Up until the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Draft Lottery last night, no topic could get basketball fans as animated as the 3-point revolution. Analytics is king now, and attempts from outside the arc have skyrocketed in recent years as teams have done the math and determined that even a bad 3-point shot is better than a good midrange attempt.
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LeBron James has been in the league for 22 years, and he’s watched the game evolve. He’s evolved along with it, as he’s attempted more threes per game in each of the last seven seasons than he did in any of his previous 15.
LeBron is one of the highest IQ players to ever play the game, so you’d expect to find him near the front lines of the game’s latest innovation. Still, he’s been a somewhat reluctant participant, which is also not surprising, given how unstoppable he’s been at getting to the basket throughout his career.
During a Q&A session with reporters before a game against the Kings in December, LeBron seemed to show his disdain for the 3-point craze when he said, “Our game, there’s a lot of f***** threes being shot.”
The latest episode of Mind the Game dropped today, and its title, “Why the Mid-Range Matters So Much in the Playoffs,” seems at first to contradict that comment. As is usually the case on arguably the smartest basketball podcast out there, though, a nuanced discussion between LeBron and Steve Nash followed that proved not only why the midrange matters but how the 3-point shot revolution has made it even more important than ever.
In fact, Nash even pointed out specific players that are keeping the midrange game alive, and when we take a look at the examples he provided, we see that those are the players who remain elite playoff performers, too.
“So for anyone who thinks there’s too many threes, that’s never going away,” the two-time MVP said. “And it’s not because we don’t take midranges anymore. Like, think about it. Luka, SGA is gonna have the best midrange year ever in the NBA… Giannis has picked up his midrange game. Jokic- elite from the mid-range. KD, Luka, whoever these guys are, top players. What they’re not doing is stopping driving the ball to the basket.”
Nash’s point just proves that despite the increase in three-point shooting in the league, the mid-range is thriving. The extra space that defenders give to three-point shooters allows the elite mid-range players like SGA and KD to utilize this as best as possible.
James added on to that point, using creators as an example. Players like Jokic, Luka, and Jalen Brunson, who usually rank high in assists, are a triple threat scoring-wise. This means defenses have to plan for all three positions when it comes to guarding them. A Luka Doncic drive, for example, opens up at least two free men on his team, because defenses know how dangerous he is at the rim and on a step-back from the mid-range, and tend to put more defenders on him.
James also spoke about mid-range post-ups and the ability to convert a drive into the basket into a post backdown. A perfect example of this would be Giannis Antetokounmpo. The threat he provides from inside the paint is so great that teams are forced to double or triple team him within the mid-range, leaving multiple Bucks wide open for him to pass to.
Like James said, “The creators in our game have always worked on mid ranges. Even if it’s mid range pullups, mid-range postups, turning drives into backdowns.”
The playoffs have proven there’s more to winning than the 3-point shot
There’s no denying that the 3-pointer has become the biggest weapon in the game, but teams can’t succeed if they don’t have other ways to attack, too. The Bulls, Jazz, Spurs, Nets, and Wizards also ranked in the top 10 in threes attempted per game this year, but you don’t see them playing right now. The Celtics and Warriors were both in the top four, and they’re each one game away from elimination.
The Wolves and Thunder are the only other remaining playoff teams in the top 10 in attempted threes, but they have other ways to win. As Nash pointed out, SGA has had the most efficient midrange season of all time. Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle relentlessly attack the basket for Minnesota, even though both are also capable of making it rain from outside.
LeBron agreed with Nash’s take on the importance of the midrange game, but I don’t see that as contradicting his comments from December. Watching two teams mindlessly shooting threes isn’t entertaining to watch, and it’s also not that effective. LeBron’s comments reflect that, but his and Nash’s cerebral approach to the game shows that when it comes to winning, the midrange game will always have an important place, especially in the playoffs.
