While Peja is still in the NBA, his skills have clearly diminished over the years. * Indicates member of the Hall of Fame. Kevin Durant is scoring far more efficiently from the mid-range this "Mike was simply a much-loved son, brother, grandson, and uncle who loved his dogs. And their ninth man, Damion Lee, barely played for the Warriors during their multiple years in the playoffs. At one point during his career he joined fellow free throw shooting great, Hersey Hawkins, on the Philadelphia 76ers. Last year, he led all players at 44.0 minutes per game. While Jeff split most of his time between Phoenix and Utah during his playing days, he was best known for his time with the Jazz. 50.35. Kevin Durant, Suns reflect on lack of 3s in Game 1 loss, how to - Yahoo You're either creating a dunk, or a wide-open three: pic.twitter.com/LcUSkgrPEy. Pauls pull-up jumper from the right elbow has been the most fundamental staple in his shot selection over the entirety of his career, which has included eleven appearances in the All-Star game. 80.238: 2,768: 1,624: 348: 192: 78: 75: 232: 587: Career FT%: 89.4% (3,863 FTM / 4,321 FTA). As the years went on and he got better and his free throw percentage would steadily climb and eventually peak at 91.9% during his 2002-03 season. The entire playing career for Kevin Durant is displayed below. This Yugoslavian sharpshooter has made a career on his precise shooting touch. Can Seth join his older brother this season? Some might hate it, but Devin Booker high pick & rolls with Kevin Durant in the weakside corner are a nightmare for defenses Influences such as Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving have displayed the skills that new-age players aspire to have. 1 is none other than Celtic great Larry Bird. 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. Kevin Durant & Chris Paul Have Strong Words About Russell Westbrook NBA rankings: These players are the best mid-range shooters - HoopsHype With seconds left in Game Three of the Finals, he missed one of two free throw shots that would have tied the game. On-Off. Leonard, on the other hand, has far more similarities to Jordan and Bryant at least in terms of their preferred methods of attack. Kevin Durant was sensational for OKC that season, as he averaged 28.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 5.0 APG, while shooting 50.5% from the field. His 92.9% free throw shooting during that series played a large factor in both his individual and team success. The midrange isn't even an efficient shot for mostbut it's basically a layup for Durant, and it feels like he can get to it whenever he wants. This is the second longest streak for the Cavaliers and one feat Lebron James must have envied during his time there. Can you guess the player?, This is an ABSOLUTELY INSANE stat about Kevin Durant. Right, Born: Kevin Durant has made at least $307,385,868 playing professional basketball. All data is extracted since 2018-19 and pulled from PBP Stats unless noted otherwise. Jokic vs. Durant, Murray vs. Booker: Here's everything you need to know about Suns-Nuggets, 'Rare company': Durant, Nike reach lifetime deal, 'Iron sharpens iron': Booker, KD put away Clippers, 'So many open shots': CP3 closes strong vs. Small Forward, Power Forward, and Shooting Guard. During a playoff duel in 1994, Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman shared their admiration towards the toughness and dirty tricks of John Stockton. Tucker being draped all over him for seven straight games in the second round. Aside from his smooth jumper, he was always known to be a great free throw shooter. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. That being said, there are still plenty of areas in the sport that can lead to substantial success. Active players are listed in bold 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. This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. That's about the same number as Tobias Harris. MORE:How KD is helping Devin Booker reach a new level of superstardom. 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. He's also doing it. (Error Code: 102006) You probably don't need me to tell you how impressive that is, but for some perspective: Durant is one of 81players who have attempted at least 15 shots from midrange through the first three weeks of the season. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. 13 of those 16 seasons were played with the Warriors. 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. Shot charts are via Positive Residual. 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. That same season Ricky got into the record books by recording the second longest consecutive free throw shooting streak at 75 made. Kevin Durant has a true shooting percentage of 61.9 in his career. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Durant probably isn't going to shootthiswell from midrange for the entire season, but again, it's not like this is new territory for him. While rather comical to watch, it was obviously a very effective approach. This Canadian phenom is a two time NBA MVP. However, he was mostly limited to mid-range jumpers and daggers from the line. He has shot 184 shots from the mid-range this season, hitting a ridiculous 104 of them. On the rare occasions when Durant has rested, they've gotten completely destroyed. Mullin's free throw shooting remained fairly steady over the course of his career. Drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Terrell would play backup point guard for the early part of his career. Larry Brown never got confused about whos who on the 2004 Detroit Pistons roster. Jeff was nicknamed "Horny" in the Jazz communitya rather awkward name to bestow upon a player. Explore Which team has the most wins as road dogs since 2014-15? Aside from his 5 all-star appearances, he will best be known for his adept touch from the line and two Olympic gold medals; one with the 1984 amateur team and the other on the "Dream Team". While there is plenty of hand-wringing going on, there are a few reasons why his minutes might not be a huge issue. But his best attack has been his self-created Sombor Shuffle. It's crazy DeMar DeRozan just keeps getting better in the midrange. Aside from the ice running through his veins at the line, he is considered one of the all time great shooters. It certainly worked in the postseason as he hit eight consecutive mid-range jumpers in less than ten minutes against the Denver Nuggets. It's possible that trend continues with Deandre Ayton logging a team-worst minus-21 during his time on the floor. With his comfort pulling up, playing drop coverage against Durant is usually a losing game. The fantastic two-man game Jokic has shared with Jamal Murray, who will miss most if not all of next season due to the guards injury, has predictably propelled the Nuggets to great heights over the past few seasons. pic.twitter.com/grNC2nRgG5. When fans think of reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic, many immediately gravitate towards his playmaking. Kevin Durant Stats, News, Bio | ESPN His best season from the line came last yeara career high of 93.8%. But at the same time, the mid-range game is not going to go away any time soon thanks to the style of play from several stars around the league. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Like several others ranked here, they could be considered one of the great free throw shooting duos. 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. However, his bread and butter would always come down to his free throws. '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'); As the analytics community grows, one of the most common debates in basketball is the role of the mid-range jump shot in the modern NBA. Data Provided By Luckily it wasn't a name that was too widely used around the league. He joins former teammate Dirk Nowitzki on this elite list along with several members of the 50-40-90 club. Kevin Durant (Additional Stats) - NBA player profile - WhatIfSports Follow @BryanKalbrosky Of his many skills, his stroke from the line is one of the best in NBA history. KD is also posting career highs in 2 point (64.5%) percentage despite the fact that he is shooting the lowest proportion of field goal attempts at the rim in his career (14%), and career highs in true shooting (67.4%) percentage despite posting career lows in free throw percentage (82.9%) on his 4th lowest number of attempts (6.3). According to NBA.com, he has made wait for it 59.7 percent of his shot attempts from midrange to start this season. Hes also doing it with tight coverage in most scenarios which will add a thorn in the side of defenses. Kevin Durant has solidified his case for being the best mid-range - MSN Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 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. NBA Twitter reacts to Jayson Tatum's 55-point All-Star Game: 'Steph doesn't show up one time and Tatum breaks the record', Jimmy Butler's injured ankle looking visibly swollen following Game 1. He also holds a playoff record of 56 consecutive free throws made. DeMar DeRozan has the most attempts per game from the mid-range with 9.8. His efficiency profile is. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Do you have a blog? Click to login It includes: Shot chart Shooting stats by location Foul drawing stats Defense and rebounding stats Try Insider stats free for one week, Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland, Draft: Mark has spent the majority of his 12 years in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. One of Allen's legacies will always be the infamous "Allan Houston Rule". During Game Five, Nowtizki once again had the opportunity to send the game into overtime with late free throw attempts. If Durant feels like he needs a little more space, his fadeaway usually does the trick, giving him an even higher release point. While Reggie fights Jeff Van Gundy for top honors as the most annoying broadcaster to join a NBA booth, he has had a storied career in the NBA. Durant has had 20 percent or higher in the percentage of points from the mid-range in 10 of his 14 seasons. Stats Notebook: Kevin Durant on pace for his best offensive year ever Chris Paul 14-15 .. 50.44. This would be the first of two great free throw shooting duos he formed over the course of his career. Twitter: Hawkins would record a career high 90.2% during his final season with the Seattle Supersonics. Leonard called the late Bryant one of his mentors and had the opportunity to work out with the five-time NBA champion. With at least 30 assists in 24 games, the Nets have set a new single-season franchise record. While those arguments are tired at this point, the data suggests that the league is increasingly moving away from the mid-range game. Data Provided By While he has had one of the best mid-range games of all time, it has gotten even better over recent years. Who was the MVP in each first-round series? Career FT%: 87.6% (5,284 FTM / 6,033 FTA). Durant has had 20 percent or higher in the percentage of points from the mid-range in 10 of his 14 seasons. Finds his spot and rises up. However, we'll only be counting his 10 years in the NBA. 1 in three pointers made with 2,560 total makes. Kevin Durant is right: Anthony Davis is the next Kevin Durant (45-37, 4th place in NBA Western Conference), Next Game: And as more offenses started to stretch the floor and avoid the mid-range, defenses have had to adjust. 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. Taking away his seven PPG from free throws, mid-range jumpers account for 35 percent of Durant's scoring. Kevin Durant leads the Warriors from outside - Sporting News Topping the list in both mid-range field goals made (4.0 per game) and attempted (8.3 per game) is Chicagos DeMar DeRozan, who has been one of the most prolific mid-range shooters in the league for years. DeMar DeRozan has ranked in the top five in mid-range field goals made in eight of the past 10 seasons. Hornacek's highest consecutive free thows made totals at 67, which happened during his final season in the league. Sometimes, it's as simple as shooting over them. Kevin Durant has solidified his case for being the best mid-range Jeff was always known for his strong shooting touch and head-to-head match-ups with Michael Jordan. Curry is the only player in the league that is shooting at least 40% from 3-point range and 50% from mid-range. Durant's 37 field goals from midrange are the most in the league by a pretty large margin. That theory has left the mid-range the area inside the 3-point line but outside the key as the dead zone on the floor, the least efficient shot in the game, the lava in the basketball version of Floor is Lava. Find out more. Besides his long range, Reggie made a living off shooting from and getting to the line; he was easily one of the best at drawing fouls. Mahmo Abdul-Rauf - Career FT%: 90.5% (1051 FTM / 1161 FTA), Scott Skiles - Career FT%: 88.9% (1548 FTM / 1741 FTA), Darrell Armstrong - Career FT%: 87.1% (1463 FTM / 1679 FTA), Michael Williams - Career FT%: 86.8% (1545 FTM / 1780 FTA), John Long - Career FT%: 86.2% (1814 FTM / 2104 FTA). Aside from the rather unsanitary practice of licking his finger tips before shooting, he could always be counted on to make his free throws. The Nets are second in the NBA in isolation possessions per game (11.1), isolation points per game (11.8), and points per isolation possession (1.04). Miller had a trademark move that he always used to get the attention of the refereeshe would kick his legs out in order to force contact on the opposing defender. Golden State's star sharpshooter enjoys another historic moment, which also set his playoff career high. KD leads the pack with 57%. He averaged 28.4 points per game in the first round, shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from 3-point range. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Thanks for signing up. This was the same season he had the lowest usage percentage in his career. Career FT%: 87.5% (3,389 FTM / 3,871 FTA). You already knew that a list about modern mid-range shooters is going to start with DeMar DeRozan. Some of the best players will tell you that repetition is the key to having success at the line. ", DeMar DeRozan's midrange mastery transforming Bulls in crunch timehttps://t.co/LxDjZcyKo2, Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) December 21, 2021. Along with the rest of his versatile game, his immaculate free throw shooting ranks near the top of his talents. inWashington,District of Columbia Spin: Durant capitalized on Denver's smaller wings, canning his signature midrange jumpers while finishing a perfect 4 for 4 at the rim.