The mid-range shot has been a lost art in the NBA for many years. Over time, it has gotten even worse, as teams have almost exclusively taken shots from either 3-point range or in the paint.
A lot of the blame should probably go to analytics geeks, who have convinced people, including coaches, that teams should never take mid-range shots because, according to them, such shots are the least efficient in basketball.
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However, LeBron James pointed out on a recent episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast why players and teams need to emphasize mid-range shooting, especially against certain defensive coverages.
“If it’s OKC and Shai’s (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) getting blitzed in the pick-and-roll, and you’re hitting Jalen Williams in the pocket or you hit Alex Caruso in the pocket, you’re at their mercy,” James said. “If you’re playing Boston and you’re doubling Jayson Tatum and you hit Jrue Holiday in the pocket, he’s a point guard that’s making 4-on-3 reads, things he’s been doing his whole career. So it’s like, it’s very key and the mid-range is, I think, is very, very key to the success of great teams.”
Contrary to popular opinion, there are stars and superstars who excel in the mid-range game. Gilgeous-Alexander, the likely regular-season MVP, is one, as is the New York Knicks‘ Jalen Brunson. James’ new teammate Luka Doncic is also pretty adept at hitting baskets from that in-between range, and Jimmy Butler of the Golden State Warriors has been killing opponents from that area for years.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James on the importance of mid-range shooting in today’s NBA