The way the game is being played in the association today has evolved from the inside-out concept to an outside-in concept! Dominant lead guards have the freedom to launch countless 3 pointers: catering to excess scoring and a love for low percentage thrill.
Some of the greatest players to ever play modeled a methodical approach toward mid-range artistry and you can find traces of that brilliance in current NBA stars like Demar Derozan, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul. Derozan an understudy of The late Kobe Bryant seems to have picked up all the tenements of what it takes to be a mid-range specialist.
Most of the offensive sets that are ran in the NBA today are pick and roll coverages with lead guards that score prolifically and posses range extending out to 30ft. In the 90’s and 2000’s, pin down, and stagger screens were mainly ran for your scorer/slasher with an emphasis also to dump the ball into the post for a high percentage shot. Isolation plays were ran out of low-post areas and players used a stealth amount of pivot work, physicality, and shot fakes to operate. As the game of basketball continues to evolve there are certain foundational qualities that retain their essence through generations like the mathematical equation a2 +b2=c2..
Furthering my assertion that even though the League is more 3pt shot centered, some of the best still showcase a mid-range bomb in their arsenal.. Highly skilled players like Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant expand on the rudiments of the game in their display and keep defenses defenseless with their countering and mid-range variety. Commissioner Adam Silver said during the halftime show of game 3 of the 2017 NBA finals (Cavs vs Warriors) that he thought about the series so far and he replied “It’s a beautiful version of the game, fast paced, highly skilled, and the shooting is out of this world.” That sums up the synopsis of how the NBA game is played relative to how the finest stars have engineered their kraft in the off-seasons. It’s a game of 3’s and dunks and both marketing and entertaining are very welcoming of this style.
How are some of the leagues top performers still able to produce at such an exceptional level without having a mono-tonal cliche adaptation to current trends? The answer is stay true to the game! Kevin Durant passed Allen Iverson on the all-time scoring list a few weeks ago. Durant the past four seasons has become more routine with his mid-range shot selection; torching aggressive defenders that look to shroud his space and force him to put the ball on the floor, using a series of 2 to 3 dribbles before raising over the helpless defender and sinking a beautiful 2pt field goal.
Demar Derozan a mid-range tactician whose averaging 26.8 ppg (NBA.com) uses his strong frame, ballhandling ability, coupled with turn-around counters for mid range brilliance. He’s having an MVP type season this year operating efficiently in the mid-range vicinity. Another notable mid-Range showman is elder statesmen, Chris Paul. One of the games premier point guards, pushes pace in transition and stops and pops as Federer would volley on a net play possession to nail 2pt field goal attempts. Also an ostensibly improved creator off the dribble utilizing his broad shoulders to drive at defenders enabling him to get into his patented fade away, and spin dribble shots. He’s very much an archetype point guard in that regard and has had reputable success in todays ever evolving game!
I guess the mid-range art-form is a timeless skill set that has stood the test of evolution.
