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Visualize shot distribution and efficiency by zone
Shot charts are one of the most powerful visual tools in basketball analytics. They map every field goal attempt onto a representation of the basketball court, showing exactly where a player shoots from and how efficiently they convert from each zone. By analyzing shot charts, coaches, scouts, and fans can identify a player's offensive tendencies, find strengths to exploit, and pinpoint weaknesses to address.
Each dot on the chart represents a single shot attempt. Made shots are typically shown in green or a bright color, while misses appear in red or a muted tone. The court is divided into zones: the paint (within the lane), mid-range (between the paint and the three-point arc), corner threes (the shortest three-point shots along the baseline), and above-the-break threes (the rest of the three-point arc). Zone-based analysis breaks the court into these regions and calculates field goal percentage for each, giving you a clear picture of where a player is most and least effective.
In the modern NBA, the most efficient shooters concentrate their attempts in two areas: at the rim and behind the three-point line. Paint shots typically convert at 60-65% for strong finishers, while elite three-point shooters hit above 38% from deep. The mid-range is generally the least efficient zone on the court, which is why analytics-driven teams have moved away from it, although some elite mid-range shooters remain highly valuable due to their shot-creation ability. Corner threes are the highest-percentage three-point shot, converting around 38-40% league-wide, because the line is closer to the basket in the corners.
Beyond simple accuracy, shot distribution tells you how a player fits into an offense. A player who takes 50% of their shots at the rim is likely an aggressive driver or roll man, while one who takes 40% or more from three is a perimeter-oriented shooter. The balance between volume and efficiency in each zone is what separates good scorers from great ones. Use CourtVision's shot distribution bars to see exactly how each player's attempts are allocated across the court.
Each point on the chart represents a shot attempt placed at its approximate location on the court. Green or bright-colored dots indicate made shots, while red or muted dots represent misses. The zone breakdown table below the chart shows the field goal percentage for each area (paint, mid-range, corner 3, above-break 3) to help you quickly identify hot and cold zones.
In the zone breakdown cards, green indicates an above-average field goal percentage (50% or higher), gold indicates a moderate percentage (38-50%), and red indicates a below-average percentage (under 38%). On the chart itself, individual shot dots use color to distinguish makes from misses.
In the paint, elite finishers shoot above 65% while the league average is around 58-62%. For mid-range shots, 45% or higher is considered strong. Corner three-pointers convert at about 38-40% league-wide, and above-the-break threes at around 35-37%. Any player consistently exceeding these benchmarks in a zone is an above-average shooter from that area.
Mid-range shots are two-point attempts that typically convert at 40-45%, which yields roughly 0.80-0.90 points per attempt. By contrast, a 35% three-point shooter generates 1.05 points per attempt, and a 60% paint shooter generates 1.20 points per attempt. This math drives the modern NBA's emphasis on rim attacks and three-pointers over mid-range jump shots.