Dirk Nowitzki, One of the NBA's Best Scorers

Last night Dirk Nowitzki became the sixth player in NBA history to cross the 30,000 points in the regular season threshold. Of course, Dirk has also been a very efficient scorer across his NBA career, so let's run down how he look on the all-time list when we factor in missed shots.

A reminder, the metric we are using is "Net Points," which just factors in missed shots and missed free throws. The exact formula is

[Net Points] = [Points] - [Field Goal Attempts] - 0.44 * [Free Throw Attempts]

Here's how the top 20 players in NBA history in regards to Net Points look.

Name Points Net Points
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387 5,986.2
Karl Malone 36,928 4,915.3
Reggie Miller 25,279 4,688.6
Charles Barkley 23,757 4,349.1
Shaquille O'Neal 28,596 4,188.1
Adrian Dantley 21,613 4,119.6
Dirk Nowitzki 30,005 4,082.9
LeBron James 28,316 4,036.3
Michael Jordan 32,292 3,895.3
John Stockton 19,711 3,502.8
Artis Gilmore 15,579 3,471.1
Kevin Durant 17,873 3,392.0
Ray Allen 24,505 3,385.2
Moses Malone 27,409 3,304.4
Magic Johnson 17,707 3,182.0
Paul Pierce 26,316 3,155.0
Kobe Bryant 33,643 3,038.2
Steve Nash 17,387 3,006.0
Kevin McHale 17,335 2,997.2
David Robinson 20,790 2,960.6

Dirk will likely finish his career 7th in Net Points right in front of Michael Jordan! In regards to the 30,000 club, which has Kareem, Malone, MJ, Kobe, and Wilt, it turns out Dirk is actually the third highest in Net Points! In a sad note, Wilt doesn't even make top 20 in Net Points despite being an incredible scorer because he was that bad at free throws! Regardless, in a shock to no one, Dirk has been a damned good scorer. One more note. Let's look at the top players regarding Net Points from threes.

Player Position Points from Threes Net Points from Threes
Ray Allen 2.0 8,919 1,490
Kyle Korver 2.5 6,078 1,372
Stephen Curry 1.0 5,517 1,311
Reggie Miller 2.0 7,680 1,194
Steve Nash 1.1 5,055 1,116
Dale Ellis 2.4 5,157 891
Peja Stojakovic 2.9 5,280 888
Mike Miller 2.5 4,764 862
Jason Terry 1.5 6,660 813
Glen Rice 3.1 4,677 781
Chauncey Billups 1.2 5,490 765
Klay Thompson 2.3 3,777 762
Brent Barry 2.0 4,185 743
Rashard Lewis 3.6 5,361 736
J.J. Redick 1.9 3,663 702
Wesley Person 2.4 3,450 696
Allan Houston 2.1 3,915 668
Dirk Nowitzki 4.2 5,115 661
Dell Curry 2.0 3,735 637
Vince Carter 2.6 6,057 646

Dirk is 18th overall on the Net Points from threes list, which is a bit less impressive. However, a huge thing to note is he is the only player on this list that is classified entirely as a big. Dirk is the only power forward/center to crack the top 20 in terms of three-point prowess! The basic point is not only is Dirk one of the best scorers in NBA history; he has been one of the most efficient and most versatile! Good on ya Dirk!

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