The 50/40/90 club is the hall of fame for basketball efficiency. Shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3, and 90 percent from the free throw line takes top-tier shot making and next-level consistency.
Larry Bird (2x), Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash (4x), Kevin Durant (2x), Steph Curry, Malcom Brogdon, Kyrie Irving, Elena Delle Donne, Napheesa Collier, and Quinn Cook (G-League) are the only players to accomplish this feat at the NBA or WNBA level.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already has a ton of accomplishments, but he's looking to add this one to his trophy room. It's no surprise a player as elite as SGA is approaching this milestone, but there's a slew of players around the league with their eyes set on shooting supremacy.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 56 FG% | 43 3P% | 88 FT%
SGA is comical. True shooting percentage has no bearing in his 50/40/90 pursuit, but he has a center-like 69 true shooting percentage with his versatile shot diet. This dude is unreal.
It's most surprising that he's nailing the deep ball at this level. SGA was solid at 37 percent last year and shot 41 percent from deep in 2021, but what he's doing now is merciless. His pull-up game is flowing so much, and defenses have no answers for him.
He'll get to the free-throw line enough to bump that percentage to the 90s. SGA hasn't ducked the fact that his dominant Thunder are chasing the wins record. I do not doubt that he's aware of how close he is to efficiency immortality.
Cam Spencer: 50 FG% | 49 3P% | 91%
Both the Warriors and Grizzlies Spencer brothers have taken the NBA by storm this season, but Cam has been unconscious. He's attempted one more 3 than SGA and is making approximately half his 3s.
Spencer can do the unforeseen and be the first official member inducted into the 50/50/90 shooting club if he stays on this burner! It's more likely that he slows down a bit, with his role probably fluctuating with Ja Morant in and out of the lineup.
Regardless of how this chase ends, Spencer has established himself as a legit rotation player. It's impressive that he's in this 50/40/90 range because he's one of two players on the hunt this year who aren't starters.
Luke Kennard: 47 FG% | 43 3P% | 95 FT%
The Hawks haven't started Luke Kennard in one game this year, despite him being on a never-ending burner. He's a critical part of a Hawks squad that's looking like they need Trae Young after all. Kennard has done his part with Young out; he's shot over 40 percent from 3 in that stretch.
The deep ball will never be the problem for Kennard to crack the 50/40/90 list, but it's his shooting from the field overall. Over half of Kennard's shots came from 3. Making 43 percent of those works for his 3-point shooting threshold, but hurt his overall field percentage.
Kennard is a certified sniper from deep, so we weren't suggesting a shot profile change. His profile just means it'll be tough to crack this list. He's an 88 percent career free-throw shooter, so that'll stick.
Jamal Murray: 50 FG% | 44 3P% | 89 FT%
Playoff Jamal Murray, who blazes nets, is finally here for the regular season! Murray has career-best numbers across the board and is primed to be named an All-Star for the first time.
Murray isn't playing around off the dribble. He's creating his shot from deep to the tune of 47 percent on pull-up 3s. This is a burner that the Los Angeles Lakers hate seeing him on. The whole league has been in trouble when Murray comes to town this year.
This isn't low volume or careful shooting that has catapulted Murray in this range; he still takes outlandish range shots that produce elegant string music. SGA and the Thunder appear unstoppable, but this Murray and Nikola Jokić is too much to overlook in a playoff setting.
Harrison Barnes: 47 FG% | 41 3PT% | 85FT%
Harrison Barnes and the next player on the list are connected for different reasons besides great shooting. Some need to let the 2016 Barnes Finals shooting collapse go and appreciate the consistent career he's put together.
This efficiency has been needed for the Spurs, and it's not the first time Barnes has flirted with 50/40/90. He hit the 50/40 marks last year for the Spurs, but was 10 percentage points shy for free throws.
With Victor Wembanyama returning to the lineup and the need for speed guards on the Spurs roster, Barnes will always have open looks. He's shooting a lights-out 49 percent on open 3s (4-6 feet of space). For reference, Curry is shooting 30% on those shots. Barnes has been cooking.
Kevin Durant: 49.9 FG% | 39 3PT% | 89 FT%
KD replaced Barnes in Golden State in the 2016 summer to ensure there were no more all-time shooting slumps from the small forward position. KD never came up short for the Warriors. He's currently a bit short of reaching the 50/40/90 club for the third time.
The Rockets desperately needed this shot-making. Throwing Durant in the mix has taken their 22nd half-court offense to 12th per Cleaning The Glass. That'll be KD taking late-clock shots instead of Jalen Green for the Rockets in these playoffs. Good luck defending that.
Before we get to the playoffs, I do believe Durant will crack this list again. He and SGA are the most likely to be there out of the six who are here chasing. Durant already gets his flowers for being one of the best scorers to do it. Accomplishing another 50/40/90 season is just another argument for Durant's scoring supremacy.