MoStats #3: Inside the Paint: Efficiency Kings (WIP)

Welcome back to the third issue of MoStats!

After looking at the players with the most 2-point field goals and the biggest single-game explosions , we close out the 2-point trilogy by turning our attention to efficiency — the players who made the most of every attempt inside the arc.

This edition focuses on the Top 10 single-season 2-point field goal percentages in Basketball Champions League history, filtered for players with at least 28 two-point attempts in a season. The 28-attempt threshold mirrors the all-time single-game record for field goal attempts, set by Tony Wroten (2020) and tied by Mindaugas Kuzminskas (2024) — a fair cutoff to balance sample size and significance.

State of the Database

Last game added to the database:

SL Benfica - KK Spartak Office Shoes 74-90, October 15th, 2025 (Regular Season 2025-26)

“Null”-cells to be cleaned:

7.234 / 1.187.294 (0.61 %)

Spotlight: The Most Efficient 2-Point Seasons in BCL History

Across 6,500+ player-seasons, 2122 players attempted 28 or more two-pointers. From that group just 49 players finished above the 70% mark, underlining how rare true interior efficiency is.

Honorable Mentions (11–15)

Before we reach the Top 10, a nod to five player who narrowly missed the list - all clearing 74% from the field and anchoring some of the league's most efficient offenses:

T-14. Michael Dixon (Strasbourg 2017-18) & Ken Horton (Burgos 2020-21) - 23/31 2FG, 74.2%

13. Thomas Welsh (Oostende 2020-21) - 26/35 2FG, 74.3%

12. Giorgi Shermadini (Tenerife 2023-24) - 76/102 2FG, 74.5%

11. TaShawn Thomas (Jerusalem 2019-20) - 108/145 2FG, 74.5%

The Top 10

10. Giorgi Shermadini (Tenerife, 2024-25) - 53/71 2FG, 74.6%

At age 35 Shermadini continued to redefine frontcourt longevity. In 2024-25 he averaged 9.1 points and 4.1 rebounds while leading Tenerife back to the Final Four in Athens.

T-9. Matt Lewis (Le Mans, 2023-24) and Marcus Bingham Jr. (Holon 2024-25) - 21/28 2FG, 75%

Lewis, a scoring guard known for his perimeter game, quietly produced one of the most efficient inside seasons by a backcourt player. He averaged 12.6 points in 2023-24. Le Mans reached the Play-ins but fell to Promitheas.

Bingham's numbers came in a small sample. In just four regular-season games - before joining Hapoel Tel Aviv - he averaged 17 points and 5.8 rebounds in the 2024-25 season. Holon's season ended in an early Play-in exit to Petkimspor.

7. Muhsin Yasar (Bursa, 2020-21) - 27/36 2FG, 75.0%

Yasar was a model of reliability in a challenging season for Tofas Bursa. Averaging 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 2020-21. Bursa reached the Round of 16, finishing behind Brindisi, Karsiyaka and Holon in a tightly contested group.

6. Léo Cavalière (Strasbourg, 2020-21) - 33/44 2FG, 75.0%

Cavalière's finishing came during one of Strasbourg's most memorable BCL campaigns. The French Side reached the Final Four in Nizhny Novgorod, where they fell to Burgos before finishing 4th. Cavalière averaged 5.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in 2020-21.

5. De'Shawn Stephens (Promitheas, 2023-24) - 40/53 2FG, 75.5%

At 34, Stephens brought experience to a Promitheas team that advanced to the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champions Unicaja. His 75.5% finishing clip is the best ever for a player logging over 50 attempts. Stephens averaged 6.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in 2023-24.

4. Javin DeLaurier (Vilnius, 2023-24) - 22/28 2FG, 78.6%

DeLaurier's numbers came from a small sample, but his efficiency was impossible to ignore. Averaging 7.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 2023-24 he provided Vilnius with elite front court production in just 14.8 minutes per game. Vilnius'Play-in exit to Peristeri masked how productive DeLaurier was in limited action.

3. Mamadou Niang (Tenerife, 2018-19) - 37/47 2FG, 78.7%

Niang's 2018-19 season remains a gold standard for role efficiency. A defensive anchor for Txus Vidorreta's Tenerife, Niang shot nearly 79% while averaging 5.1 points and 3.2 rebounds. Tenerife reached the 2019 Final in Antwerp, falling to Virtus Bologna.

2. Chase Fieler (Bamberg, 2020-21) - 27/34 2FG 79.4%

Fieler's 2020-21 campaign was a masterclass in offensive timing. Averaging 11.7 points and 3.2 rebounds, he shot nearly 80% inside the arc while functioning as an important scorer for Bamberg. They reached the Round of 16 where they finished behind Zaragoza and Nymburk.

1. Jason Thompson (Zaragoza, 2020-21)

A former NBA veteran with almost 600 games of experience Thompson brought elite physicality and poise to Zaragoza's 2020-21 campaign. In just four regular-season games - before moving on to China- he went 26-for-32 from two-point range, an astonishing 81.2% and the highest single-season mark in BCL history. Thompson averaged 16 points and 6 rebounds during that stretch. Zaragoza advanced to the Final Four in Nizhny Novgorod, where they lost to Karsiyaka (79-84) before defeating Strasbourg (89-77) to finish third.

Wrap-Up

And with that the 2-point trilogy comes to an end:

Issue #1: All-time single-season 2FGM leaders

Issue #2: Biggest single-game 2FGM performances

Issue #3: Highest single-season 2FG% finishers

Across ten seasons of the BCL, these stories chart the evolution of interior scoring — from high-volume post play to surgical finishing and spacing-based efficiency.

Next, MoStats will move beyond the paint and into the perimeter - starting a new series on 3-point shooting.