NEW YORK — Shawne Williams leads the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, but he was conspicuously left out of the 3-point contest on All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.
Williams is the NBA’s leading 3-pointer shooter at 51 percent, but he’s made fewer 3’s (44) than anyone in the Top 10. He’s also a reserve.
The NBA said there was no minimum threshold for number of completed 3-pointers in order to qualify for the contest.
“I feel like it would’ve been an honor to get picked for that, just represent your organization and actually have a chance to win it,” Williams, a former Memphis standout, said before the Knicks lost, 116-108, to the Clippers Wednesday at MSG. “And plus you get paid.
“It would’ve been a good experience for me and the Knicks, but they got some great shooters in there and it’s still going to be a great competition,”
Defending champ Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Durant, Daniel Gibson, James Jones and Dorell Wright were selected for the contest.
Asked who he thought would win, Williams said, “Probably Ray Allen. Once I saw his face, I was like, ‘Oh, yeah.’
Williams also likes Durant.
“But you can’t sleep on Dorell Wright, neither, though,” Williams said. “There’s some good shooters in there.”
Now that Williams won’t go to L.A. with teammates Landry Fields and Amar’e Stoudemire, what will he do?
“Get some free time, stay in the gym,” he said. “Try to get the edge over the rest of the players now.”
amon