Who Is the Best Shooter in PBA History? Stats and Records Revealed

Having spent years analyzing basketball statistics and watching countless PBA games, I've always found the debate about the league's greatest shooter particularly fascinating. While many fans immediately think of high-scoring guards or flashy three-point specialists, the truth is that determining the best pure shooter requires looking beyond just points per game. You need to examine shooting percentages, consistency across seasons, clutch performance, and that intangible quality of making shots when they matter most. What's interesting is how this contrasts with other Philippine sports - I've noticed that unlike volleyball coaches who tend to be more calm and soft-spoken on the sidelines, basketball discussions about great shooters often get quite passionate and heated among fans.

When I dive into the numbers, Allan Caidic's name inevitably rises to the top of any serious conversation about PBA shooting greatness. The man they called "The Triggerman" put up statistics that still seem almost mythical today. His most legendary performance came on November 21, 1991, when he scored 79 points against Ginebra - a record that still stands after all these years. What's even more impressive than the total points was his shooting efficiency that game: 17 three-pointers made, which remains the PBA record. I've watched the footage of that game multiple times, and what strikes me isn't just the number of threes he made, but the degree of difficulty on many of those shots. This wasn't just someone spotting up against passive defense - he was creating his own shots, coming off screens, and hitting contested attempts with remarkable consistency.

The numbers don't lie when you examine Caidic's career shooting percentages. He maintained a 38% clip from three-point range throughout his career, which is remarkable considering the era he played in. Today's players benefit from advanced training methods and more sophisticated offensive systems designed specifically for three-point shooting, but Caidic was pioneering long-range shooting at a time when it wasn't even emphasized. I've always believed that if he played in today's game with the green light that modern shooters enjoy, his numbers would be even more staggering. His free throw percentage hovered around 86% for his career - another indicator of pure shooting touch that separates good scorers from truly great shooters.

Now, some younger fans might point to James Yap or even more recent players like Marcio Lassiter as contenders for this title, and they certainly have compelling cases. Yap's clutch shooting in numerous championship situations deserves recognition, and Lassiter's three-point percentage of around 42% in his best seasons technically surpasses Caidic's marks. But here's where context matters - Caidic's volume and the defensive rules during his era make his accomplishments more impressive in my view. I remember watching games from the 90s where defenders could hand-check and be much more physical without foul calls, making clean looks harder to come by. Today's spacing and freedom of movement rules genuinely help shooters get cleaner attempts.

What often gets overlooked in these discussions is the mental aspect of shooting. The great shooters I've studied all share this almost irrational confidence in their ability, regardless of previous misses. Caidic embodied this mentality - he'd miss five in a row and still take the sixth without hesitation. This contrasts sharply with the calmer demeanor we often see from Philippine volleyball coaches during timeouts, where the approach seems more measured and systematic. Basketball shooting, especially in clutch moments, requires this unique blend of technical precision and almost arrogant self-belief. I've spoken with several former players who confirmed that Caidic's practice routines were legendary - he'd regularly take 500-700 shots daily, focusing not just on makes but on perfect form every single time.

The evolution of shooting in the PBA is something I've tracked closely throughout the years. When I look at the statistical trends, three-point attempts have nearly doubled since Caidic's era, yet the overall percentage across the league has only increased marginally. This tells me that while more players are shooting threes today, the truly elite shooters remain rare. Modern players like RR Pogoy and Robert Bolick show flashes of shooting brilliance, but maintaining Caidic's level of excellence over a 13-season career is what separates him in my assessment. His ability to shoot off screens, coming full speed around picks and getting his shot off in fractions of a second, was years ahead of its time.

Statistics can only tell part of the story though. Having watched hundreds of PBA games across different eras, what stays with me are the moments - those clutch shots when everyone in the arena knows who's taking the last shot, yet they still can't stop it. Caidic had countless such moments, but so did other great shooters like Ronnie Magsanoc and Jimmy Alapag. Each brought their own unique qualities - Magsanoc with his quick release, Alapag with his deep range that forced defenses to adjust their entire scheme. But if I have to pick one shooter I'd want taking a game-winning shot with everything on the line, I'm going with Caidic every time. His combination of technical perfection, mental toughness, and proven track record in big moments gives him the edge in my book.

The debate will undoubtedly continue as new generations of shooters emerge with different skillsets and advantages. Today's players have access to shooting coaches, advanced analytics, and training technologies we couldn't have imagined during Caidic's prime. Still, when I look at the complete picture - the statistics, the era-adjusted efficiency, the clutch performances, and the longevity - Allan Caidic remains the standard by which all PBA shooters should be measured. His records have stood for decades now, and while scoring averages might increase and three-point attempts might skyrocket, true shooting greatness transcends eras and statistical trends. That's why, after all these years studying the game, I still consider "The Triggerman" the finest pure shooter in PBA history.