http://www.grantland... ... of-the-nba
League-wide, the shot distance with the lowest field goal percentage is located in the paint only 4 feet from the rim. While it seems counterintuitive that a typical NBA 4-foot shot is less likely to go in than a 24-footer, it’s a fact for two reasons: (1) Four-foot shots are just long enough to be “shots” as opposed to dunks and layups, and (2) massive athletic defenders like Roy Hibbert, Dwight Howard, and of course LARRY SANDERS! are really interested in making sure these shots don’t go in. Four-footers are very rarely wide-open looks and are usually taken in the presence of interior defenders.
