NBA Shooters Are Stuck in the Middle

You don’t need a poll to tell you that the NBA game is suffering because today’s players don’t shoot well. Just watch a game.

For every free-flowing game like the Lakers’ victory over New York on Thursday -- both teams shot better than 51% -- there are three or four games played by teams that miss six of every 10 shots.

In 1992-93, 21 of the 27 teams in the NBA shot at least 46.2%, and 20 years ago, 22 of the league’s 23 teams did. Today, at the All-Star break, only one of the NBA’s 29 teams is shooting that well, the Utah Jazz at 47%.

One reason for the drop has been the disappearance of the mid-range jump shot. Before there was a three-point shot, the game’s top players lived off shots eight to 15 feet from the basket. Not anymore.

“I would say that the mid-range shot is becoming a prehistoric animal,” said Stu Lantz, a former NBA player who now does radio and TV analysis on Laker games. “Probably because the three-point line is so attractive to people and because the highlights young kids watch only show dunks. So they are either taking the long-range shot or taking the ball all the way to the basket, trying to make the spectacular play.”

Where have you gone, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Walt Frazier? Why aren’t there more players who can play like James Worthy, Kevin McHale and Alex English?

The NBA will showcase its top players this weekend and you can bet there will not be many mid-range jump shots, especially with Jazz forward Karl Malone home in Utah.

Defensive changes have also affected the vanishing mid-range game. Since the legalization of zones, a big defensive team can cut down the size of the court and limit penetration. But even when players do get open shots, they’re not knocking them down.

When today’s players work on their outside shooting, they practice three-point shots. That’s why so many players look uncomfortable when they’re in the mid-range zone with the ball.

Instead of taking high-percentage open shots, they usually drive to the basket or back up behind the arc and launch a three-pointer.

And don’t expect the shooting to improve any time soon.

“It all starts when they are at the younger ages because they are not being taught,” Lantz said. “When you don’t see the young kids working on that facet of the game, then you know what’s going to develop when they get older.

“Just watch ‘SportsCenter’ at night. You don’t see any mid-range jump shots as a highlight. The only thing they show as a highlight is a dunk. That’s what the kids go out and try and emulate. Just look at Michael Jordan. They didn’t show him shooting short jumpers, they always showed him scooping to the basket. It’s the same now with today’s great players like Kobe [Bryant], Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter.”

The NBA’s best hope may be the recent influx of international players, normally better fundamental shooters.

Players such as Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol have mid-range games and may start influencing young players who will be the NBA’s players of tomorrow.

But don’t bet on it. Remember when Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were going to change the game with their unselfish play of the 1980s? Jordan emerged and soon had every future NBA player dreaming of playing above the rim.

“Let’s hope that the European style of play will pave the way because something has to be done in order to bring back the mid-range game,” Lantz said. “But one thing I’ve noticed is that people are drawn to the players who draw the oohs and ahs from the crowd. That was Michael and that’s what all the kids on the playground wanted to do. They want the spectacular play and that will always take the mid-range game away.”

*

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

International Incidence

Eleven NBA players are shooting over 50% this season -- with a minimum of 350 attempts -- and five of them are international players (statistics through Friday):

*--* Player, Team FG FGA Pct Shaquille O’Neal, Lakers 354 630 562 Richard Jefferson, New Jersey 265 497 533 P.J. Brown, New Orleans 191 360 531 Yao Ming, Houston 227 429 529 Andrei Kirilenko, Utah 186 355 524 Pau Gasol, Memphis 308 605 509 Matt Harpring, Utah 329 648 508 Brian Grant, Miami 202 399 506 Nene Hilario, Denver 179 354 506 Brad Miller, Indiana 227 449 506 Rasho Nesterovic, Minnesota 254 504 504

*--*

- International players in bold