Basketball's Hidden Math

The best shooters do not aim straight at the hoop — they aim for a spot above it. The steeper the ball drops into the rim, the wider the hoop looks from the ball's point of view.

A flat shot sees a narrow elliptical target; a steep one sees a nearly round, forgiving target. But steeper is not always better — too steep and the shot gets hard to control, so coaches target an entry around 45 degrees, which means releasing the ball on a fairly high arc. Curry's release sits in the steep 50-55 degree range, high by NBA standards — part of why his deep shot is so reliable.