Two players can shoot an identical field goal percentage and have wildly different scoring efficiency, because field goal percentage can't see three-pointers or free throws for what they're actually worth. True shooting percentage was built to fix that. Here's the difference, with worked examples.
What each stat actually counts
Field goal percentage is the simplest possible shooting stat:
FG% = Field Goals Made ÷ Field Goals Attempted
It treats a made three-pointer exactly the same as a made mid-range two — both count as one make. It also ignores free throws entirely.
True shooting percentage converts total points into an equivalent shooting percentage, weighting shots by what they're actually worth:
TS% = Points ÷ (2 × (FGA + 0.44 × FTA)) × 100
The 2 × in the denominator exists because two points is the "unit" value most shots are
worth, and the 0.44 × FTA term folds free-throw trips into that denominator at a fraction of
a full attempt (see below for why 0.44).
A worked example where they disagree
Take two players who each attempt 10 field goals:
Player A: makes 5 of 10 two-point shots, no free throws.
- FG% = 5 ÷ 10 = 50.0%
- Points = 10 → TS% = 10 ÷ (2 × 10) × 100 = 50.0%
Player B: makes 5 of 10 shots, but 4 of those makes are three-pointers, plus 4-for-4 from the free-throw line on 4 additional attempts.
- FG% = 5 ÷ 10 = 50.0% — identical to Player A
- Points = (1 × 2) + (4 × 3) + (4 × 1) = 2 + 12 + 4 = 18
- TS% = 18 ÷ (2 × (10 + 0.44 × 4)) × 100 = 18 ÷ (2 × 11.76) × 100 ≈ 76.5%
Same field goal percentage, a 26.5-point gap in true shooting percentage — because Player B is scoring far more efficiently per shot taken once threes and free throws are properly weighted.
Where the 0.44 comes from
Free-throw trips aren't all equivalent to one shot attempt — some come from and-one fouls (worth a fraction of a possession), some from two-shot fouls, some from three-shot fouls on a missed three. The 0.44 multiplier is a league-wide empirical estimate, refined over years of use by sites like Basketball Reference, of how many "true" scoring attempts each free throw represents on average. It's a useful approximation, not an exact per-player figure.
When to use which
- FG% is still useful for judging pure shot-making on a single shot type (e.g. comparing two centers' rim-finishing rate)
- TS% is the better stat for overall scoring efficiency, especially for high-volume three-point shooters or players who draw a lot of contact and get to the line
In the modern NBA, a TS% above 58% is considered very good for high-usage scorers, with league average typically in the mid-50s — there's no equivalent single "good" threshold for FG% since it varies so much by shot selection and position.