Coby White aims for new heights in his three-point shooting as he targets over 40% accuracy this NBA season.

At his Chicago Bulls Media Day press conference, Coby White set an ambitious standard for himself as he enters his seventh NBA season. The 6’5” guard is determined to elevate his three-point shooting to new heights.

“I think, this year especially, shoot above 40% from three,” said White, when discussing his goals for the upcoming season. “I think I haven’t done that yet in my career, and I think I shoot the ball at a good enough level to where I should’ve already done it.”

In the 2024-25 NBA season, White averaged 20.4 points per game (PPG), shooting 45.3% from the field and 37.0% from beyond the arc. This marked the first time in his career that he averaged over 20 points per game, according to NBA.com.

How can White increase his 3 Point Percentage?

During the 2024-25 season, White shot 38.4% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers and 34.5% on pull-up three-pointers.

Credit: NBA.COM

Let’s compare his stats with two players who averaged 20 PPG and shot 40% from three last season.

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Darius Garland, guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, posted these numbers:

Catch and Shoot 3P%41.8Pull Up 3P%38.7

Credit: NBA.com

Garland outperformed White in both categories. White could look to increase his efficiency across both shot types. However, significantly improving one could be a more realistic pathway.

Norman Powell, guard for the Los Angeles Clippers last season, had the following statistics:

Catch and Shoot 3P%45.2Pull Up 3P%37.8

Credit: nba.com

While Powell also shot better on pull-up threes than White, his exceptional catch-and-shoot percentage stands out. Powell had the 12th highest 3P% on catch and shoot threes in the league among players that attempted at least 80 threes last season. 

For White, significantly boosting his catch-and-shoot percentage may present the most viable route to hit the 40% target. Every single season, except for one, he has had a higher catch-and-shoot 3P% than pull-up 3P%. The one exception was the 2023-24 season, where White shot 36.5% on catch-and-shoot threes and 40.4% on pull-up threes.

Impact if White shoots 40% from 3 Point Range

In the 2024-25 NBA season, only eight players averaged at least 20 PPG and 40% from three-point range. Among these players, seven have been all-stars, and two have won at least one MVP award.

Credit: NBA.com

While there’s no guarantee that hitting this mark would make White an all-star this upcoming season, it would establish him as an efficient 20 PPG scorer in the league.

Even if White falls short of his goal, improving his three-point percentage while maintaining or increasing his attempts per game would be solid progress toward becoming a more efficient and consistent scorer.