The NBA's Top 10 Outside Shooters

I'm not going to call this the "Top 10 Pure Shooters" list, because that has a connotation that eliminates shooters who are also all-around scorers. So what if Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash are better defined as "all-around players?" They are still two of the top 10 shooters in the NBA.

Shooting isn't about who can knock down open threes -- that's an aspect of it, but there is much more to shooting. Other factors include the ability to hit contested shots, " " to hit high degree of difficulty shots, " " to step up and drill clutch shots, " " to make a wide variety of jumpers and last but not least, " " to shoot a respectably high percentage through it all.

There are a couple of guys on this list who are thought of as "three-point specialists," but for the most part, these are shooters who are far from one-dimensional. This is it, plain and simple, the best shooters in basketball:

#10-Chauncey Billups, PG-Detroit Pistons

The 10-spot was anyone's game. Others in contention were Jason Richardson, Jason Terry, Raja Bell, Stephen Jackson and Carmelo Anthony. I'm going with Chauncey because he strokes them with ease under pressure, and there are very few players I'd rather get the ball to for a big jumper or clutch foul shots. We'll probably see more pressure hits from him during Detroit's playoff run this season.

#9-Dirk Nowitzki, PF-Dallas Mavericks

Dirk's an assassin because very few can get up high enough to contest his release. He's a phenomenal mid-range shooter and as far as range goes, he steps back comfortably behind the three-point arc. He is a bit inconsistent with three-point percentage -- that's why he's not higher than this.

#8-Leandro Barbosa, G-Phoenix Suns

Last year's leader in three-point shooting has come back to earth a little this season, but Barbosa remains one of the premier outside shooters. Without question, he has the most unorthodox release of any player on this list -- it's almost as if he pushes the ball (with both hands) up and out away from his body. But style doesn't matter here...the "Brazilian Blur" gets it done on the perimeter.

#7-Sasha Vujacic, G-Los Angeles Lakers

OK, I'll admit it -- I'm on the Lakers' bandwagon. The "Showtime" boys are playing so well it's easy to give credit to each of their contributers. Vujacic's jumper has been automatic to the point where he's being called "The Machine." TNT's crew -- Marv Albert, Mike "The Czar" Fratello, Reggie and Cheryl Miller -- said that Vujacic gave himself the nickname. If that's the case, Vujacic is a bad ass. Nice work, Sasha.

However, the ABC Crew -- Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy -- said that the nickname was an innovation by the Lakers' play-by-play man. Either way, Sasha is absolutely killin' it right now. He's certainly not afraid to shoot; I say, keep firing.

#6-Michael Redd, SG-Milwaukee Bucks

Mike's like the left-handed Ray Allen. He's widely known for his prowess beyond the three-point line, but he's a very adequate scorer inside of the arc. I place Redd behind Allen because his frequent injuries tend to affect his perimeter consistency. Like Vujacic, Redd is not at all shy about letting it go from anywhere on the court. Redd's not quite the specialist that Sasha is, but he's more capable of hitting difficult fade-aways and other high degree of difficulty shots.

#5-Daniel Gibson, G-Cleveland Cavs

In the games leading up to his ugly ankle injury, Gibson was cementing himself as the NBA's top three-point specialist this season. His stroke was so smooth and easy that he was making triples look like free throws. During All-Star Weekend, Gibson put on a show in the Rookie/Sophomore game, drilling a record-high 11 threes. He threw together a solid performance in the three-point contest, as well. Most importantly, in regular season action Gibson was providing LeBron with crucial floor space and a deadly outside threat.

#4-Steve Nash, PG-Phoenix Suns

In addition to leading the NBA in assists per game, Nash shoots an extremely high free throw, field goal and three-point percentage. Statistically, there are no glaring weaknesses in his shot. My lonesome complaint would be that he attempts many difficult pull-up jumpers on the move, some of which hurt the Suns in late-game situations. Though other times, he's a marksman in the clutch.

Initially I had Nash 7th on this list. Vujacic and Gibson are hot stocks this year -- I got a little caught up in their immense improvement. Nash has been doing this for awhile, he's more deserving of this position. It doesn't seem like he's going anywhere in the near future, either. Keep "flamethrowing," Steve.

(And yes, that was a shout out to Kevin Harlan who recently dubbed DeShawn Stevenson a "flamethrower." Easy there, Kev.)

#3-Richard Hamilton, SG-Detroit Pistons

No offense Sasha, but "Rip" is the real "Machine." This guy just smokes the net, one mid-range jumper after another. Preseason, regular season, early playoffs, NBA Finals -- it doesn't matter, Hamilton is as consistent as they come.

It must be the mask; I'm actually pretty surprised high school kids aren't trying it out around the country.

Anyway, Hamilton has now extended his beautiful stroke out to the three-point line. Not to say that he was incapable of hitting treys in the past, only that he's better now than ever. Simply put: a quick leaper with an accurate and blinding release.

#2-Ray Allen, SG-Boston Celtics

Speaking of quick releases..."Ray Ray" aka "Jesus Shuttlesworth" puts it in before you can get a hand up. The cliche is that Allen is the best shooter in the NBA -- a popular misconception. He may be the best upright shooter in the league, but he provides his team with less opportunities to score than Kobe. Meaning, he can't shoot with consistency from the multitude of angles that Kobe can. Also, he's not as capable of shooting over the top of a double team.

Nevertheless, Ray Ray is probably one of the best shooters in the history of the NBA. It's just the wrong era to compete for the No. 1 spot...


#1-Kobe Bryant, SG-Los Angeles Lakers

...because this man is around. It seems like no shot is impossible for Kobe. I watch Kobe and many times my natural reaction is, "Ugh, that's a horrible shot" -- and then of course, it goes in. I don't know how many times that has happened to me in the past. I've finally learned my lesson: there is no such thing as a "bad shot" when Kobe Bryant is letting one go. Every shot is a high-percentage shot. When Reggie Miller retired, Kobe also claimed the No. 1 clutch shooter position; he hasn't relinquished it. Not in the slightest bit.

As always, I could go on for days. It's not necessary. It's very clear...there's nothing anyone can do to stop Kobe.