The NBA has some
interesting stats on this matter.
For instance the highest all-time career three point shooting percentage is Steve Kerr, who made 726/1599 shots for 45.5%.
Steve Nash, a local favorite, is averaging 1577/3678 for 42.9%.
Take either one of those guys, and you'd have to shoot 65% from inside the line to keep up with them.
But a big guy like Shaq, who has the second highest all-time field goal percentage (if not foul shot percentage...) only hits 58.2% of the time. However... that is based on 11,330/19,457 shots.
So yeah, given an average shot attempt, it is better to have Nash shoot for three than Shaq shoot for two. It's just that Shaq gets about four or five times as many "average shot attempts" as Nash.
Anyway, this is the sort thing I have time to look up now that I don't have a team... sigh.
Jason
P.S. Someone mentioned that a missed 3 created a rebounding opportunity. So does a missed 2.