The 2020-21 Utah Jazz are the best three-point shooting team in NBA history

This week the Utah Jazz secured the NBA record for most three-pointers made per game in a single NBA season. At 16.8 makes per game, in a regular 82-game season would have put them on pace for 1,378 threes made, which would have shattered the previous record held by the Houston Rockets. Because of the shortened season, the “threes per game” record will suffice, and is an incredible feat.

Who would have ever thought that the Utah Jazz would field a roster that would become the greatest three-point shooting team of all-time? Definitely not me. Even though the Jazz have been a great three-point shooting team the last few years (#1 3P% team last season, top 10 in 3PM/game last two seasons) it still just seemed to come out of nowhere with this incredible volume of threes this season. You could definitely tell that this was a point of emphasis this offseason, and Quin Snyder adjusted his scheme and strategy to unleash the beast that is the 2020-21 Utah Jazz three-point shooters.

Beside securing the record for most threes per game, the Jazz made some noise in several areas of the NBA history books of three-point shooting. In the month of January they notched seven games with 20 or more three-pointers made, which was two more than any other team had ever achieved. During this month, they had a stretch where they made 20+ threes in 4 of 6 games, which had never been done. A month later, they became the first team to make 50 threes in a two game span.

They set an NBA record for threes in a half with 18, which is just.. insane.

They set and broke their own franchise record for three-pointers made several times this season, peaking at 28 (!!!) which was one off the NBA record, also set this season by the Milwaukee Bucks (shoutout to USU alum Sam Merrill for making the record-breaker). This game featured a perfect 7-7 from Georges Niang, which was amazing in and of itself.

They became the first team in the last 21 seasons to average the most three-pointers per game in the league, while allowing the fewest threes per game from their opponents.

The Jazz will have EIGHT (!!!) players finish the season shooting better than 38 percent from three, which is just unbelievable. This season has been arguably the best of Joe Ingles career, who shot 46 percent from three while making 2.8 threes/game, which are both career highs. He passed John Stockton as the franchise’s all-time leader in three-pointers made, and stands only 10 threes away from 1,000. He made a career-high eight three-pointers on March 18th against the Wizards, missing only two.

Donovan Mitchell will finish the season with a career-high 38 percent from three, which is amazing considering his usage and volume. Not bad for a “chucker”, eh?

Jordan Clarkson will finish the season leading the Jazz in three-pointers made, and will most likely eclipse the 200 mark in the final two games. Clarkson is the 6MOY favorite over teammate Joe Ingles, and has been a bucket-getter all season long.

Mike Conley finished the season shooting above 40% from three for just the third time. Conley’s elevated play this season was a MASSIVE reason for not only the Jazz’s three-point shooting success, but overall success and record as a whole.

The Jazz also got a career season out of Georges Niang, who has found a nice little niche on this team, and is probably going to make himself some money this offseason. Niang is shooting 42 percent on the season, and always kept that clip on him coming off the bench.

Couple some career-high seasons from a lot of guys with Bojan Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, Ersan Ilyasova, etc, and there you have it - the best three-point shooting team in NBA History.

By all stretches, these Jazz players were just straight flamethrowers all season long. It made the games so much fun to watch, and helped the Jazz to the best record in the NBA for the majority of the season. Focus now turns to the playoffs which start next week. Hopefully the Jazz can keep up the hot three-point shooting, because we’ve all seen what can happen to a great three-point shooting team that just goes cold in the wrong time (looking at you 2018 Rockets).