New Vezenkov: How Alec Peters became the best shooter in EuroLeague? / News - Basketnews.com

BasketNews expert Augustas Suliauskas takes a look at Alec Peters' improvement, how he successfully replaced Sasha Vezenkov in Olympiacos, and the reasons behind his efficiency.

Credit: Panagiotis Moschandreou via Getty Images Credit Panagiotis Moschandreou via Getty Images

When the EuroLeague MVPSasha Vezenkovsigned with theSacramento Kings,Olympiacos Piraeusdid not look far for his replacement. They knewAlec Peterswas ready to step up from the bench role and fill in the big shoes the Bulgarian forward left.

Free throws this season

76%12,6Points made:12,6Accuracy:75,5%Place in standings:13Record max:33Record min:3Most made FTs:Nikola MilutinovTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The club's confidence paid off big-time, to say the least. The 28-year-old American and 6-year EuroLeague veteran is having a phenomenal season.

While Peters' minutes almost doubled from 14 to 27, his production almost tripled from 5.1 to 14.3 points per game. Despite a heavy load and a much higher usage rate, Peters somehow managed to increase his shooting percentages, which rose from 44% from the field to 58%.

Such a jump is unheard of. Usually, it's the other way around - more minutes means, at best, equal or slightly worse percentages because of the fatigue and other factors kicking in.

Magnificent shape in the first 7 months of this season culminated in a contract extension for Peters.

While digging deeper into the stats, I discovered that the numbers hold the Olympiacos' wing as the best shooter in the EuroLeague.

According to the most modern basketball shooting stat - true shooting percentage - which accounts for the efficiency of all shots, even free throws, Peters is 2nd. His teammate, centerMoustapha Fall, is 1st, but we all know his attempts come from the inside the paint.

The insane part? Even in the NBA, you wouldn't be able to find a more accurate shooter this season who could match Peters' actual shooting percentage. TheCharlotte HornetscenterNick Richardsleads the NBA at 71.2% TS.

How did Peters become the best shooter in Europe? And why he's so efficient? Let's look at his playing clips for a stunning resemblance with Vezenkov's game.

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