Calculate true shooting percentage (TS%) from points, field goal attempts, and free throw attempts, or find the points needed to hit a target TS%.
True Shooting Percentage Formula
True shooting percentage combines two-point shots, three-point shots, and free throws into a single scoring efficiency number:
TS% = PTS / (2 * (FGA + 0.44 * FTA)) * 100
The calculator can also run the formula backwards to find the points required to reach a target efficiency on a given number of attempts:
PTS = (Target TS% / 100) * 2 * (FGA + 0.44 * FTA)
Variables:
- TS% is the true shooting percentage, expressed as a percent
- PTS is the total points scored, including free throws
- FGA is the total field goal attempts, counting both 2PT and 3PT tries
- FTA is the total free throw attempts
- 0.44 is the free throw weight, an estimate of the share of free throw attempts that end a possession (and-one free throws and technicals do not)
- FGA + 0.44 * FTA is often written as TSA, true shooting attempts
In the default mode, enter points, FGA and FTA to calculate TS%. Choose whole-count game or season totals, or consistent per-game averages with decimals. Made-shot entry totals two-point makes, three-point makes and free throw makes; blank make fields mean zero. It also reports FG%, eFG% and FT%, with zero-denominator rates shown as unavailable. The target mode gives a continuous average-points threshold for averages, or rounds up to the next reachable whole-point total for totals. With no free throw attempts, a one-point total is impossible from two- and three-point makes, so a positive one-point threshold advances to two. Targets beyond 3 × FGA + FTA are marked not reachable. Free-throw weighting starts at 0.44; the retained 0.475 and 0.50 options are alternative assumptions, not verified league standards. The calculator assigns no current league rating.
Historical Illustrative TS% Comparisons
The following retained bands are illustrative historical labels, not verified current NBA benchmarks, scouting grades or a rating used by the calculator. Compare a player with the relevant season, league, role and volume; TS% alone does not measure overall value.
| TS% range | Rating | What it typically means |
|---|---|---|
| 63% and up | Elite | Top-tier finishers and high-volume rim runners; league-leader territory |
| 60% to 63% | Excellent | All-star level efficiency, especially on high usage |
| 57% to 60% | Above average | Better than the recent NBA norm; a clear efficiency positive |
| 54% to 57% | Around average | Near the historical league norm; acceptable for high-usage creators |
| 50% to 54% | Below average | Inefficient unless paired with heavy playmaking or defense |
| Under 50% | Poor | Scoring costs the team possessions; a red flag at any volume |
The next table preserves approximate historical illustrations from the previous article. These figures have not been independently verified as season averages and should not be used as a current reference. Use a sourced season-specific comparison for actual analysis.
| Era | Approximate league TS% | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | about 54% | Fast pace, few three-point attempts |
| 1990s | about 53% to 54% | Physical defenses, heavy mid-range diets |
| 2000s | about 53% to 54% | Slow pace, isolation-heavy offense |
| 2010 to 2015 | about 54% | Early analytics era, threes rising |
| 2015 to 2019 | about 55% to 56% | Three-point boom reshapes shot selection |
| 2019-era illustration | about 56% to 58% | Spacing, rim pressure, and free throw efficiency at historic highs |
Example Problems
Example 1: Calculate TS% from a season stat line.
A player scores 620 points on 480 field goal attempts and 150 free throw attempts. First find true shooting attempts:
TSA = 480 + 0.44 * 150 = 480 + 66 = 546
TS% = 620 / (2 * 546) * 100 = 620 / 1092 * 100 = 56.78%
The arithmetic result is approximately 56.78%. A league or era comparison requires a separately sourced benchmark; the calculator does not assign a grade.
Example 2: Find the points needed to hit a target TS% in a game.
A player expects about 20 field goal attempts and 8 free throw attempts and wants a 60% true shooting night:
TSA = 20 + 0.44 * 8 = 23.52
PTS threshold = 0.60 * 2 * 23.52 = 28.224, which rounds up to 29 points for whole-count totals
Scoring 29 points on that shot volume gives TS% = 29 / 47.04 * 100 = 61.6%, clearing the target.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the formula multiply free throw attempts by 0.44?
The 0.44 factor is the standard convention in the NBA TS% formula. It estimates the free-throw contribution to shooting attempts because free throws occur in different trip types, including and-one and technical situations. It is not an exact possession count or proof that exactly 44% of a particular player’s free throws end possessions. The 0.475 and 0.50 alternatives are retained as explicit modeling assumptions.
What is a good true shooting percentage?
A useful comparison depends on league, season, role, volume and the calculation convention. The historical illustrative tables do not establish current average or elite thresholds. TS% can exceed 100% for a valid small stat line, such as one made three on one field goal attempt; it is an efficiency ratio, not the percentage of shots made.
How is TS% different from FG% and eFG%?
Field goal percentage treats every make the same, so a 3-for-9 night from deep (33.3% FG) looks worse than 4-for-9 on twos (44.4% FG) even though the threes produce 9 points and the twos produce 8. Effective field goal percentage fixes that by giving threes 50 percent extra credit, but it still ignores free throws entirely. TS% accounts for all three ways of scoring, which is why a player who gets to the line often and converts can post a TS% far above their FG%. If you enter made shots in the calculator, it shows all three percentages side by side for the same line.
