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December 12, 2008
So far this season the Hornets have relied heavily on the three point shot. Entering Wednesday’s game against the Charlotte Bobcats New Orleans is ranked second in the NBA in three-point percentage (.410) and score 23% of its points from beyond the arc. Of course, the leader of this beyond-the-arc-barrage is Peja Stojakovic.
If it seems like the Hornets are a better team when Peja is making treys…you’re right. Peja (in this story we should refer to him as TREY-ja) is 5th in the league with an average of just under (2.8) made three pointers per game. In fact, ‘3’ seems to be the key number for Stojakovic since joining Byron Scott’s crew. Going back to his injury-plagued first season with the Bees, when “TREY-ja” makes at least three threes in a game the Hornets are an astounding 30 games above .500!
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| SEASON | RECORD w/ PEJA 3+ MADE 3PT |
| 06-07 | 4-2 (PLAYED 13 GMS) |
| 07-08 | 34-10 (PLAYED 77 GMS) |
| 08-09 | 6-2 (PLAYED 16 GMS) |
| TOTAL | 44-14 (.758) |
Because the Hornets average 7.6 three pointers per game I took an early season look at how effective they are when reaching that total in a game. Not surprisingly, when the Bees fail to make at least seven triples in a game they are below .500 (2-3). So, half of their six losses this season have occurred when under achieving from over the arc. There’s more statistical support to show how made threes impact Hornets wins:
| RECORD | 3PT CATEGORY |
| 8-2 | HIGHER 3-PT % |
| 7-1 | MORE MADE THREES |
| 5-1 | MAKE .500+ OF THREES |
| 4-1 | 10 OR MORE MADE THREES |
The Hornets enter the week averaging 97.2 points per game, 18th in the NBA. Nine times they have reached the century mark and have a perfect record in those games. Six times in their first 17 games they have failed to reach the 90 point mark, they are 1-5 in those contests. The three-ball was a significant part of just one of those games…a three point road loss to Charlotte. In that game the Hornets did toss in 11 threes, but attempted a season high 28 treys in part because of the furious comeback they were mounting. The Hornets also shot a season low .421 from the field.
| SCORED 100+ POINTS | SCORED -90 POINTS | |
| 9-0 | W-L | 1-5 |
| 82 (9.1/gm) | 3PTM | 41 (6.8/gm) |
| 177 | 3PTA | 113 |
| .463 | 3PT% | .362 |
With 20% of the 2008-2009 season in the books (17 of 82 games) for the Hornets this reliance on the three-point shot has worked. Their 11-6 record had them in first place in the tough Southwest Division and their six losses are the second-fewest in the entire Western Conference.
As Peja’s three point numbers from last season suggest he is the key sharpshooter on this Western Conference title contender. Judging from his recent play the 31-year-old forward is on the brink of another stunning offensive run:
| LAST 4 GAMES | |
| PPG | 20.5 |
| 3PTM | 17 |
| 3PTA | 28 |
| 3PT% | .607 |
| STREAKS | 3-STRAIGHT GMS (20+ PTS) 61-STRAIGHT GMS (AT LEAST ONE THREE-POINTER) |
Stojakovic set a franchise record with 231 made threes a season ago, after successful back surgery in 2006. It appears for the second consecutive season Byron Scott will rely on “TREY-ja” to provide the bulk of the team’s long range game, although he is not the sole weapon from beyond the arc for the Hornets:
| PLAYER | 3PT% | 3PTM | 3PTA |
| STOJAKOVIC | .431 | 44 | 102 |
| POSEY | .449 | 31 | 69 |
| BUTLER | .479 | 23 | 48 |
| TOTALS | .447 | 98 | 219 |
So, when you’re tracking the Hornets title run this season pay close attention to the three point arc…and hope opposing teams are not.
