StaTuesday: Bucks' Brogdon among best 3-point shooting rookies ever
Malcolm Brogdon of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots the ball against the San Antonio Spurs.
Malcolm Brodgon has come out firing since the All-Star break.
The Milwaukee Bucks guard has six straight games scoring in double figures and is averaging 14.6 points in the seven games since the long layoff. He is also shooting 52.7 percent from the field and has made 12 of 25 3-pointers (48.0 percent).
That last part shouldn't be so surprising.
Brogdon is making 42.8 percent of his 3-point attempts this season, which ranks seventh in the NBA among qualifiers.
| Player | Team | 3P% |
| Otto Porter | WAS | 45.3 |
| Kyle Korver | ATL/CLE | 44.7 |
| Joe Ingles | UTA | 44.1 |
| Allen Crabbe | POR | 43.5 |
| Darren Collison | SAC | 43.3 |
| Seth Curry | DAL | 43.2 |
| Malcolm Brogdon | MIL | 42.8 |
| C.J. Miles | IND | 42.6 |
| Goran Dragic | MIA | 42.4 |
| Luke Babbitt | MIA | 42.3 |
Despite being a second-round pick, Brogdon is now a leading contender for NBA Rookie of the Year. His sharpshooting is one reason why.
Since the NBA adopted the 3-pointer in the 1979-80 season, Brogdon is tied for eighth all-time among 3-point percentage for rookies. And it isn't because of a lack of shots. If Brogdon keeps up his current 3-point shots rate (2.5 per game), he will finish with 202 attempts, which would be fourth-most among that top-10 percentages list.
Also, if Brogdon can keep up his current rate of making 3-pointers, or improves on it, it will be the best by a rookie this decade and highest percentage by a first-year player since some guy named Stephen Curry.
| Player | Team | Season | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
| Anthony Morrow | GS | 2008-09 | 86 | 184 | 46.7 |
| Drazen Petrovic | POR | 1989-90 | 33 | 74 | 45.9 |
| D.J. Augustin | CHA | 2008-09 | 108 | 246 | 43.9 |
| Stephen Curry | GS | 2009-10 | 166 | 380 | 43.7 |
| Wesley Person | PHX | 1994-95 | 116 | 266 | 43.6 |
| Mike Iuzzolino | DAL | 1991-92 | 59 | 136 | 43.4 |
| Michael Dickerson | HOU | 1998-99 | 71 | 164 | 43.3 |
| Hersey Hawkins | PHI | 1988-89 | 71 | 166 | 42.8 |
| Malcolm Brogdon | MIL | 2016-17 | 65 | 152 | 42.8 |
| Chris Copeland | NY | 2012-13 | 59 | 140 | 42.1 |
Apart from his ranking in NBA history, no Bucks rookie has ever shot the ball as well as Brodgon does from downtown.
Only five Bucks rookies have qualified for 3-point shooting leaders. Brogdon reigns supreme among Milwaukee rooks.
| Player | Age | Season | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
| Malcolm Brogdon | 24 | 2016-17 | 65 | 152 | 42.8 |
| Ray Allen | 21 | 1996-97 | 117 | 298 | 39.3 |
| Brandon Jennings | 20 | 2009-10 | 145 | 388 | 37.4 |
| Glenn Robinson | 22 | 1994-95 | 86 | 268 | 32.1 |
| Todd Day | 23 | 1992-93 | 54 | 184 | 29.3 |
Dave Heller is the author of the new book Ken Williams: A Slugger in Ruth's Shadow as well as Facing Ted Williams Players From the Golden Age of Baseball Recall the Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived and As Good As It Got: The 1944 St. Louis Browns
