“Kyrie Irving and Chris Paul are the NBA’s best mid-range shooters”: Kirk Goldsberry demonstrates how Nets and Suns guards are shooting over 50%

It’s a cliche, but it’s true that the art of the mid-range is dying in the NBA. Kyrie Irving and Chris Paul, however, continue to buck these trends.

The NBA’s paradigm shift in offensive schemes is seeing teams move the average distance of their jump shots further and further away from the rim every single year. Long-range shooters are more valuable today than most other role player archetypes.

However, the 3-point shot tends to be an elusive mistress. We’ve seen teams like the Houston Rockets live and die by the 3-pointer. Most viewers will find it impossible to forget about their 0-of-27 dry run in Game 7 against the Warriors.

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This is why it’s important for players to also be able to generate pull-up mid-range looks. This is the shot type that most elite defenses are likely to concede in the playoffs. Converting mid-range looks at an efficient rate is a make-or-break thing.

Players like Kyrie Irving and Chris Paul will be absolutely crucial to their teams’ championship bids this year. ESPN’s Kirk Goldsberry recently gave a statistical breakdown of how these 2 players are the league’s best mid-range shooters.

Chris Paul leads the league in non-paint mid-range field goal percentage

According to Goldsberry, Paul is the league’s most efficient high-volume mid-range shooter. He’s made 51.6% of all his non-paint 2-point looks, the vast majority of which have come from his signature region at the elbow region on the right wing.

This is a shot that he’s perfected over the course of his entire career. You know it’s coming when he’s got a big switched onto himself at the top of the key. You just know that CP3 is going to go right there, much like leftbacks knew Arjen Robben would cut in from the right wing. And much like those hapless fullbacks, there isn’t much that 7-footers can do when the Point God is maneuvering them.

If Chris Paul gets to his spot in the midrange, you’re done pic.twitter.com/diWlgaXGGf

— (@Three_Cone) May 2, 2020

Chris Paul leads the NBA in midrange scoring, and out of 22 players with at least 200 midrange attempts, he also ranks 1st in efficiency, converting 51.6% of his non-paint 2s this year. pic.twitter.com/yBMNBq8d1E

— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) April 29, 2021

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Kyrie Irving is no slouch either

If CP3 is the epitome of the controlled, methodical operator, Kyrie is as unpredictable as they come. He’s quite literally the polar opposite of the Point God, in that he’s got no real tendencies as such.

As a defender about to go up against the 29-year-old, it can be really hard to stay with him. There is not a single region of the floor that Irving is not great from. There’s not a single shot type that he can’t consistently use, save for some above-the-rim plays.

The most Kobe-like aspect of Kyrie’s game is his midrange mastery. Irving has the ball on a string practically at all times, allowing him to get to whichever spot he likes. And he rises up for his jumper like a salmon on a summer stream, to quote Ray Hudson.

Goldsberry’s statistical analysis of Irving’s 47 games before last night reveals that he’s hitting 51.5% of his mid-range shots.

Best Midrange Shooters, 2020-21 Season*

1. Chris Paul …………. 51.6%
2. Kyrie Irving ……….. 51.5
3. Joel Embiid ………..49.8
4. Nikola Jokic ……….49.5
5. DeMar DeRozan … 49.5

*Non-Paint 2s, min. 200 attempts

— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) April 29, 2021

Basically, you have to pick your poison while guarding Irving. And when his jump shot is on, you can kiss your chances of squaring up with him goodbye.