While there may be no live NBA (or NCAA) basketball to watch, we still have video of Boston Celtics players like Gordon Hayward we can watch to help scratch that itch — and we might learn something while we’re at it.
One such example is that not all players should avoid mid-range shots, as conventional wisdom woudl have it.
While analytics fans are quick to note the midrange shot is not an especially good one in the modern NBA, it’s also true that on a case-by-case basis it can be, with few better examples than our favorite Butler product.
Hayward has hit an astoundingly high 55.3 % from 2-point range this season — and 49.1 % from 10 to 16 feet, while also hitting 44.8 % from 16-feet to 3-point range according to Basketball Reference.
It may be true in the aggregate that such shots ought to be passed over for a 3-pointer for most players.
But, the Indiana native’s resurgence from the midrange this season is an excellent example of why analytics are not a “one-size-fits-all” phenomena — just a tool to help you make decisions about the specific players on a given roster.
Watch the video above for a compilation of all of the 30-year-old forward’s best midrange moments this season, and see the evidence yourself.
