True shooting percentage explained (and usage rate)
True shooting percentage (TS%) measures how efficiently a player scores by folding two-pointers, three-pointers and free throws into one number. The formula is points divided by twice the player's true shooting attempts, where true shooting attempts equal field goal attempts plus 0.44 times free throw attempts. Usage rate (USG%) is the companion number: how many of his team's possessions a player ends while he is on the floor.
The formula
TSA = FGA + 0.44 * FTA
This is the definition on Basketball-Reference's glossary. TSA, true shooting attempts, counts every field goal attempt as one shot, and counts free throws at 0.44 of an attempt each, because a possession does not end on every free throw: some trips come in pairs, some are and-ones, and some are three-shot fouls. Doubling TSA in the denominator puts the result on a familiar scale, since a two-point shot that goes in at 50 percent produces 1 point per attempt.
A worked example
Stephen Curry's 2025-26 regular season totals on Basketball-Reference: 1,142 points, 799 field goal attempts and 221 free throw attempts.
- TSA = 799 + 0.44 * 221 = 799 + 97.2 = 896.2
- 2 * TSA = 1,792.5
- TS% = 1,142 / 1,792.5 = .637
His field goal percentage that season was .468, and his true shooting percentage was .637. The gap is the point of the stat: his 190 made threes and 204 made free throws are worth more than a plain field goal percentage shows. Field goal percentage treats a made three like a made layup, and ignores free throws entirely.
What a good TS% looks like
I added up every player's 2025-26 totals from Basketball-Reference to get a league figure, and ranked the 279 players with at least 1,000 minutes played.
| Measure (2025-26) | Weak (10th pct.) | Typical (median) | Strong (90th pct.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| True shooting % | .531 | .581 | .641 |
| Usage rate | 13.1% | 19.2% | 27.4% |
League-wide TS% over all players' combined totals was .581. Percentiles are interpolated from the Basketball-Reference advanced table.
So a .581 TS% is average, .641 is top-tenth, and anything above .650 is well past the 90th percentile. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (.665) and Nikola Jokic (.670) were both above that line with real scoring loads. Be careful reading the very top of the list: the highest qualified mark, Jericho Sims at .772, came with a usage rate of 9.8 percent, so it describes a player who rarely shoots, not one who carries an offense.
Usage rate: how much of the offense runs through a player
Basketball-Reference describes usage percentage as an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while he was on the floor. A play is used when it ends in a shot, a trip to the line or a turnover. Five players share the floor, so an average usage is around 20 percent. In 2025-26 the median qualified player was 19.2 percent. Luka Doncic led qualified players at 38.1 percent.
Reading the two together
Usage tells you how much of the offense a player carries, and TS% tells you what the team gets back for it. High usage with high efficiency is the rare combination. Doncic used 38.1 percent of the Lakers' plays with a .616 TS%, and Jalen Brunson used 30.4 percent of the Knicks' plays at .580. Both carried huge loads, and Doncic got more value from his. Low usage with high TS% describes a player who takes few shots and makes most of them. High usage with low TS% describes a volume scorer who spends many possessions for fewer points each.
Two cautions. TS% ignores turnovers and assists, so it only judges the shots. And usage can rise because a team lacks other creators, not only because a player is great, so compare a player to his role as well as to the league.
How StatScout helps
Basketball: Hardwood StatScout is an independent iPhone app, not affiliated with the NBA, built to show TS%, USG% and other advanced metrics as percentile bars against other NBA players. It is coming to the App Store. The percentile view answers "is .590 good?" at a glance, so you do not have to remember the table above.
Frequently asked questions
What is true shooting percentage?
True shooting percentage is a measure of scoring efficiency that counts two-point shots, three-point shots and free throws. It equals points divided by twice the sum of field goal attempts and 0.44 times free throw attempts.
Why is the free throw multiplier 0.44?
Not every free throw attempt ends a possession, because some come in pairs, some follow made baskets and some come in threes. The 0.44 factor estimates how many possessions a free throw attempt represents on average.
What is a good true shooting percentage in the NBA?
In 2025-26 the league-wide figure was about .581, and the 90th percentile among players with at least 1,000 minutes was about .641. Above .650 is past the 90th percentile.
What is usage rate in basketball?
Usage rate is an estimate of the percentage of a team's plays that a player uses while he is on the floor. A play is used when it ends in a field goal attempt, a trip to the free throw line or a turnover.
What is a high usage rate in the NBA?
In 2025-26 the median player with at least 1,000 minutes was 19.2 percent. About 27.4 percent was the 90th percentile, and Luka Doncic led at 38.1 percent.