With almost the entirety of the NBA shifting towards a three-pointer oriented offense, the two-pointer, or more specifically deep midrange shots, have become more and more obsolete. Statistically, it makes sense - if you only shoot two pointers and have a shooting percentage of 50%, in order to score the same amount of points off of three pointers, you would need just a shooting percentage of 33%. Focusing only on layups and three pointers screams efficient play using this logic, leaving a long two rather undesirable. However, the beauty of the game of basketball is that it isn’t perfect. During a high-stakes competitive game, the three pointer might not be the most preferred or most valuable shot, and especially during the playoffs, a mid range shot might be all a team needs to secure a crucial win.
If you look back at the 1996-97 season, 17 out of 30 teams scored over 20% of their points from the midrange. Take a look now and the highest number is a mere 17.3%. Since the game looked drastically different in the 90s, it made sense to rely on the mid range shot. Players were more physical and the three-point shot was viewed as a novelty. However, with Stephen Curry and the rest of the Golden State Warriors redefining what modern basketball looks like, usage of the mid range shot has quickly declined. But to think that shooting mid range shots demonstrates offensive ineptitude is fallible.
The San Antonio Spurs were the team that had the most percentage of points come from the midrange in the NBA this season, scoring 17.3% of their total points in the midrange and finishing in the bottom four in the percentage of points from three. With the Spurs boasting two great mid-range players - DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldrige - their offense has continued to rely on the mid-range. The Spurs weren’t the playoff guarantee they used to be, but they still finished 11th in terms of offensive rating while relying on the midrange. Not too shabby for the most statistically “inefficient” team in the 2020 season.
Although teams are now choosing to shoot more threes at a lower percentage rate compared to twos, sometimes having great mid-range players can turn the tides of a game. Come playoff time, when every point matters and teams elevate their defensive intensity, the most efficient shots might be from the mid range. People like to point out Kawhi Leonard’s stellar mid-range play in last year’s NBA finals as an example of the importance of a mid-range game. Even more, the Golden State Warriors dynasty also utilized a mid-range game to complement their stellar three-point heavy offense. In the 2018 season, the Warriors had over 17% of their points come from the mid range. With elite three level scorer Kevin Durant and elite shooter Klay Thompson, the Warriors were an offensive juggernaut everywhere on the court.
But the question remains, how does the threat of the mid range really help a team’s offense?
Key
Black Dot = Offensive Player
Red X = Defensive Player
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In this simplified drawing, we can see that if a defense decided to focus entirely on preventing three point shots, there would be significant open space inside the three point line. Even if the defense makes an effort to prevent an easy layup the blue represents the available mid-range scoring options. With all that space, the offense has from the basket to around 19 feet to score.
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If a team decides to run a simple pick and roll with the opposing guard trying to prevent the three pointer and the opposing big man trying to defend the paint area by dropping closer to the basket, the ball handler is given space in the open area (the orange rectangle) to shoot the ball - the midrange gives versatility in a team’s offense.
There are countless other examples of the mid range’s impact, as it opens the floor up for players to score. In basketball or life in general, success comes from being multidimensional and well-rounded, so it’s best not to dismiss what many believe to be outdated as completely useless.
Data courtesy of NBA Advanced Stats