Brooklyn Nets: Kevin Durant and the need to redefine “mid-range”

As NBA defenses emphasize taking away threes and shots at the rim, the space in between is more open than ever. There’s a reason these looks are available — they’re generally less efficient — but certain players are capable of making defenses pay. The Brooklyn Nets certainly have one of them in Kevin Durant.

In his 49-point masterpiece in Game 5, Durant shot a blistering 8-of-9 between the restricted area and the 3-point line (16-of-23 overall). This performance raised a few questions that are worth exploring.

Who has shot the best from the mid-range this postseason? And thanks to Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets, is the term “mid-range” in need of revision?

Since 2000-01, there have been 290 instances of a player attempting at least 50 “long midrange”  shots (14 feet to the 3-point line) in a postseason per pbpstats. For reference, the free-throw line is 15 feet, and the 3-point line is 23.75 inches (22 feet in the corners).

What stands out from the chart? There were only 29 instances (10.0 percent) of a player shooting at least 50.0 percent, with only four (1.4 percent) eclipsing 55.0 percent. Unsurprisingly, Kevin Durant’s superb midrange shooting in Game 5 does not seem to have been a fluke (and maybe all “Kevin’s” are great from this area of the floor?!)

• Kevin Durant (2011-12): 48/78 — 61.5%
• Kevin Durant (2016-17):  32/54 — 59.3%
• Kevin Garnett (2002-03): 33/59 — 55.9%
• Kevin Durant (2017-18): 65/117 — 55.6%

This postseason, Durant is back at it. He’s the only player to have attempted at least 50 long midrange jumpers, and he’s been super-efficient: 33-of-60 (55.0 percent). There are six other players that have at least 30 attempts so far, five of whom are on teams that are still alive.

Chris Paul has a decent chance to join Durant in the “55 percent-plus” club. Kawhi Leonard has a ways to go in terms of attempts (and his health is in question), but his efficiency has been otherworldly.

• Kevin Durant: 33/60 (55.0%)
• Devin Booker: 21/48 (43.8%)
• Chris Paul: 25/44 (56.8%)
• Nikola Jokic: 17/43 (39.5%)
• Khris Middleton: 19/39 (48.7%)
• Paul George: 15/34 (34.1%)
• Kawhi Leonard: 21/31 (67.7%)

Redefine “Mid-range”

Remember when I mentioned the term “mid-range” might be in need of revision? There is a seemingly never-ending conversation about the value (or lack thereof) of mid-range shots, and I’d posit that the following is a reasonable viewpoint: midrange shots are not particularly efficient for MOST players, but there are exceptions (e.g. Durant, Paul, and Leonard).

There is an even BETTER answer, however, one that recognizes that not all mid-range shots are created equal.

When Durant’s Game 5 performance inspired me to dive into his playoff mid-range shooting, I instinctively looked at his “long mid-range” attempts (14 ft to the 3-point line). And while as the above chart indicated, Durant has had plenty of success from this area both this year and postseasons past, I noticed something after looking closer at his Game 5 numbers.

Durant may have shot 8-of-9 between the restricted area and the 3-point line, but only ONE of those shots came from greater than 14 feet — or the “long mid-range”. Five attempts came in the paint (outside restricted area), while three came from outside the paint but still under the 14 foot threshold.

Essentially, Durant excelled in the “short mid-range”, and this definitely contributed to his efficient midrange performance. It doesn’t take a professional basketball player to figure out that the closer one gets to the basket, the higher odds they have of scoring, so when discussing the extent to which a player should be taking midrange jumpers, the average distance on their attempts shouldn’t be overlooked. Just because a player has success with “short midrange” shots doesn’t mean they should necessarily be encouraged to take ALL types of midrange shots.

Let’s redefine “midrange” into “short” and “long” midrange attempts (credit to pbpstats for doing this already).

A Parting Thought: The Midrange Floater?

As defenses emphasize taking away 3-pointers and attempts at the rim, more and more players (Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, etc.) are embracing the “floater“. These shots are far enough from the basket that defenses will concede them but close enough that players have a chance at shooting efficiently.

There are surely “advocates” of the midrange that used Durant’s Game 5 showcase as Exhibit A for why the shot is undervalued in the modern NBA, but have these people said anything about the Trae Young’s of the world? Young might not take traditional midrange jump shots, but many of his floaters come from a distance comparable to Durant’s “short midrange” shots. So why are only Durant’s attempts cited when the midrange goes on trial?

(Credit to pbpstats for statistics and House of Highlights for GIF)