Golden State Warriors: 15 best sharpshooters of all-time
Guard. (2001-07). Jason Richardson. 3. player. 41.
Before he was a sharpshooter, Jason Richardson was known predominantly for his dunking prowess. He was selected as the fifth overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft out of Michigan State.
He won the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest in 2002 and 2003 with a plethora of athletic and creative dunks. As time progressed though, his game evolved with the addition of 3-point shooting.
From 2004-07, Richardson improved his 3-point efficiency to 33 percent or better. He averaged a career-best 2.4 3-point makes during the 2005-06 season while shooting a season-high 38.4 percent from 3-point range. Richardson made 183 3-pointers during that season. He made over 100 3-pointers in four of the six seasons he played with the Warriors.
Richardson shot over 33 percent in all four of those seasons, showing fans that we was more than just a dunker. He currently ranks third all-time in 3-pointers made in franchise history (700). For his career with Golden State, he averaged 18.3 points per game on 35 percent shooting from 3-point land.
In his final season with the Warriors (2006-07), he made a season-high eight 3-pointers against the Phoenix Suns in a 124-119 victory back on March 29, 2007. Richardson went 8-for-13 (61.5 percent) from behind the arc in the win.
He set in motion a new precedent for 3-point shooters that the likes of Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry haven’t hesitated to follow. Now as one of the best franchises in league history, “The Splash Brothers” are well on their way of going down as two of the best sharpshooters in team history.