Basketball is an ever-evolving sport.
Ever since James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891, using nothing but a peach basket and a leather ball, we’ve seen it take steps that Mr. Naismith would never have believed.
One of those evolutions that’s taken the game by storm is 3-point shooting. When the 3-point line was introduced in the 1940s, it added a new aspect to the game.
As time continued, so did the use of the 3-point line. Players like Ray Allen, Reggie Miller and the all-time 3-point leader himself, Stephen Curry, have changed the way the game is played.
If you want to blame Curry for 30-foot 3-pointers and passing up open layups, go ahead, but at the end of the day, three points are more than two.
Countless coaches orchestrate their teams to shoot more 3-pointers and force opponents to play catch-up with a gameplan of simply shooting teams out of the gym.
One part of the game that has decreased is the midrange jump shot.
The midrange jumpshot has declined in recent years, as the emergence of the 3-pointer has led teams to get the ball into the paint or take a step back and shoot from long distance.
Taking shots from 15 to 18 feet away has also been deemed inefficient, and if a team forces a jumper rather than a layup or 3-pointer, it’s a win in their eyes.
However, some teams still play the game “old school,” getting the ball inside, using the post and taking midrange jump shots.
One of those teams is LSU women’s basketball.
After Sunday’s win against Oklahoma, assistant coach Bob Starkey was asked about his team’s identity and how important it is for them to incorporate it into their play style.
“That’s coach Mulkey,” Starkey said. “It’s old school. She’s a big believer in the midrange. Now, she doesn’t have a problem giving the players the green light to shoot the three when they’re open. If you come to our practice, the first 15 minutes we’re shooting midrange jump shots, all sides, ball screens off relocation.”
Out of their 68 shot attempts against the Sooners, 32 of them were midrange jump shots. Almost half of their shot attempts came from inside the 3-point line, compared to 3-pointers, which accounted for only nine.
With the defensive presence of someone like Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers guarding the paint, the pull-up jumper is one of the more efficient shots the offense is going to get.
“In this particular game, the midrange is huge because there’s really not much to get once you get past the midrange with Beers,” Starkey said. “She takes up a lot of room down there and blocks shots, so for us to get by the fitter and pull up and be able to knock those shots down, it was really crucial.”
Again, three is more than two, so if a team can consistently make the 3-point shot, it’ll have a better chance to win and put up a lot of points in doing so.
But that’s not always the case.
LSU is not a 3-point shooting team by any means, ranking No. 344 in the nation in 3-point attempts per game, but it still ranks No. 9 in the country in 3-point percentage.
However, just because the team doesn’t take a lot of them doesn’t mean it can’t still be successful in scoring the basketball.
Despite the low attempts, the Tigers rank No. 1 in both points per game (99.6) and field goal percentage (52.76%). The pull-up jumpers can open up the game to multiple levels, which is why LSU takes so many of them.
“What the midrange shot does, especially if you can knock down the three, is it really makes it difficult for defenders to close out properly,” Starkey said. “If they close out short, you hit the three, but if they try to get there, you can pull up and shoot the midrange.”
