When you look at the list of three-point percentage leaders in the NBA, you’ll see some names you’d expect, like Joe Harris, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Patty Mills.
But there’s one name that currently sits atop the list that may come as a surprise, Jonas Valanciunas.
Valanciunas is currently the NBA’s leader in three-point percentage, shooting at an astounding 51.7 three-point clip, nearly four percentage points higher than Mills’ mark of 47.8.
Last season, Valanciunas was a 36.8 percent three-point shooter, and his previous career-best mark from beyond the line came from the 2017-18 campaign, where he shot 40.5 percent on 1.0 attempts per game.
Valanciunas’ numbers are helped out from his unbelievable effort on Monday night, where Valanciunas went 7-for-7 from deep in the first half of the Pelicans 123-104 win over the Los Angeles Clipper.
In total, Valanciunas ended the night with 39 points and 15 rebounds.
To be fair to others on the list, Valanciunas notably has fewer three-point attempts than others on the leaderboard, having shot 58 so far this season compared to Mills’ 138 attempts or Harris’ 88 attempts.
Valanciunas’ hot shooting start has not led to wins thus far for the Pelicans. So far this season, the Pelicans are 14th in the Western Conference with a record of 6-17, beating out only the 4-16 Houston Rockets. The Pelicans look to build on their latest win Tuesday against the Dallas Mavericks (10-9).
