1. 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. His most memorable streak clocked in at 43 consecutive free throws made. Durant has been absolutely incredible this season from the mid-range showcasing he might be the best to do it from that position. 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. The kicker is not a single one of them has made nearly as manyfrom that distance as Durant. Stephen Noh is an NBA writer for The Sporting News. This gave NBA teams the option to release a player without his contract counting toward the luxury tax. This guard was drafted to Washington in1983 when they still were named the now ironic Washington Bullets. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. 3-Point Field Goal Percentage; 3PT:3-Point Field Goals Made-Attempted . Irving is also fifth in free throw percentage (92.4). His mid-range jumper was one of the main tools he used to accomplish as much. 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. That being said, there are still plenty of areas in the sport that can lead to substantial success. Shot charts are via Positive Residual. A clutch game is defined as being within five points in the final five minutes. Thats what makes him the MVP. DeMar DeRozan (29) is the closest to him, followed by Paul George (28),Trae Young (26) and Dejounte Murray (26). (As a frame of reference, 23.8 percent is in line with role players like Malcolm Brogdon and Tyrese Maxey.). Eventually he would go on to replace another player on this list as the starting point guard for the Cavs. 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, And as more offenses started to stretch the floor and avoid the mid-range, defenses have had to adjust. Copyright 2020 www.TheComeback.com - All Rights Reserved - Trademarks used herein are property of their respective owners. Larry Brown never got confused about whos who on the 2004 Detroit Pistons roster. Harris also holds the fourth (183, 2018-19) and fifth (172, 2019-20) places on that list. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. If you were amazed by Stephen Curry's record-setting performance on Sunday, you weren't the only one. Booker is second in the playoffs at 43.2 minutes per game. It's possible that trend continues with Deandre Ayton logging a team-worst minus-21 during his time on the floor. DeAndre Jordan leads the NBA in effective field goal percentage (77.2) and true shooting percentage (75.6). We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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? You're either creating a dunk, or a wide-open three: pic.twitter.com/LcUSkgrPEy. Active players are listed in bold Kyrie Irving is seventh in the NBA in scoring, averaging 26.9 points per game, and fourth in offensive rating (119.6). NBA/ABA. In his primeand still to some extentPeja was lethal from both the charity stripe and long range. 1 in three pointers made with 2,560 total makes. This was the same season he had the lowest usage percentage. 10 of Bill's 11 years in the NBA were played with the Boston Celtics. 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. Dirk Nowitzki 13-14 50.43. Career FT%: 87.3% (1,784 FTM / 2,043 FTA). Why, he wondered, would you pass up on the easy look for something contested? His stint as coach for the beleaguered Nets will probably be the aspect of his career in the NBA that defines him; they had a historically bad season and came close to having the worst record in NBA history. 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. When fans think of reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic, many immediately gravitate towards his playmaking. He has shot just 34 percent from beyond the arc this season, highlighting the importance of a step inside the three-point line. Through 26 games this season, Durant has been lethal from the mid-range. It's crazy DeMar DeRozan just keeps getting better in the midrange. of the Suns combined to shoot a preposterous 21-of-29 from mid-range. Usage percentage is an estimate of the percentage of plays that a player used while on the floor. Best Midrange Shooting Seasons Since 2013-14*, 1. Chris Mullin was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1985. Durant is putting up 29.1 points, 5.0 assists and 6.7 rebounds per contest. The league average shot from between zero and three feet of the basket was 67.5 percent this past season, according to Basketball-Reference. The Comeback: Todays Top Sports Stories & Reactions. From the 15-19 foot range, DeMar DeRozan, Klay Thompson, and Lamarcus Aldridge have all taken 240 or more mid range jumpers. Sometimes, it's as simple as shooting over them. When factoring that in, he may be the one who wears the crown as the true king of the in-between game. Similar to DeRozan, the mid-range game has been a staple for Aldridge for years and for years he resisted trying to become the latest big man to move his game beyond the arc. Taking away his seven PPG from free throws, mid-range jumpers account for 35 percent of Durant's scoring. 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). Data Provided By Initially drafted by the Clippers in the 1988 NBA draft, Hersey would then go on to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. 13 of those 16 seasons were played with the Warriors. ESPN Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Just barely reaching the criteria for this list is Terrell Brandon. Follow @BryanKalbrosky 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. Calvin Murphy spent 13 successful seasons in the NBA with the Rockets; good enough to get him into the Basketball Hall of Fame. 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. To determine value added from downtown, you perform two. The Suns are playing a short rotation because they traded away what depth they had in order to get Durant. Harden is 11th in the league with 31 double-doubles and is third with 12 triple-doubles. Their eighth man, Landry Shamet, has been targeted defensively and is shooting 21.4 percent from the field. But next season, DeRozan will head back to the East and will join the starting frontcourt for the Chicago Bulls. The entire playing career for Kevin Durant is displayed below. If youre going to move away outside the paint and from the basket which generally leads to lower shooting percentages its better to shoot a 3-point shot for the reward of the extra point for each make rather than a long 2-point shot. Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Not even centers like Myles Turnerstand much of a chance of disrupting his shot. While he is one of the best at the line, he may perhaps be best remembered for his misses at two crucial junctions during the 2006 NBA Finals. Kevin Durant has averaged a win percentage of .628 in his career. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. 50.1, *min. 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. Everyone who ever discusses it ends up comparing it to the iconic mid-range stepback from Dirk Nowitzki. Durant has had 20 percent or higher in the percentage of points from the mid-range in 10 of his 14 seasons. His 92.9% free throw shooting during that series played a large factor in both his individual and team success. It was a vintage performance of Durant-on-Twitter and he uttered an unforgettable one-liner about the role of graphs in sports. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? He would go on to play 16 seasons in the NBA as a small forward. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Find out more. Right, Born: Active players are listed in bold * Indicates member of the Hall of Fame. 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. Kevin Durant is on Instagram at easymoneysniper. In fact, Paul actually recorded one of the most efficient seasons from mid-range of any player in the past 25 years. Kevin Durant attended National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland, Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland and Texas. 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). Totals. Dirk's free throw routine was at one point singing David Hasselhoff songs while at the free throw line. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 4:39AM. 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. !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)? As a counter to that article, I've compiled a list of the 20 best free throw shooters in NBA history. Career FT%: 88.3% (3,143 FTM / 3,559 FTA). MORE:How KD is helping Devin Booker reach a new level of superstardom. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. 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). International Stats at Basketball-Reference.com, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. Kevin Durant was drafted by Seattle SuperSonics, 1st round (2nd pick, 2nd overall), 2007 NBA Draft. But his assist percentage (27.5%) is a career best, as is his assist-to-usage rate, according to Cleaning the Glass. Kevin Durant is third in the NBA in shooting a career-high 47.2 percent from 3-point range. Durant's 37 field goals from midrange are the most in the league by a pretty large margin. us, High Schools: West Semifinals - Game 2, DEN LEADS SERIES 1-0. To tie a bow on it, Durant has the handle to do stuff likethis on the regular: The combination gives Durant the tools to torch teams inisolation, off of screens, out of pick-and-rolls and in the post. Small Forward, Power Forward, and Shooting Guard. Just missing the cut on several occasions to make the 50-40-90 club, it was only his sub 50% field goal shooting that kept him from joining the list. Bryant was a mid-range maestro in his own right so thats exactly what DeRozan has become during his time in the league. 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. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network. 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. It doesn't usually matter if someone is in Durant's face either. 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. This was the same season he had the lowest usage percentage in his career. There's no arguing against success. During the 1980-81 season, Murphy managed to set recordsat the timefor both longest streak of consecutive free throws made and highest free throw percentage in a single season; records that have since been broken. After three seasons with the Pistons, he would then go on to join the New York Knicks where he is most often associated; he would spend 12 years as a Knick. Joel Embiid, one of the best players from the mid-range this season, has shot eight percent less than Durant on 1.2 fewer attempts. While those arguments are tired at this point, the data suggests that the league is increasingly moving away from the mid-range game. The mid-range jumper is a primary example of taking what the defense gives you. 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. to shoot a preposterous 21-of-29 from mid-range. It's almost like if all else fails, Durant knows he can just rise up. During his tenure in the NBA he made a name for himself at the charity stripe. ", DeMar DeRozan's midrange mastery transforming Bulls in crunch timehttps://t.co/LxDjZcyKo2, Rob Schaefer (@rob_schaef) December 21, 2021. September 29, Find out more. Mullin's free throw shooting remained fairly steady over the course of his career. Kevin Durant is third in the NBA in shooting a career-high 47.2 percent from 3-point range. That's about the same number as Tobias Harris. The two were a remarkable combo in a traditional pick and roll offense with Jokic setting a screen then popping out usually to somewhere around the free-throw line for a jumper off the catch. Brooklyn is seventh in assists per game (26.9) and 10th in blocks per game (5.2). He also accounted for 36.8 percent of the Suns' total rebounds. 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. Harden has the third-highest career scoring average among active players (25.2). He then went berserk in the playoffs, connecting on 55.3 percent of his middies despite the pesky P.J. 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. With his second 3 on Tuesday, the Warriors' star guard eclipses the all-time record after tying it in the opening minutes. 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. Chauncey Billups, Mr. Big Shot himself, earned that nickname through his clutch shooting in late game situations. But as noted by Jonathan Tjarks, the evolution to eventually step beyond the arc more often even if he wasnt hitting them was inevitable for DeRozan so he could serve as a better floor spacer (via The Ringer): There was never any mechanical reason that DeRozan couldnt take 3s before. Can Seth join his older brother this season? He is one 3-pointer behind Allen Crabbe (201, 2017-18). Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News. Despite his advanced age, Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. The Brooklyn Nets are first in the NBA in offensive rating (117.3) and second in points per game (118.8), while playing the NBAs 11th-fastest pace (100.33). We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. However, he has played the game long enough to know when it feels like his shot is sinking particularly well on any given night. 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. "Mike was simply a much-loved son, brother, grandson, and uncle who loved his dogs. Besides being one of the most promising young talents the NBA has seen in years, Durant is primed to challenge every single player on this list for dominance. Allen was originally drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1993 NBA Draft. Join our linker program. News: 2 days agoDurant 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. Originally drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1982 draft, Pierce would go on to play 16 seasons in the NBA. Among the 168 players that have attempted at least 20 mid-range shots so far this season, Curry has the top mid-range field goal percentage at 61.8% (68-110) so far this season. You can look at a shot chart fromKevin Durantfor half a second and see that he is absolutely brilliant from everywhere on the floor. Spin: Durant capitalized on Denver's smaller wings, canning his signature midrange jumpers while finishing a perfect 4 for 4 at the rim. DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Durant lead top 10 mid-range scorers | NBA.com A closer look at the top 10 mid-range scorers in the league this season. Kevin Durant Stats and news - NBA stats and news on Phoenix Suns Forward Kevin Durant In one his books, Larry Bird opened up how frustrating it was as a coach to see his former team Indiana Pacers get dominated by Michael Jordan., Rudy Tomjanovich sounds off on his former team and the rumors surrounding them. With his game still going strong, he may continue to add notches to his belt. His defenders are assuredly still having nightmares about the hot streak and as the Suns look to defend their roles as conference champions, look for Paul to continue giving Phoenix an advantage every time he steps on the floor. Ricky Barry will always be remembered for his free throws. Kevin Durant's midrange game is the ultimate cheat code. ", "Kirk doesn't need to show anything to me.". Aside from his smooth jumper, he was always known to be a great free throw shooter. He would mark a career high while with the Indiana Pacers playing under Larry Bird; he hit 93.9% from the line that season. Take a closer look at the top 12 catch-and-shoot scorers in the league. Per Game. Durant's 62.2 % field goal percentage on two-pointers this season is his career-best, and with the way his body is, he's able to make those types of shots look like layups. Hawkins would record a career high 90.2% during his final season with the Seattle Supersonics. Or as he explained: if my middy workin then thats where Im goin for dinner.. Its easy to quantify success when a 7-footer is constantly recording triple-doubles, which is exactly what he does. DeMar DeRozan has ranked in the top five in mid-range field goals made in eight of the past 10 seasons. www.TheComeback.com is a sports fan website and is in no way affiliated with any professional sports team, league, or its Properties. Durant has grabbed 6.5 rebounds per game in his past 10, which is 0.2 less than his average for the season. But yet since 2013-14, Durant is still the most efficient player in the league from this zone. Brooklyn is fifth in fast break points (14.4) and 10th in points in the paint (49.8). Bryan Kalbrosky is a national NBA staff writer at USA TODAY's For The Win. 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). Kevin Durant 17-18 . Leonard called the late Bryant one of his mentors and had the opportunity to work out with the five-time NBA champion. Free throws are infinitely easier to miss than to make; just ask Ben Wallace. Jonas Valaninas.6155: 14. He gets the honor of being considered the greatest free throw shooter in the history in the NBA. Durant finishes: "I missed a lot of time this season, so I want to be out there every minute. 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. Like many players, Jeff had a unique routine before shooting free throws. Mid% = Percentage of Shots from Midrange Pnt% = Percentage of Shots from Paint Def Rtg = Defensive Rating PG Eff% = Point Guard Effectiveness SG Eff% = Shooting Guard Effectiveness SF Eff% = Small Forward Effectiveness PF Eff% = Power Forward Effectiveness C Eff% = Center Effectiveness His steadily climbing percentage shows that he can get even better, which is quite scary. While with the Portland Trailblazers, he would earn the honor of having the highest career free throw percentage for the franchise at 88.1%. Clips. DeRozan has made 39.5%, Aldridge has made 41.2% and Thompson has made 45.1%. Durant's usage percentage is at 23.8 percent . He was one of the most well rounded and complete players during his time. That is absurd, considering he has a career average of 27.2 PPG. Suns stars Kevin Durant and Chris Paul went off about . Harris is also fifth in total 3-point field goals made (200). National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland, That's the best chance that the Suns have to win it all. Basically, as his skills trainer Clint Parks told Clutch Points, a mid-range jumper is a layup for Leonard. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. But his playmaking has improved, too, as no one has assisted on more long mid-range jumpers since 2018-19, per PBP Stats. Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Maryland, Draft: 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. Having split time between the NBA and ABA, Rick has accrued a lot of time at the line. However, he has Nash nipping at his heels with only a 0.1% point behind him. Sometimes, Durant argued in this conversation, the mid-range look is just the open shot. You probably won't be surprised to hear that he ranks in the 69th percentile or better in scoring efficiency on those plays right now. However, Nash tops that club having reached it a record five straight seasons. Or write about sports? Aside from the ice running through his veins at the line, he is considered one of the all time great shooters. You can see just how much the shot frustrated even a former Defensive Player of the Year in Draymond Green. I wish I could've played all 48.". All rights reserved. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. His efficiency profile is. Perhaps some stability in his health would have allowed him to consistently improve and maintain stronger averages. Possessing the most unique shot used in the NBA, Rick chose to sacrifice his personal dignity to shoot grandma styleunderhanded. He relented a few seasons ago and expanded his range, with 3-point shots accounting for 26.4% of his points last season between San Antonio and Brooklyn. 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. Can you guess the player?, This is an ABSOLUTELY INSANE stat about Kevin Durant. At one point during his career he joined fellow free throw shooting great, Hersey Hawkins, on the Philadelphia 76ers. After spending the first chunk of his career on the Toronto Raptors, DeRozan was the centerpiece of a deal that sent him to the Western Conference to play for the San Antonio Spurs. Join our linker program. 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. Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, DeMar DeRozan has the most attempts per game from the mid-range with 9.8. 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. '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. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Hes making 57.1 % of midrange shots with the second-best percentage of the 54 who have taken at least 100 shots from midrange. At age 34, Durant is averaging 30.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on a per 75 possession basis (the best way to adjust for minutes and pace across the board). NBALeaguePass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7-day free trial). Over the last 25 seasons, 1700 different times that a player has taken at least 250 mid-range jumpers in a season theres been three times that a player has shot over 55 percent, Redick said on The Old Man and the Three podcast. Lineups . One key stat that must be noted when looking at this top 10 list is age, as six of the top 10 players in mid-range field goals made per game are in their 30s (DeRozan, Durant, Aldridge, Paul George, Curry, Paul), with two over 35.
Paradiso Pond Palatine, Il,
Fnaf Security Breach Unblocked 66,
How Did Josh Norman Pass Away,
How To Test Nbdp With Coast Station,
Articles K
kevin durant career mid range percentage