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NBA: 3 things to remember from LaMarcus Aldridge’s career

By Josh Cornelissen

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 05: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) LaMarcus Aldridge #21 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center on April 05, 2021 in New York City. The Nets defeated the Knicks 114-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 05: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) LaMarcus Aldridge #21 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center on April 05, 2021 in New York City. The Nets defeated the Knicks 114-112. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
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LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
NBA, Portland Trail Blazers Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images /

LaMarcus Aldridge was a master of the midrange

The modern NBA is sprinting towards a reality where every shot has to be maximized. Dunks and layups are a sure enough thing to be worth taking, and otherwise teams should bomb it away from 3-point range. The somewhat less efficient midrange, that area from 8 feet out to the arc, should be avoided for a better shot.

LaMarcus Aldridge was the cheat code for modern offensive strategy. He was a true dynamo from outside, a master of the midrange shot. He would often run a pick-and-pop as the screener, stepping sideways to set up in the open space inside of the arc. Catch, fire, swish.

Over his 15 year career LaMarcus Aldridge attempted 9,831 midrange shots, hitting 4,190 of them, per nbashotcharts.com. A whopping 68 percent of his shots came from this range. By comparison, the average NBA player from 2006-7 to today (the span of Aldridge’s career) shot  It was only late in his career that Aldridge finally acknowledged the changing league around him and stepped behind the arc to shoot 3-pointers.

NBA cartographer Kirk Goldsberry, known for his colorful shot charts, celebrated Aldridge’s unique approach to scoring the basketball in the minutes following his retirement announcement, including sharing Aldridge’s shot map from the 2014-15 NBA season:

Never again are we likely to see a player who set up shop in this modern no-man’s land, but Aldridge built a brick house there. You have to be wildly efficient from there to justify taking the shots, and Aldridge was uniquely gifted in knocking down those shots. His different flavor of basketball will be missed.

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