The Mid-Range Shot: Basketball’s Forgotten Weapon Making a Quiet Comeback
Once a staple of the NBA, the mid-range shot has quietly been pushed to the edge of extinction. It's been years since teams truly embraced it as part of their core offensive strategy. With the rise of analytics and the three-point revolution, the game has shifted into a math-driven shootout—threes or layups, nothing in between.
But is that strategy too one-dimensional? Is the league missing out on a valuable tool by ignoring the mid-range?
🏀 LeBron James certainly thinks so.
In a recent episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast, LeBron dropped some truth bombs that got people talking. He didn’t just wax poetic about the lost art of the mid-range jumper—he broke down why it’s still crucial, especially when teams are dealing with tough defensive coverages.
“If it’s OKC and Shai’s getting blitzed in the pick-and-roll, and you’re hitting Jalen Williams in the pocket or Alex Caruso in the pocket, you’re at their mercy,” James explained. “If you’re playing Boston and you’re doubling Tatum and you hit Jrue Holiday in the pocket, he’s a point guard making 4-on-3 reads—he’s been doing that his entire career.”
That little pocket pass? That’s where mid-range magic happens.
🔍 Why Did Mid-Range Disappear in the First Place?
A lot of the blame, fairly or unfairly, has been laid at the feet of analytics—and the so-called "analytics nerds" who have infiltrated coaching staffs and front offices over the past decade.
Their main argument is this: Mid-range shots are the least efficient in basketball. They don’t earn you the added point of a three, and they’re not as high-percentage as shots near the rim. So why take them at all?
That logic sounds good on paper… but basketball isn’t played on spreadsheets.
🚨 Real Game Situations Call for Real Solutions
Let’s talk real-game scenarios. When you’re up against an elite defense—think Celtics, Bucks, or even OKC—teams aren’t just giving up open threes or layups. They’re forcing players into difficult decisions, trapping pick-and-rolls, and cutting off those high-percentage looks.
That’s where the mid-range game comes into play.
It's not about taking 20-foot jumpers for fun. It’s about having an answer when the defense takes away your Plan A and B. It’s about being able to pull up for a quick two when you’re blitzed, trapped, or stuck in a half-court grind.
And that’s exactly what LeBron is emphasizing.
“The mid-range is very, very key to the success of great teams,” he said on the pod.
🌟 Stars Still Thriving in the Mid-Range
Despite its decline in popularity, the mid-range is far from dead. In fact, some of today’s biggest stars are thriving precisely because they mastered that area.
Let’s name a few:
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) – A top MVP candidate, Shai lives in that 10–18 foot space. When teams push him off the three-point line or collapse the paint, he calmly knocks down mid-range jumpers like it’s 1996.
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Jalen Brunson (Knicks) – Don’t let his size fool you. Brunson's mid-range footwork and ability to create space make him a nightmare for defenders.
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Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat) – A master of the mid-post game, Butler has been torching teams from the mid-range for years, especially in the playoffs.
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Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) – Now teammates with LeBron in the All-Star game and perhaps soon in the actual NBA, Luka’s in-between game keeps defenders guessing all night long.
These guys aren’t chucking up inefficient twos—they’re picking apart defenses with smart, calculated shots.
📉 Is Efficiency the Only Metric That Matters?
Look, we get it—analytics have revolutionized basketball in many good ways. They’ve helped teams better understand value, spacing, and efficiency. But here’s the thing:
Context matters.
The mid-range shot isn’t inefficient when it’s the best shot available in a given situation. It's inefficient only when it’s forced or taken instead of a better shot. But in today’s elite defensive matchups, sometimes it's the only clean look you’ll get.
NBA Finals? Conference semis? Crunch time in a playoff game? You’re not always getting wide-open corner threes or dunks. Those precious few feet between the key and the arc suddenly become prime real estate.
🧠 Basketball IQ + Mid-Range = Championship DNA
LeBron’s comments on his podcast aren’t just about shot selection—they’re about basketball IQ. Recognizing defensive rotations. Understanding who’s receiving that pocket pass. Knowing when to pull up instead of driving into traffic.
This isn’t anti-analytics; it’s about balance.
The most complete teams can hurt you from anywhere. They’re not slaves to the three-point line. They can improvise. They can hit that foul-line jumper when things get tight.
🔥 Mid-Range Isn’t Dead—It’s Just Evolving
Want some quick-hit truths? Here are a few key takeaways:
✅ Mid-range isn’t inefficient—it’s underutilized.
✅ Smart teams use it as a weapon, not a crutch.
✅ Some of the NBA’s most efficient scorers live in that zone.
✅ It’s the key to unlocking defenses that are too good to allow paint points or corner threes.
✅ LeBron’s still schooling us on how to think about the game.
🚀 What's Next for the Mid-Range in the NBA?
Is it making a comeback? Maybe not in volume, but definitely in respect.
You won’t see teams jacking up 20-footers all game long. But what you will see—especially in the postseason—is teams and players turning to the mid-range when the going gets tough. When the game slows down. When execution beats explosion.
The future of the mid-range isn’t about quantity. It’s about quality and timing.
If anything, this renewed conversation—sparked by a basketball mind like LeBron—reminds us that the best offenses are versatile, flexible, and able to beat you in more ways than one.
And maybe, just maybe, that lost art of the mid-range shot? It’s not lost after all.
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