Can Anthony Edwards Break the Three-Point Record?
Anthony Edwards has been off to an absurd pace from three-point range, increasing his attempts and makes. As a career 35.3% three-pointer shooter leading up to this year, Edwards is now up to 45.8% from deep range. This is major efficiency for the number of threes he has started to take, shooting 5.1 more threes per game than his average last season. Over 50% of Edwards’ shots are coming from the long ball, propelling him to the top of the league in three-pointers made.
Not only is Edwards besting the league for this season, but he is currently off to one of the best starts from three-point range in NBA history. Through 10 games, Edwards sits at third in most three-pointers made to start a season. The only two better are two different seasons from the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry. Although that seems like a hard task to live up to, Edwards is currently on pace to break Curry’s most threes in a season.
The key is availability. In Curry’s best season, he notched a record-breaking 402 threes. In that 2015-16 season that Curry got the record, he missed three games. Edwards is no stranger to playing a long season, playing in 100% of games in his rookie year and coming off two back-to-back seasons of 79 games played. As it stands, Edwards is knocking in more threes per game than Curry. If Edwards is able to repeat that 79-game threshold, he is on track for 426 threes, smashing Curry’s record.
Many other elements are involved, with defensive adjustments, matchups, and cold streaks along the way. However, with Edwards intentionally creating more three-point shots, he set himself up for the right volume to make a splash. This was an approach that Edwards worked on over the summer, aiming to model his setup shot after Damian Lillard, another prolific three-point shooter. With the combination of Edwards’ work ethic and confidence, there is no question the record will be tested this season if all goes according to plan.
