Getting the best shots in basketball is the name of the game. While playing, you want to be as efficient as possible. This raises the questions, what’s the easiest shot in basketball?
There are two different answers for this question. The first one is a layup (or dunk). However, sometimes close range shots could be contested, making it a bit tougher than you’d expect. So this second answer is the free throw. These two shots could be the easiest depending on your skill set, the situation you’re in, and other factors. Let’s go into some examples how the ease of each shot could be different for each player.
So Why Is It a Toss Up Between a Free Throw and a Layup (or Dunk)?
The Case For The Free Throw
Let’s take a look at Steph Curry to start out the case for the free throw. Steph is very good at going to the basket and getting layups, however, he shoots 75.8% from the restricted area (which would be considered layup range).
On the other hand, he shoots 90.8% from the Free Throw line for his career. Although Steph is very efficient in the restricted area, taking a free throw is much easier for him than trying to get a layup off in a closely-contested game.
There are many other NBA players in the history of the league that match this exact description, which means there’s a large amount of players who think Free Throws are easier than layups.
The Case For The Close Range Shot (Layup Or Dunk)
You also have players like Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis shoots 75.4 percent from the restricted area (layup or dunk range). On the other hand he only shoots 71.3% from the Free Throw line.
Lebron James, Russel Westbrook, and other high-level players have a very similar profile to Giannis. This shows that there are many NBA players out there who think that close range shots are easier than free throws.
What’s The Easiest Shot In Pick Up Basketball?
So what’s missing from pick up basketball? Free throws. So is a layup the easiest shot in pick up basketball?
This also depends on the player, but during pick up games fouls are much more likely to happen when you get all the way to the basket. Since you don’t get free throws in pick up basketball, this makes it harder to take the close range shot.
The most under looked shot which is perhaps the easiest shot in pick up basketball is the floater. Instead of going all the way to the basket only to get fouled, floating it up after you get passed your defender over the big man or person defending the basket may be the best option in the game of pick up.
In summary
Many people have always crowned the layup as the easiest shot in basketball, however we can see based on the examples that this isn’t the case.
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