In fact, nobody in the entire league has. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. While DeRozan has scored at least 22% of his points from mid-range every season of his career and only scored more than 10% on 3-point shots twice in 13 seasons, Durant has found an incredible balance to his scoring as he truly does score on from all three levels beyond the 3-point line (18.7% of his points), in the mid-range (26.2% of his points) and in the paint (33.9% of his points) and he gets to the free throw line (21.3% of his points). Or write about sports? It's possible that trend continues with Deandre Ayton logging a team-worst minus-21 during his time on the floor. A closer look at the top 10 mid-range scorers in the league this season. Some might hate it, but Devin Booker high pick & rolls with Kevin Durant in the weakside corner are a nightmare for defenses Kevin Durant has averaged a win percentage of .628 in his career. Curry is the only player in the league that is shooting at least 40% from 3-point range and 50% from mid-range. Durant capitalized on Denver's smaller wings, canning his signature midrange jumpers while finishing a perfect 4 for 4 at the rim. Hes also doing it with tight coverage in most scenarios which will add a thorn in the side of defenses. 80.238: 2,768: 1,624: 348: 192: 78: 75: 232: 587: Price has had a memorable career aside from his pinpoint accuracy from the line; he's a four time NBA All-Star, two time three point contest winner, and member of the 50-40-90 club. He previously led the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage during the 2018-19 season (47.4). That means that DeRozan may get a ton of open looks from the mid-range, and if we know him, hes going to take them. As the chart above indicates, the percentage of all field goal attempts from the mid-range has dropped from 30.3% to just 13.1% over the past decade as more and more players try to extend. ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. NBA/ABA. . He gets the honor of being considered the greatest free throw shooter in the history in the NBA. The rest of his game left a lot to be desired. This would be the first of two great free throw shooting duos he formed over the course of his career. 1988 Bill is the first player in the NBA to hit 50 consecutive free throws. Jordan is the NBAs all-time career leader in field goal percentage (67.4) and among active players is second in total rebounds (9,855) and fourth in blocks (1,466). With Jimmy Butler hobbled late by an ankle injury, Miami gets big performances from Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love to take the series opener in New York. Mullin's free throw shooting remained fairly steady over the course of his career. Instagram: Do you have a blog? This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. Join our linker program. All columns may be sorted by clicking the column name. He only missed seven totals games during his first 10 years in the league and managed to play 527 straight games before succumbing to his first injury. Chris Paul midrange is absolutely Insane , Myles Turner (@Original_Turner) June 14, 2021. When the Phoenix Suns traded for Kevin Durant, they took a gamble. The Nets are fourth in the league in clutch games played (36), first in clutch wins (26), and second in winning percentage in clutch games (.722). The three-time All-Star followed that up with 45 points on a cool 62 . Chris Mullin was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1985. However, Nash tops that club having reached it a record five straight seasons. At his current pace of 3.1 3-pointers per game, Harris would make 25 more 3-pointers this season, which would give him 815 as a Net and put him atop the franchise list. Career FT%: 89.4% (3,863 FTM / 4,321 FTA). She is the host of "Short and to the Point" and is also a broadcaster with the Oakland A's Radio Network. But in their absence, the following players are working the hardest to keep the in-between alive in the NBA. There's no arguing against success. And their ninth man, Damion Lee, barely played for the Warriors during their multiple years in the playoffs. According to Durant, there is no reason to ever forgo something that isnt guarded to force something that is less guaranteed at the rim or at the three-point line. As opponents shift to drop coverage near the basket more and more often, Paul can dribble off the pick and either kick out to a shooter on the perimeter or just take the long two. DeMar DeRozan WENT OFF for 19 PTS in the 4th vs. the Lakers pic.twitter.com/C11TO9RNFE. There isn't any player in the league that even comes close to touching Durant's mid-range success. Some of the best players will tell you that repetition is the key to having success at the line. Dirk is the first member of the 50-40-90 club on this list. While rather comical to watch, it was obviously a very effective approach. But whats crazy is that, per ESPNs Kirk Goldsberry, an astonishingly high 95 percent of his mid-range looks have been contested over the course of the past eight seasons. That's the best chance that the Suns have to win it all. Can you guess the player?, This is an ABSOLUTELY INSANE stat about Kevin Durant. We present them here for purely educational purposes. And if you can do both like Durant then youre unstoppable. Durants midrange jumper game got a shoutout from former NBA player JJ Redick. But one area that shines is the mid-range. This gave NBA teams the option to release a player without his contract counting toward the luxury tax. Of his many skills, his stroke from the line is one of the best in NBA history. Asked about how he's handling the heavier minutes, Kevin Durant asked, "How'd I look tonight?" He joins former teammate Dirk Nowitzki on this elite list along with several members of the 50-40-90 club. the worst free throw shooters in NBA history. His ability to create off the dribble alleviated some of the pressure that both Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton both faced before his arrival in Phoenix, which is one of the reasons the two young stars took such giant leaps forward in 2020-21. Aside from the rather unsanitary practice of licking his finger tips before shooting, he could always be counted on to make his free throws. Best Midrange Shooting Seasons Since 2013-14*, 1. Bird only trails one other player on this list with three seasons in that exclusive club. Career FT%: 87.6% (5,284 FTM / 6,033 FTA). 50.35. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 4:39AM. It was a vintage performance of Durant-on-Twitter and he uttered an unforgettable one-liner about the role of graphs in sports. As a counter to that article, I've compiled a list of the 20 best free throw shooters in NBA history. He continues to get to the line on a consistent basis and makes opposing teams pay dearly for sending him there. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. While the player in the league who is most often compared to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant most often is LeBron James, the Los Angeles Laker superstar doesnt exactly resemble either player. At one point during his career he joined fellow free throw shooting great, Hersey Hawkins, on the Philadelphia 76ers. It's possible that trend continues with Deandre Ayton logging a team-worst minus-21 during his time on the floor. Now that hes in Phoenix, the game plan wont change. Eventually he would go on to replace another player on this list as the starting point guard for the Cavs. Or write about sports? pic.twitter.com/7gtvVnVxJR, Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) April 4, 2021. Everyone who ever discusses it ends up comparing it to the iconic mid-range stepback from Dirk Nowitzki. The Comeback: Todays Top Sports Stories & Reactions. Last season, he made the 19th most field goals from midrangedespite playing in only 35 games, doing so at a50.6 percent clip. Kevin Durant 18-19 . He would mark a career high while with the Indiana Pacers playing under Larry Bird; he hit 93.9% from the line that season. MVP!I created a short animation of the famous Sombor Shuffle move by Nikola Jokic.The most beautiful sports story is written a mile high. He fought through back pains and continued to play despite the pain. Kevin Durant is on Instagram at easymoneysniper. We present them here for purely educational purposes. During his tenure in the NBA he made a name for himself at the charity stripe. During the offseason in 2019, while he was rehabbing from his torn Achilles, Durant took to Twitter to join the discourse about mid-range jumpers. While Durant has long been a midrange assassin, he's kicked his efficiency from that distance to a terrifying level to start the 2021-22 season. As someone known as a mid-range god, this kind of ascension in efficiency is unprecedented. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Like many players, Jeff had a unique routine before shooting free throws. There are good midrange shooters, there are elite midrange shooters and then there's Kevin Durant. An 11-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion, two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP and one-time MVP, Durant has, of course, been lighting up opponents from midrange for over a decade at this point. Peaking at 91.5% last season and still in his prime, there's no reason to think that he can't break into the top 10 when his career is all said and done. But due to defenders now focusing more on guarding the rim and the perimeter, there is more space to operate off ball screens from the mid-range. Durants 62.2 % field goal percentage on two-pointers this season is his career-best, and with the way his body is, hes able to make those types of shots look like layups. Kevin Durant was born in Washington, District of Columbia. Kevin Durant essentially carried his team, in the style of LeBron James, to a Game 3 win in Cleveland. 10 of Bill's 11 years in the NBA were played with the Boston Celtics. They were a devastating combo during their prime known mostly for scoring and little defense. Heres what happens when hes doing the Sombor Shuffle: After facing up his opponent on the block, the big man fakes a drive with his left foot then swiftly takes a one-dribble fadeaway jumper off his right foot. Only four Chris Paul (64.3 percent), Seth Curry (65.7 percent), Nikola Jokic (68.8 percent) and LaMarcus Aldridge (78.6 percent). Will the mid-range shot decline further, or will these players have proven that the mid-range shot still has value and inspire younger players to embrace the lava as well? At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Durant has a natural size and length advantage over most defenders. During that span he led the league in free throw shooting percentage on seven different occasions. Put it all together and his massive size and his insane footwork, as well as the supremely high release point on his jumper, makes his mid-range an absurdly tough shot to defend. Durant ended with 29 points (12-19 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal in 36 minutes during Saturday's 125-107 loss to the Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Like most active players on this list, Dirk's free throw percentage has progressively climbed over the course of his career. Playing alongside Stockton and Malone, he had a key role on the team and contributed largely to their run to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. And as more offenses started to stretch the floor and avoid the mid-range, defenses have had to adjust. Hes making 57.1 % of midrange shots with the second-best percentage of the 54 who have taken at least 100 shots from midrange. For those unfamiliar with this club, it is an exclusive list of players to shoot at least 50% on field goal attempts, 40% from three point range, and 90% from the line in a single season. He's averaged 40.5 minutes per game in the playoffs in his career, and he's been increasing his workload even more over the past few seasons. Its been the driving force to what has allowed him to average at least 20.0 points per game for seven seasons in a row. Once the playoffs arrived, however, the tune changed and Durant averaged a league-best 5.3 pull-up two-pointers nearly one more per game than any other player in the postseason. Find out more. Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Basketball Reference Database. A hated figure in Dallas, he would eventually be granted his wish and traded to the Nuggets; that was the first of several stops during his career. Harden has the third-highest career scoring average among active players (25.2). Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Terrell would play backup point guard for the early part of his career. The analytics behind this evolution make sense; if youre going to shoot a 2-point shot, you want the highest percentage shot possible (dunks, layups and shots near the basket). The NBA has evolved over the last decade to rely heavily on the three-point line. www.TheComeback.com is a sports fan website and is in no way affiliated with any professional sports team, league, or its Properties. Do you have a sports website? Along with Mitch Richmond and Tim Hardaway, the three would go on to form "Run TMC" while with the Warriors. Data Provided By Series preview: What to expect in Warriors-Lakers, 5 takeaways from Warriors' Game 7 victory, 5 takeaways from Heat's Game 1 win over Knicks, Curry sets Game 7 record with 50 points vs. Kings. The mid-range jumper is a primary example of taking what the defense gives you. More: NBA & ABA Career Leaders and Records for True Shooting Pct. Clicking on a tab heading will display the specified set of statistics. With at least 30 assists in 24 games, the Nets have set a new single-season franchise record. His highest percentage was in his rookie season with the Seattle Supersonics, when 30 percent of his points came from the mid-range. This isn't an offensive stat, but Durant is even grabbing a career-high 8.5 rebounds per game. Still, his free throw shooting has remained strong. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Adrian Dantley* .6166: 13. Kevin Durant rookie season stats Which team had the best regular season record in a season? September 29, Charles Barkley* .6120: 16. Chris Paul adds in: "Talk to 'em." Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Durant finishes: "I missed a lot of time this season, so I want to be out there every minute. Kevin Durant has solidified his name as one of the greatest mid-range shooters of all-time showcasing, even now in the 3-point era, how the mid-range shot can be extremely useful inWashington,District of Columbia Per 48 Min. For the last three seasons, its been KD. Do you have a sports website? While his numbers and rate thus far dictate a well deserved position in the top 20, it's only fair to see more of his career play out before that judgment befalls him. Harden is seventh in free throws made per game (6.5) and sixth in free throws attempted per game (7.5) while shooting 87.0 percent. !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? MORE:How KD is helping Devin Booker reach a new level of superstardom. Jonas Valaninas.6155: 14. Chris Paul 14-15 .. 50.44. Thats one of the reasons why Clippers coach Ty Lue allows Leonard to fire away from mid-range as often as he sees fit (via ESPN): I think its a lost art. He has shot just 34 percent from beyond the arc this season, highlighting the importance of a step inside the three-point line. Durant's 37 field goals from midrange are the most in the league by a pretty large margin. The league average shot from between zero and three feet of the basket was 67.5 percent this past season, according to Basketball-Reference. His best season from the line came last yeara career high of 93.8%. Shot location data has been collected since the 1996-97 season; since that time there has been only one player to shoot over 60% from mid-range while attempting at least 50 mid-range shots over the course of a full season: Stephen Curry in 2017-18. So, what has Durant been doing when he's not using offensive possessions? Kevin Durant is third in the NBA in shooting a career-high 47.2 percent from 3-point range. Mostly jogging to the corner and taking a breather. In a perfect world, Durant probably would play less, but the Suns don't have that luxury. Aside from his smooth jumper, he was always known to be a great free throw shooter. The league-average percentage from beyond the arc is 35.8 percent, according to Basketball-Reference.com, and that helps out Durant. According to NBA.com, over two-thirds (68.2 percent) of his shot attempts this season have come against tight coverage, meaning a defender is within two-to-four feet of him. Splits Not all of those are midrangers there's a decent amount of layups and 3s mixed in because, oh yeah, he's an effortless scorer from all three levels but a lot of them are. Him shooting the lights out from midrange is a testament to that. His three NBA MVP awards and three NBA Championships is proof of that. Per NBA Stats, he's isolating on 17.1 percent of his possessions. His midrange jumper is the ultimate safety blanket. Lue is exactly right considering when postseason play came around, Leonard was unstoppable from mid-range. Its one of his go-to moves for late-game heroics and game-winners. Butler said that he thinks Mournings comments were spur of the moment and that he didnt really mean them, claiming he isnt anyones hero, Smith declared that the Warriors outing in Game 6 was one of the worst he has ever seen from them, and he doesnt know if they will be able to bounce back in Game 7. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. This Yugoslavian sharpshooter has made a career on his precise shooting touch. Durant is one of two Nets to rank in the top 10 in mid-range scoring as LaMarcus Aldridge ranks sixth with 2.7 mid-range field goals made per game. Finds his spot and rises up. Clips. Throughout his career, he bounced around to several different teams. Harris is also fifth in total 3-point field goals made (200). Over his last eight games since returning after missing 23 games, Durant is shooting 65.4 percent overall and 61.3 percent from 3-point range while averaging 24.4 points in 25.2 minutes per game. Copyright 2020 www.TheComeback.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners. His last two seasons have been his best in the mid-range since his first two seasons in the NBA. The curve has flattened over the past three seasons as some players and teams still see value in the mid-range shot. Drafted by Dallas in the 1980 draft, Kiki is infamous for demanding to be traded following the pick. If anything, it looks like Durant is only getting better and becoming more unguardable with age. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Having split time between the NBA and ABA, Rick has accrued a lot of time at the line. Small Forward, Power Forward, and Shooting Guard When these comparisons are drawn, its not unfair. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network. Even if everyone else in the league decided that they would only shoot at the rim or from beyond the arc, DeRozan would keep the in-between game alive. Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland, Draft: During a playoff duel in 1994, Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman shared their admiration towards the toughness and dirty tricks of John Stockton. This future Hall of Fame talent is the greatest German National to play in the NBAwhich technically isn't saying much because of the competition, but an impressive accolade nevertheless. Durant is putting up 29.1 points, 5.0 assists and 6.7 rebounds per contest. While with the Portland Trailblazers, he would earn the honor of having the highest career free throw percentage for the franchise at 88.1%. Sometimes, it's as simple as shooting over them. Kevin Durant's Recent Stats In his past 10 games, Durant is averaging 25.2 points, which is lower than his mark for the year (29.1). A clutch game is defined as being within five points in the final five minutes. Why, he wondered, would you pass up on the easy look for something contested? He also assisted on 162 connections to his teammates from the mid-range, per PBP Stats, which trailed only Russell Westbrook for the most in the NBA. His output is nothing to scoff about either as he made 2.9 pull-up two-pointers per game this past season, which trailed teammate Kyrie Irving (3.0) for the most in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Wayne Durant Harris is second in franchise history in 3-pointers made (790) behind Jason Kidd (813). Luckily it wasn't a name that was too widely used around the league. While that seems like a waste of his talent, it's been very effective in opening up the floor for Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. The 13-time NBA All-Star left the Brooklyn Nets as one of the best midrange shooters in the league arguably ever. To determine which players are fighting the hardest to keep the mid-range game alive in the NBA, we looked at three factors and then compared how each individual performed relative to the league average in the same span (dating back to 2018-19): It is worth mentioning that longtime NBA fixtures who recently stepped away from the game (e.g. The most memorable moment of his career thus far was leading the Detroit Pistons in a huge upset victory over the L.A. Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals; he would go on to win NBA Finals MVP that year. That same season Ricky got into the record books by recording the second longest consecutive free throw shooting streak at 75 made. For example, Denver could go to an unconventional inverted ball screen where Jokic is the ball handler. At 43.8 minutes per game, he's leading all players in the playoffs. He also holds a playoff record of 56 consecutive free throws made. Kevin Durant was drafted by Seattle SuperSonics, 1st round (2nd pick, 2nd overall), 2007 NBA Draft. Kevin Durant has a true shooting percentage of 61.9 in his career. Drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 1971 draft, Mike played 11 seasons in the NBA. 'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs'); By Bryan Kalbrosky |
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