standard that still holds today emerged – 2 points for inside the arc, 3 points for beyond the arc. But it took until the 1979-1980 season for the NBA to fully adopt the universal 3-point line all teams still play by.
Shot Values by Basketball Era
| Era | Inside Arc | Beyond Arc |
|---------------------------|------------|------------|
| 1891 original rules | 1 point | 1 point |
| 1961-1962 ABA trial rules | 1 point | 2 points |
| | | 3 points |
| 1964-1965 NBA trial rules | 2 points | 3 points |
| 1979-1980 NBA adopts arc | 2 points | 3 points |So why lock in the values of 2 and 3 points rather than continuing to build out more tiers and scoring complexity?
Basketball purists argue that simplicity ensures the focus stays on the core components of athleticism, skill, and strategy. Clear binary shot values also make scorekeeping straightforward and keep fans engaged through instantly recognizable “this many points to tie, this many to take the lead” scenarios.
From an analytics perspective, the gap between 2 and 3 points also strikes the right balance between risk and reward to shape desired shot selection behaviors.
But this hasn’t stopped speculation around future rule changes…
What about 4 point plays?
There has been plenty of debate among basketball pundits around whether the NBA should introduce a deeper “4-point” arc or shot zone.
The league has strongly denied past reports of any official consideration. But it remains a popular talking point among fans, players, and coaches.
Purists scoff that more complex point schemes would further diminish classic inside play fundamentals. Analytics interpreters counter that the greater scoring spread could further optimize offensive efficiency.
Most concepts center on simply extending today‘s 23‘9" 3-point arc even farther out. Less discussed is whether unique 4+ point values could one day apply just for half court or even full court makes specifically. This would present some challenges:
- Altering shot values based on exact court coordinates rather than a clearly delineated arc could cause confusion
- Infrequent, low probability shots often coming in scramble situations may have limited strategic impact
- Matching up partial court heaves with common two and three point plays could complicate score flows
Of course novelty events like the All Star Weekend‘s Half Court Shot contest already prove it can spice up the game. But outside gimmicks, a basic model has stuck for good reason.
Potential Shot Value Rules
| Points | Shot Location | Usage |
|--------|-------------------|-------------------|
| 1 | Free Throw | Standard rules |
| 2 | Inside arc | Standard rules |
| 3 | Behind arc | Standard rules |
| 4? | Deeper arc? | Speculative |
| 4? | Half court? | Unlikely |
| 5? | Full court? | Novelty contests |For now, no indicators point to half court heaves jumping up to 4+ point status in official competitive play. But with an evolving game, stay tuned…
What makes Steph Curry so good from way downtown?
Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry has a knack for pulling up from – and improbably splashing – shots from far beyond the arc. His range extends all the way back to half court during warm ups and less serious game situations.
Consider some of Chef Curry‘s greatest hits:
- Multiple casual full court makes after practice and pregame
- Hitting 13 three-pointers in a row from all over the court
- Setting a new record with 16 total three-point makes across just 3 quarters
- Playoff buzzer-beating game winner launched from 3/4 court
But are these feats attributable more to sheer luck or supreme skill? The consistency points strongly to the latter.
In analyzing 3-point percentages alone, Curry outpaces his peers by staggering margins – shooting above 40% for 5 separate seasons since 2012. Expanding this out to deeper zones, one shot tracking study revealed:
30 feet: Curry makes an obscene 49.2%, next closest 23.1%
- 35-40 feet: Curry at 41%, next best under 30%
- Half court: Even at this range, Curry still sinks around 6%, over 2X nearest player
Extreme Long Range Shooting Percentages
| Shot Distance | Steph Curry | Next Best |
|---------------|-------------|-------------|
| > 30 feet | 49.2% | 23.1% |
| 35 - 40 feet | 41.0% | < 30% |
| Half Court | ~6% | < 3% |These numbers demonstrate that for all the good fortune boosting many of Curry‘s casual highlight reel shots, he possesses genuine in-game range unmatched by any peer.
His shooting prowess comes down to a combination of factors:
- Compact, efficient shooting motion perfect for quick release
- A feel for both calculating and randomly improvising angles
- Superior depth perception and spatial intelligence
- Ultra-confident shot psychology and fearless approach
- Extensive specialized practice at long distances
Could players start deliberately hunting deep 4-pointers as an exploitable edge if such rules emerge? Sure…but even the shortest extra yards back exponentially increase degree of difficulty. We‘ll happily keep gazing in awe at Steph‘s magical range either way!
While 4-point plays do sporadically occur under niche rule sets, half court and other extremely long makes count the same as all other 3-pointers in NBA and NCAA competition. Don‘t expect that to change soon even as speculative debate continues around potential arc extensions impacting future generations.
For now, we‘ll have to settle for the increasing frequency of jaw-dropping bangers from downtown specialists like Steph Curry to push the boundaries of what‘s possible out at the very fringes of scoring range!
