He seems to shoot a TON of mid range stuff. So is everyone at the moment. Should just be attacking the rim constantly. Dish or get fouled.
I'm grateful for these mid range shots. It takes more skill to get a good shot off in the midrange than it does hoisting 3's. This 3 point analytic era is a snooze fest. I appreciate the art of the midrange.
It’s pretty and artful, but is it as efficient?
The math is simple, but he needs to shoot 50% on those shots to reach the efficiency of a 33.3% 3PT shooter.
In general, yes a three point shot is more efficient than a long two point shot, because it's worth 50% more points but isn't 50% more difficult to make (the NBA probably needs to change this - but that's a different argument).
But not all three point shots are created equal. Generally speaking, an open long two point shot is a more efficient shot than a contested three point shot. Ideally, you'd like to shoot all threes or layups, but when the defense won't allow it, you take what they give you. The teams that can find that balance between forcing the issue (trying to get layups/threes - at any cost), and taking the best open shot available, are the teams that have the most success.
The bottom line is, there is still plenty of value to be had from a good mid-range game. Knowing how and when to use it is the more difficult part.