How does the new 'money ball rule' affect the 2014 3-Point Contest participants?
While it's the Slam Dunk Contest that gets most of the love and attention on NBA All-Star Saturday Night, the 3-Point Contest usually provides an entertaining co-main event.
This year, Kyrie Irving will look to defend his 2013 title against seven other shooters, the largest field since 2001-02.
The Rule Change
In an interesting twist this year, the placement of the "money balls" will be at the discretion of the shooter. Traditionally, there are five racks (each corner, each elbow and at the top of the 3-point line), each with a "money ball," a shot worth two points rather than the one point "regular" balls are worth, at the end of the rack.
This year, however, only four racks will follow that format. The fifth rack will contain five money balls, and each shooter can choose where they want that rack to be positioned. That is, the "money ball rack" is now the most important, and a shooter can place it at a sweet spot or other strategic location.
The Strategy
The question of where to place the special rack seems straightforward - place it where you shoot best. But it's not quite that simple, and there are important factors at play.
The rub comes with corner threes. Players tend to perform better in the corners because shots from there are shorter, The risk with placing all of the money balls in a corner, however, is perhaps too large since players start and finish in the corners. Start with the money ball rack and risk shooting your most important shots while cold; finish with the money ball rack and risk running out of time and leaving points in the rack. You also don't want to shoot from somewhere you shoot from less often.
It's a tough call, so the players may choose based on where they're most accurate from. Strategy be damned, just trust the numbers.
Selecting a Money Rack
As outlined in greater detail in the storyline below, the field consists of eight shooters of varying volume and efficacy from long range.
The table below shows how each competitor has shot from each rack location this season:
| Shooter | Right Corner | Right Elbow | Top | Left Elbow | Left Corner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyrie Irving | 23.1% (6/26) | 26.9% (21/78) | 45.7% (16/35) | 47.5% (38/80) | 37.5% (9/24) |
| Bradley Beal | 40.5% (15/37) | 43.4% (23/53) | 52.6% (10/19) | 45.5% (30/66) | 34.4% (11/32) |
| Joe Johnson | 40.7% (22/54) | 25% (13/52) | 33.3% (9/27) | 49.1% (28/57) | 46.8% (22/47) |
| Arron Afflalo | 40% (6/15) | 36% (18/50) | 45% (18/40) | 38.1% (24/63) | 55.1% (27/49) |
| Steph Curry | 31.6% (6/19) | 42.3% (52/123) | 44% (55/125) | 38.7% (41/106) | 47.2% (17/36) |
| Marco Belinelli | 43.5% (10/23) | 56.8% (25/44) | 44.4% (16/36) | 37.3% (19/51) | 44% (11/25) |
| Kevin Love | 40% (2/5) | 34.5% (20/58) | 30.2% (19/63) | 39.6% (65/164) | 57.1% (8/14) |
| Damian Lillard | 37.5% (9/24) | 45.9% (45/98) | 33.6% (41/122) | 41.4% (46/111) | 61.5% (8/13) |
From there, we can guess where each shooter may place the "money rack."
Kyrie Irving - Anywhere on the left side but probably the left elbow. Hey, where is Dion Waiters going with the rack?
Bradley Beal - Either elbow seems a fine choice.
Joe Johnson - The left corner, but are you going to argue with a seven-time All-Star if he chooses somewhere else?
Arron Afflalo - That left corner, all day.
Steph Curry - Half-court. Oh, that's not an option. Anywhere should suffice, he's the favorite and can hit from everywhere.
Damian Lillard - The right elbow seems a good call on percentages and volume.
Marco Belinelli - Right elbow, unless he can take his corner threes in the flow of the Spurs offense.
Kevin Love - Anywhere on the left side seems fine. Like with his free agency.
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