If you’re like me and you believe that basketball has generally gotten more skilled over time — better training, better diet, better coaching, all those kinds of things adding up to a more talented game — here’s a tough question to answer: Why does the single-season record for best team free throw accuracy belong to the 1989-90 Boston Celtics, at 83.2 percent?
The free throw is really the only constant across generations of basketball. It’s always been one player, a shouting crowd, 15 feet. Why hasn’t this facet of the game, with increasingly valuable free points up for grabs, been dramatically improved upon? It gets even more confusing when you consider that sharpshooting big men have gone from blue-moon-rare oddity to something near essential. Today, unless your center is a true defensive monster, they must pull their weight with suitable outside shooting — which should mean better free throw shooting, too. The 1989-90 Celtics look like a very improbable team to set the record considering they were a bottom-five squad that season in 3-point accuracy, at a medieval 26.2 percent.
To be fair, we do live in basketball’s best-ever decade for free throw shooting. In league history there have been 58 teams to end a regular season with a team free throw average of 80 percent or better. It took about 20 years, until 1973-74, for it to happen the first time. It happened 15 times from 2000-2009, and it’s already happened 15 times from 2010-2017, with no other decade coming close. Still, those old-school Celtics stand on top.
Read More: The complete history of NBA four-teamers and beyond
Four teams bested 80 percent this year, and here are the offseason moves that each of those teams should make in order to give those 1989-90 Celtics a run for their money, thereby giving a fundamental piece of basketball pride to this generation. These are not necessarily good basketball moves, but then again, isn’t improving a team’s free throw percentage a good basketball move to some extent?
Dallas Mavericks — 80.1 percent
1. Trade Salah Mejri for Boban Marjanovic.
It’s been an incredibly efficient two-year run in Dallas for Mejri, the league’s first-ever Tunisian player, but it’s time to ship that 58.9 percent accuracy outta there. In Detroit, Stan Van Gundy signed Boban to a three-year, $21 million deal without having any space for him in the rotation, so Mejri’s $1.47 million bill will look quite appetizing. In Marjanovic, Dallas both gets a cult hero and a 77.9 percent shooter.
2. Make sure Nerlens Noel is still doing whatever he is doing.
After shooting 52.9 percent his one season in college and then 60 percent across his first two NBA seasons, Noel made an impressive jump up to 69.4 percent last season. This year-by-year improvement has been quietly phenomenal, and Noel will need to maintain that accuracy in order for Dallas to have a shot.
3. Guarantee those non-guaranteed deals.
The Mavericks front office holds an incredible amount of leverage going into this summer. Dorian Finney-Smith (75.4 percent), Nicolas Brussino (77.3 percent), Devin Harris (79.6 percent) and Yogi Ferrell (83.1 percent) are all on non-guaranteed contracts. Let’s keep that young squad together.
Boston Celtics — 80.7 percent
1. Let Amir Johnson walk in free agency, go big on Serge Ibaka.
I actually like this idea beyond just free-throw reasons. And there are also great free-throw reason to swap Johnson (67.4 percent) for Ibaka (75.7 percent career, 85.6 percent last year).
2. Do not pick up Tyler Zeller’s non-guaranteed year, sign David West instead.
I’m all about continuing West’s tour of the league’s contending teams. While Zeller has an honorable 76.9 percent career average, a dip down to 56.4 percent in 2016-17 shall not stand. Plus, West (81.8 percent career) will cost considerably less than Zeller’s $8 million price tag, freeing up some important millions for the Ibaka move. Knowing Boston’s undying love for white guys, though, it will probably not be West but rather free agent Mike Muscala (81.7 percent) to take Zeller’s place.
3. Trade Jaylen Brown and a future draft pick for Jamal Murray.
Given Murray’s surprisingly positive plus-minus impact, I think Denver hangs up the phone immediately unless there’s a serious draft pick attached. Still, it would be sweet to exchange Brown (68.5 percent) for Murray (88.3 percent).
Indiana Pacers — 81.0 percent
1. Trade Thaddeus Young to Pelicans for Solomon Hill.
Somehow Young is still only 28-years-old and not, like, 36-years-old. Young is not a good fit for the Pelicans, but with one guaranteed year plus a player option left on his deal, New Orleans makes the deal to get out of the last three years and $36 million of Hill’s inexplicable contract. Since Young is a career 67.9 percent shooter — including a career-worst 52.3 percent last year — it’s definitely worth it for Indiana to reunite with Hill and his 82.2 percent career average.
2. C.J. Miles must be retained at all costs.
Coming off of a career-best 90.3 percent, Miles has already declined his $4.7 million player option. Somehow, Miles has never earned more than that across his 12 (!) NBA seasons.The higher price tag will be worth it for the Pacers.
3. Cut Lance Stephenson, replace him with Jodie Meeks.
Larry Bird made a little move for himself on his way out the door — that’s fine. But Lance and his 69.0 percent career average do not hold a candle to Meeks, whose recent injuries should dramatically deflate the price on his 88.1 percent accuracy.
Charlotte Hornets — 81.5 percent
1. Eat the Miles Plumlee contract.
It was bizarre that Milwaukee signed Plumlee to a John Henson-sized four-year, $50 million extension last offseason. Charlotte’s decision to trade for Plumlee this season — at the same time relieving an Eastern Conference rival of a huge financial burden — is entirely baffling. The eldest Plumlee and his 56.4 percent career average must go, and it’s hard to imagine any takers on the trade market.
2. Trade Cody Zeller for Timofey Mozgov.
This is easily the most ill-advised trade proposal in this article, but Zeller (67.9 percent last year) was Charlotte’s only regular player under 75 percent in 2016-17, so there’s not a lot of other places for the team to improve. With a 73.7 percent career average, including a career-best 80.8 percent last season, Mozgov finally solidifies the all-important center position for the Hornets. Could the Lakers be shown ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus for the first time, have Zeller’s prominent position pointed out to them and be convinced to include Jordan Clarkson (80.9 percent career) in the deal as well?
3. Re-sign free agent Brian Roberts.
Roberts is a career 90.8 percent shooter and was available for the Hornets last summer at $1.1 million. Easy call.
Next: Chicago Bulls offseason preview
The Clincher
After these teams inevitably make all of these moves, they’ll all be in really good shape to topple the Celtics of yesteryear. The only way that they’ll be able to outgun each other, then, is to win the free agent pursuit of Kyle Korver (88.0 percent) and/or JJ Redick (88.8 percent). No price will be too high in the great Free Throw Shooting arms race of 2017.
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