NBA Left Handed Shooters Of All Time
NBA Left Handed Shooters Of All Time: Left-handed people are a rare breed, making up less than 10% of the world’s population. This means that overall, only a handful of left-handed basketball players enter the league each year. In fact, it was found that left-handed players were more likely to be NBA champions in comparison with right-handed players who had about a half victory advantage in the long run.
If you look at last year’s All-Star Game, more than half of the players made the All-Star team, while eight of the 10 players made at least one appearance. Here is a look at the ten best left handed players in the NBA for this season.
10. Goran Dragic
Goran Dragic made his debut in the basketball world when he was 17 years old in the EuroLeague. Since then, Goran has been a complementary point guard for each team he has been a part of in his career. Goran owns one All-Star appearance, 2018, while he is the 2014 Most Improved Player of the Year.
In 2015, he was brought on to the Miami Heat. And, in 2020, he helped them win the NBA Finals. Dragic is a prolific scorer inside, who has a high conversion rate of layups on isolation plays. He relies on his reputation as a shooter and playmaker as well as his bread-and-butter style of transition offense.
9. D’Angelo Russell
Russell Westbrook, a former All-American and an original all-star, has yet to find his place as a starter in the league. He is a former All-Star with 20 point per game potential. Even if it feels like he’s been in the league for years, Westbrook is only 25 years old, and so he’s a veteran of the league.
Russell is a creative playmaker that has refined his ball handling skills. The way he sees the court has also expanded over the years, as well as his overall handle. While his handles don’t always come with recognition, he’s a tough player to guard because of how consistently he pushes the ball and distributes it at high rates. Because of his limited defense, Russell remains in high demand on offense.
8. RJ Barrett – Stats
As a left-handed Luol Deng, Barrett enters his 3rd season in the NBA with tremendous upside, as he averaged over 17 points per game last year and shot over 40% from three-point range. Being an efficient shooter that brings a defensive upside onto the court, Barrett is a good 3-and-D player.
For Barrett to make a case that he is an All-Star caliber player in this league, he needs to put up better numbers. Barrett is one year away from his next guaranteed contract, so it will be the perfect time for him to develop into the elite player he appears capable of becoming.
7. De’Aaron Fox
Despite not even being on an All-Star team, the Kings paid him the maximum salary to Fox. On the other hand, Fox is a pretty darn good basketball player that he could have easily been a multiple-All-Star had he played for another team. Fox is very fast, making it hard to stop on the break.
Fox is an athletic scorer with a knack for playmaking. He is primed for improvement with his outside shooting, but he is capable of dishing the ball out to teammates. With the arrival of Tyrese Haliburton, Fox may be able to score thirty points per game one day.
6. Domantas Sabonis
Sabonis is a great value on an already talented team. Throughout the 2016-2017 season, he finished in the top-5 in double-doubles production. Sabonis has also been recognized for getting triple-doubles once or twice every year to highlight his abilities as well. Let’s not forget Paul George, who was traded to the Thunder before signing with them for longer term than other teams could offer.
Sabonis has the best rebounding numbers in the lefty crew. In our opinion, he is one of the top point forwards for NBA teams. He needs to prove he can lead a team and get his playoff resume into shape before he challenges for such an honor.
5. Mike Conley Jr.
Connor has already shown to be a stud in the NBA for his career and has a pretty good three-point shooting. In the 3-Point Contest, he came in second to Steph Curry, just narrowly losing 28 to 27. Connor is a true package of point guard.
Conley has been known to make his NBA debut in 2009 and was picked as a first-round pick after his rookie year. He was later able to make it to the Conference Finals that same year. With this being his second year on the Jazz, he’s looking to win the NBA Championship with them for the first time ever.
4. Julius Randle
Despite a disappointing end to the season last year, Randle made such an impressive turnaround that he has shown why he was worth the investment. He won Most Improved Player of the Year and shot much more efficiently than in previous years as well. In addition, Randle increased his assists average for the next five years by almost one every year.
Unlike other power forwards who primarily operate on the outside, Randle is a skilled set-up man and has range out to three-point land, which has excited not only the fans of the team but also the entire New York.
3. Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons is a three-time All-Star because of his ability to shoot, rebound and pass. Simmons has a career average of 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists with these stats just being a fraction away from triple-double status. He is the best rebounding point guard in the league, making him one of the best overall players on that end of the floor as well.
His career 3-point shooting rate (14.7%) is a major concern and he was runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year last year, but Simmons still deserves to be one of the top 4 players on this list. He does do a lot, and it’s why he has more All-Star nods than anyone else on this list. If he had bad shot or wasn’t such a top player in the NBA then he wouldn’t have been selected for this team, no question about it.
2. Zion Williamson
Charles Barkley, the Hall of Fame forward who was also a power forward at his time, was a good comparison for Williamson in comparing their individual performances on the court. So far, Williamson has put up many spectacular statistics and he could be even better once he reaches his full potential.
Reid has a high basketball IQ and is defensively versatile, with his athleticism being his greatest trait. Although he can switch hands, his forcefulness could be matched by the likes of Shaq or Barkley from from their respective sports.
1. James Harden
It is hard to compare Harden’s abilities to any other player in the NBA. From a scoring title, MVP, and individual awards, Harden can do it all. With his left hand being a contributing factor, he does more on the court by going beyond just offense.
Harden is an elite scorer and playmaker. He’s a career average of 36.1 points per game, and has averaged at least 30.0 points per game three straight years. Though he cannot yet topple Bill Russell from the spot at which he rests, Harden definitely slides in just below him on the all-time list among active players today, even if by default. If Harden were to win a championship, however, he would be in close proximity to that distinction too and likely above Russell, who hovers near the top of the pyramid of competing greats today.