Keeping The Midrange Alive

Newest podcast episode! - • The Lakers are DONE!
Viewer Survey - docs.google.com/forms/d/1OmCZ...
Newest Deep Dive! - • Loyalty | NBA Deep Dive
2nd channel (post game reactions) - / @alsorustybuckets
Follow me on twitter- / rustybuckets321
__________ Song credits: _____________
Serenity by Prod. Riddiman:
• serenity - lofi hip ho...
Orangeade by Prod. Riddiman:
• Orangeade - Smooth Gui...
#NBA #DeMarDeRozan #Bulls

[@rustybuckets]

Newest podcast episode! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJTZYqadn9F1q6M Viewer Survey - docs.google.com/forms/d/1OmCZeyeaoFV9lBJD-3BZm7fHTmrfw-mCkwWCCuGK-3I/viewform?edit_requested=true Newest Deep Dive! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/a5WnnGl9nLmIZrc

[@starfishandroid]

I took the survey but there was no question to answer how much you ignore the Miami Heat Rusty. An Eastern conferencia juggernaut cant get featured? The Heat ended Demarsanity btw.

[@nysportsfan31]

Took the survey. You’re definitely down bad rusty

[@jsmoove81519]

Thought I was clicking on a deep dive with that title. Still dope tho

[@rinqzywarren7320]

@@sac1211 lmao wtf there’s literally white people in the nba that would destroy you child

[@lottasawce9349]

@@rinqzywarren7320 no bro at the nearest la fitness😂

[@juiethaking7979]

Ong his deep dives be good asf especially the mental health one but overall his vids are really good

[@DreamHoopz]

@@sac1211 you are one weird guy bro

[@henrymattingly1341]

@@sac1211 what the hell are you on about?

[@jdelia54]

Thinking Basketball has discussed this before in a video. The mid-range is still well alive with star players. How many star scorers can you think of don't shoot mid-range dribble pull-ups? The "elimination of the mid-range"/spacing out shooters to the 3-point line actually opened up more space for these dribble pull-ups. More players on the 3-point line give more space inside the arc for the dribble pull-up mid-range. It's really not that complicated. Don't stand inside the arc and clog up space for your star players. Space out and get the extra point to give your stars more space to work with.

[@chrissullivan6572]

It's been all about eliminating the 21 foot pull up in exchange for 3s. Guys like T-Mac, Vince, Kobe would literally have their heels on the 3 point line and pull up. It's also about bigs not floating to 18 feet, instead get behind the 3. It's a super simple concept that got overblown

[@metaldude4563]

I really love the way he put it, the mid range is still alive and well its just that now only star players are taking it, as opposed to back in the day when role players would jack up mid rangers and think nothing of it

[@Daniel-ox1sb]

Fr, if anything you're incomplete as a star if you can't hit a mid-range.

[@tooforwon241]

I'm shocked DeMarvelous got this much better than his peak as a Raptor. His career arc is truly inspiring

[@strongbone9471]

Demar was incredibly underrated before this season.

[@sac1211]

He was a known playoff choker and will show everyone why he was apparently "underrated" once the playoffs happen.

[@strongbone9471]

@@sac1211 nah, he just kept getting cucked by lebron.

[@spookyghostwriter3110]

@@strongbone9471 As a Toronto fan, losing ten straight vs Lebron in the playoffs and winning a total of 2 games in three playoff series is pretty hard to watch.

[@strongbone9471]

@@spookyghostwriter3110 lebron is one of the greatest players ever.

[@spookyghostwriter3110]

@@strongbone9471 He is, don't get me wrong (just dragging him to a 2-2 tie that first year was a major accomplishment that practically nobody else managed), but by round 3 our reaction basically boiled down to "this is going to suck again, isn't it?"

[@ethanhogaboom5877]

Love the new video formats Rusty. Also that background music is really underrated and makes the video even more enjoyable. It’s the attention to detail that makes your videos enjoyable for me. Just wanted to let you know we appreciate all the hard work you put in

[@abhirajspudhota3357]

Hope Demar and Bulls close out the season strong. In a rough stretch and schedule is brutal too! Go Bulls

[@svrfersx9547]

Im thinking maybe 4 seed and a good playoff run

[@svrfersx9547]

Especially with alex coming back

[@CDodger24]

@@svrfersx9547 they're not there yet. They keep losing to top seeded teams.

[@maxmurray7283]

@@svrfersx9547 idk I’m thinking first round exit they are dogshit to any team above 500

[@livingminimumwage6359]

My two favorite shots are the midrange shot and the hook shot. I guess because I grew up idolizing Tim Duncan, but those shots always look so clean when the players make them. I'm glad someone is mastering that shot.

[@SmoothCriminal12]

The thing with the mid-range (or threes for that matter), is that it's only inefficient if you aren't making them at a good clip.

[@adrianpaulochoa9825]

Thing is ppl have gotten so good at trees that they just think, why go for 10 mid-range net 7-10 (14 points) when you go for 5-10 3s (15 points) It's perspective, but I wonder why more young players haven't realized the best of the best killed their opponents from the mid-range (Jordan, kobe, Duncan, etc) Only recently has the Lillard harden curry wave overridden that

[@lik7953]

@@adrianpaulochoa9825 I don’t even think that curry lillard and harden have ruined that. All three, especially curry, are great mid range shooters. It’s just mid range shots are less “cool” and “fancy” so we ignore them while paying attention to the deep threes

[@rapgodreloaded9259]

@@lik7953 let's be honest kids growing up ain't gonna watch Curry shoot middys.

[@HookedonChronics]

@@adrianpaulochoa9825 don't forget Dirk!

[@michaelgieseler2799]

Thanks captain obvious lol

[@jamesh7469]

Paul George would say Demar’s mid range jumper is a bad shot

[@baills7656]

I think Demar mid range is amazing no matter what. I also think it’s amazing because of the personal around him. Lonzo a 3pt shooter, Vuc a big who can space and most importantly Zach Lavine. I think Zach works perfectly because of his “slash and splash” style where he relatives on driving to the rim and his 3pt shot

[@klasesalk]

Rusty Buckets facesitting fandom 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

[@mallymac1214]

Khris Middleton’s best shot is the mid-range shot and Bucks won a title because he was so good at them

[@upthereds1892]

Wusty DESTROYS Old Heads

[@20marvelman]

Perfect timing with him shooting 40% in these losses 😭😭

[@zackspiker_]

Lowkey I loved Sean Livingston’s game when he was on the Warriors.

[@graysonbaker9053]

great vid rusty keep up tha work bro u da best on yt rn‼️

[@willow-martin]

Love your videos rusty! Keep up the great work man, we need more KZbinrs like you.

[@DarthJoptu37]

Just did the survey but I just want to say whatever type of NBA content you end up doing I will be watching. Love your vids. Keep up the amazing work.

[@elivandrisse]

DeMar 🤝KD🤝Khris Middleton🤝Brandon Ingram🤝Devin Booker🤝Keeping the midrange alive

[@nicholasgonzalez4683]

“Those are two very different things” 💀😂

[@joshuaclarendon9829]

I respectfully disagree. When Morey Ball with the Rockets came around a few years ago it felt like everybody in the mainstream NBA media (which honestly may be my mistake for listening to them lmao) was calling the midrange shot a worthless shot to the point where it really did feel like it was a dying art and a player like Demar Derozan's value was greatly diminished. I remember one segment specifically on First Take (again probably my fault for watching lol) where Max Kellerman argued Kyrie should cut out the midrange and just shoot 3s and layups, even though Kyrie is a good midrange shooter. Even when Demar was averaging 28 on the Raptors, the discourse around him still seemed to be focusing on him being overrated because of his focus on the midrange as well as his playoff mishaps. To me its only recently where the midrange shots value has started to come back around in the eyes of the media at least. I can't pinpoint an exact time where this happened but it may have to do with some sort of combination of the Raptors winning the championship with Kawhi ball and/or the repeated failure of the non-midrange shooting Rockets.

[@kyrito11]

ok but still the midrange was never actually dead, whether it was perceived that way or not.

[@jonathansykes4986]

Except "Morey ball" was very effective? How is Moreyball any different than what the Warriors did from 2014 to 2020? They jacked up a bunch of 3s and got a bunch of low range shots with high % effectiveness.

[@shubaairbana]

Never really held the playoff mishaps against him...... Dude got bounced by a 6'9 behemoth who bounced everyone in the conference for 9 straight years

[@OK-yy6qz]

But even Kevin Durant and LeBron the biggest stars on that era were proficient with mid range shots (especially Durant) and they were not alone (Kawhi,Kyrie, Kemba etc etc) even Chris Paul inside the Rockets was taking mid range shots. Actually one of the biggest reasons why Morey ball became remotely effective was because they got Chris Paul a player that can also shoot midrange shots

[@taleweaver34]

Haha was expecting a deep dive. Great commentary. Great content.

[@theorogalski3799]

“Made up analytics demon” made me lol

[@Drogon7102]

Textbook freudian slip "face sitting" lol.

[@kentuckyfriedchildren5385]

Him and Embiid keeping my favorite spot to shot from alive and well in the NBA

[@cannonhect9768]

You need to get that elbow to eye level my boy

[@izteotlflores426]

Lmao Twitter rusty buckets came out there for a second 😂 “face sitting”

[@assibarulpan2853]

Loved that beat playing on the last segment

[@geekout1642]

Thanks for putting out the survey Rusty. It only took a second and I feel like it made a massive difference

[@za5528]

Part of why I never understood people who call Kawhi's game boring or mechanical. His regular season midrange numbers are great but not all-time but when you get to the playoffs and he turns it on, it's just an unstoppable midrange clinic of lovely shot after lovely shot

[@clanwaddell5628]

I am 6 foot 4 without shoes. Used to wear big sneakers to hit 6 foot 5 or 6. Never had a great handle but people would sleep on that pick and pop as I was always (and still do) a power forward or Center. If you can hit 1 out of 2, that is a deadly shot as if you have slashers and 3 point shooters, you can find open spots in that free throw area. But you are right as I used to get pissed at guards I would play with trying to be like MJ but they would brick the fadeaway and pull up jumpers every time.

[@saucyca1821]

Ayo rusty buckets got a WILD mid range pull-up 😂😂

[@ijoseph7343]

Hit the nail on the head! Seeing a player confidently take and make pull ups from mid range is a sure sign of a baller

[@UnknownFilipino]

Got educated on the math of effective midrange shooting when it comes to analytics. Love your channel.

[@pear-head]

Another quality Rusty Buckets video. I'll admit I'm largely an Also Rusty Buckets stan, but I think I can find a middle ground with the refined Rusty Buckets elitists in loving this channel too. Keep it up.

[@zachpolan8719]

rusty that jumper something else

[@elivandrisse]

5:13 ayo??? 🤨

[@sorinnoctis652]

I think the whole midrange vs analytics started because of max Kellerman and Isiah thomas debate when it came to the James harden rockets vs the warriors. He's the only one(I know anyways) who kept arguing against midrange.

[@JacksonBlackmon]

Brandon Ingram deserves to be acknowledged when talking about guys keeping the midrange alive. I always love hearing Joel Meyers yell “MIDRANGE!” when ever he swishes a 16 footer

[@masondagosto8137]

Analytic boogeyman is a good topic for a deep dive I think

[@mathis8007]

Rusty vs old heads

[@Nr4747]

I remember tons of people critizising Pop as "out of touch" for having his team attempt so many midrange shots with Aldridge and DeRozan as star players on the roster. And I'll say again what I told people then: Pop simply played to the strength of the personnel he had. If you have the two best midrange-shooters on your roster, your team is going to shoot lots of midrange shots, even if those shots are technically inefficient when looking at the league as a whole.

[@CoachKev0731]

I don't think anyone thought DeRozan would still be playing at this level. Actually he's playing better than he ever has and it's truly amazing.

[@austinsmith8610]

If anyone puts ‘no’ for the question “is Rusty down bad” on the survey they’re wrong

[@bigchunguscultmember1267]

9:52 I think Udonis Haslem is the main example I think of

[@agomez7740]

Monte Morris is a backup and he has a great midrange shot, and takes a little more than a quarter of his shots from the midrange.

[@Samoaplaya]

your brain immediately went to saying 'facesitting' bc you're down incredibly bad

[@Conquistador76]

Jordan looks so mad in that Larry Hughes photo

[@xHyperActive0]

You could argue that if KD didn't get injured he would have around the same amount of made contested jumpers as Demar.

[@lukesilvay6039]

There is a college basketball player on Iowa State named Izaiah Brockington and he plays very good midrange game. Makes up probably 85% of his 18 points a game

[@bradentucker4854]

Love the 5 minute intro haha

[@MJM_23]

The survey only lets you select one but for favorite type of video at least should do multiple because general uploads and deep dives are equally liked and valued on this channel

[@ajvillegas2107]

Love bein early to Rusty’s videos

[@ljpal18]

The midrange never died.

[@PaulA09631]

What is maddening to me is the midrange utilizes the best aspects of each: as you don’t need to exert too much energy to put up a shot, but you are much closer to the basket so you have a higher chance of making it, and I don’t know why it’s not used even more.

[@CDodger24]

Because not all players can hit it consistently and is recorded to have the lowest percentage in field goals.

[@spennyhenny7680]

face sitting > fence sitting

[@jamesmeyer9574]

If you can shoot midrange with 50% more accuracy than 3’s, it’s worthwhile. Shooting 50% from midrange matches shooting 33.3% from 3. Of course, you have to factor in what the defenders give you as well. It’s better to take an open midrange over a contested layup or 3 any day. Midrange isn’t dead.

[@whooshbait4161]

Funny how efficent Steph is even during his worst year.

[@drehitemup9904]

The midrange never died,if we look at the teams to win the finals since 2015 they all have elite midrange shooters

[@MrShock8]

cant talk midrange without bringing up brandon ingram and cj mccollum

[@dongreene7235]

Hi rusty I have a question how different is demar from his Raptors days vs him right now?

[@ulycha]

Great video idea!

[@Ryancelot]

Theres a threshold percentage where shooting the midrange becomes worth it. If im not mistaken, its around 44%. So if you shoot at least 44% from midrange, its okay, but if lower, you're better off taking threes. That's what the analytics say. Not, never shoot from midrange.

[@JackTCman]

Fuck this was gonna be what I was gonna do my first nba video on lmaooooo

[@lik7953]

It’s pretty crazy Steph curry is The 4th most efficient contested jumper shooter this year despite the fact he’s been in a slump for half the year… imagine him not in a slump

[@ljpal18]

Because there's always 1-2 guys on his shorts. They better be contesting every shot he takes.

[@samhartje723]

He’s still shooting 38% on like 100 threes per 75 possession 💀

[@FretLevelMidnight]

Preach! Analytics are FACTS, GTF over it, move on, stop arguing FACTS.

[@jump25ontoast]

I got the Katara reference

[@clanwaddell5628]

Hit you with that dream shake and have you cooked bro.

[@costylezz]

Demar is in a good situation. Hopefully he can keep it going in the playoffs

[@fizwiz81]

Watched this video right after coming home from watching the sixers stomp deRozan

[@jackhogan610]

never been this early to a video

[@kixuh6314]

When i see you it reminds me not to eat because i dont want to be fat. Good vid tho man

[@wyattfriend7360]

Fire video!!, BTW! untill RECENTLY asf, i have not been getting ANY of your videos in my feed! I watch a lot of youtube so.

[@albertoadams8859]

I can literally go find clips where analytics people say nobody should take mid-range shots. The problem is what you said about taking mid-range shots, if you are efficient at them, should apply to every shot in the game of basketball. Niggas be hoisting up 3s nowadays when the most efficient use of that possession would have been to step in for the mid-range or drive to the basket/post-up (depending on the player/situation). I do agree with everything you said other than the analytic people stuff though.

[@HookedonChronics]

Gonna talk about Dinwiddie balling out for the Mavs and how much better they look without glass Porzingus.

[@questcontentj871]

You would assume the more its unemphasized, the less its focused on, on defense, the better these guys who are really good at it would be at getting their shot.

[@Max.Hartmann]

As a Dirk fan, i agree.

[@teddysullivan7316]

I read the title as "keeping the migraine alive"

[@coolyboy475]

I need rants rusty

[@aqua_serene]

I think the main problem that analytics had with mid range was with the shots just inside the 3 point line which I agree are stupid just take a step back. However actual mid range shots aren't bad. No one is saying that.

[@samhartje723]

I think it’s more about illustrating the dynamics of the court with spacing and shot diets. Elite teams with the most championship equity are often spearheaded by stars who are able to carve out shots on their own. The idea is to space the floor with shooters so they have more space to operate. For instance, you wouldn’t want Reggie Bullock curling around an exit screen for a mid-range jump shot, or Pj Tucker spotting up just inside the corner three. Teams always want to maximize shot value and chances to score more points on any given play.

[@johndavis9321]

Agreed personally mid range shots aren’t the issue imo but just inside the line 2 pointers and foot on the line two pointers should never be shot in a NBA game

[@Most__Toxic_]

Kindra crazy how you didn’t mention Kawhi at all and he’s a really good middy magician 😂

[@christhecringe7585]

god i love face siting

[@EM92401]

Bro brought Kawhi Leonard up 0 times in a video about the mid range shot

[@PTFVBVB]

If you're leading (or nearly) in efficiency for a shot, the analytics will say it's a good shot lmao

[@raiderbro8663]

The Suns with CP3 and Book are also lethal at mid range

[@jonathansykes4986]

CP3 is one of the best mid-range shooters in the league though!

[@rnuke_rocket]

Gary Bird Matthews!

[@premsanghvi19]

shaun livingston comes to mind for a non-star player to be really good at the mid range shot

[@alexescutia4805]

That turnaround was guaranteed

[@reginalpitts6181]

Analytics says if your a ok 3 point shooter and a ok mid range shooter might as well take the 3 , simple

[@pfizer3082]

The middddy 😏😎

[@deepseadoughnut44]

When threes just don't fall, and if the other team can secure mid rangers consistently, it will boost their morale and make it way harder for the team that keeps jacking up 3s blindly. You obviously still want some 3pt shooting, but if the mid range was respected more I think it would mean a better overrall consistency, and not force you to live or die by the 3. Something you see teams forced into more commonly nowadays

[@buffjesus9414]

demar damid(range)

[@JOCSTAR3]

Big ups to Melo and Demar for staying true to their game. 🐐🐐

[@mh4oliveira]

Knowing the efficiency of a shot is easy, you just multiply the FG% by how many points it gives you, so 3 aren't more efficient then long 2s without any qualification, it all depends on your FG%, and if the defense focus completely on the 3 and leaves the midrange open it's generally going to be mathematically stupid to not shoot them. This narrative of "analytics" versus the midrange is stupid, it's just bad analytics

[@pimb160]

Obviously you need actual numbers specific to a player to determine whether a shot is more efficient. There are simply more people in the league who can shoot 36% from 3 than there are players who shoot 54% from midrange. So on average the 3 point shot is usually more efficient

[@jonathansykes4986]

@@pimb160 Except that when you get inside the 5 foot line, a lot of players shoot way higher than 50%. Take Ja Morant for instance. He is a below average 3 point shooter. Even from 5-9 feet out, he is shooting 44.6% which would equate to roughly 0.9 points per average (which is below the 1.03 he would average from 3). However, from 0-5 feet out, he shoots 65.5% which equates to 1.31 which to get the same efficiency from 3, he'd have to shoot near 44% which.. unless you're Steph Curry, you're not doing.

[@OK-yy6qz]

@@jonathansykes4986 using Ja Morant for 0-5 shots is like using Steph Curry for 3s. He's quite possibly the best dunker/finisher in the league right now

[@pimb160]

@@jonathansykes4986 but it's about mid range, not layups. Of course layups are usually still better than three pointers, but that's wasn't the discussion

[@marmadale5042]

rusty dont miss

[@mrbucky226]

The worst case of people meat riding analytics isn't even media or coaching within the nba. It's fans with bullshit takes based off one-number metrics (example: countless times I've seen Jokic called an elite defender or "all nba defender" because of his defensive rating for one season.)

[@kanagawa85]

DeMar the king of mid range

[@libertariansasquatch]

This season..

[@lik7953]

CP3 is insane. I remember watching the suns nuggets series last year. CP3 just got mid range shot after another, and drilled them all

[@ljpal18]

You spelled Durant wrong.

[@J2CDOTCOM]

Yo rusty did you go to fullers park😭

[@ageang7801]

Do a deep dive on kawhi next

[@Acoolyoutubename]

suns with cp3 and book been keeping it alive but derozan a sniper also.

[@alexescutia4805]

Kawhi kd also for a pretty long time

[@saulw6270]

He was supposed to be on the lakers😭