Bridges thriving in obsolete midrange
There are some NBA players, in the eyes of Mikal Bridges, that analytics simply don’t apply to.
They’re the ones who trust their skill set, believe in it and don’t stray from instincts during a game. They’re the ones — like Bridges and his midrange jumper — that could even convince their head coaches, like the Nets’ Jacque Vaughn, to make exceptions for unconventional shot portfolios. They ask, “why not shoot it,” as Bridges did to reporters following the Nets’ 102-86 victory over the Hornets on Sunday, and don’t wait to hear the answer.
“I don’t think analytics is great on guys like freaking Steph [Curry] shooting 40footers and stuff,” Bridges said, “and he’s making all of them.”
In his 19-point first quarter against Charlotte, seven of Bridges’ nine makes came between 9 and 16 feet of the basket. His midrange numbers are up from last season — rising from 3.4 to 6.0 attempts between 5 and 19 feet, per his NBA.com stats — and only 10 NBA players have attempted more shots between 10 and 14 feet than Bridges in 2022-23. Elite conversion percentages haven’t necessarily followed all the time for the Nets’ recent acquisition, but Bridges still considers that type of shot a strength depending on the opponent.
It also has created a stark dichotomy between Bridges and Vaughn, with the coach wanting his emerging star to keep driving to the rim and shooting 3s. Stretches like Sunday’s first quarter, though, might provide Bridges a bit more leeway.
“I’m learning more about him, what shots he likes to get to, and if they’re going in, we love them,” Vaughn said Sunday. “We do want to have a profile of really getting to the rim and shooting 3s and putting pressure on the defense that way, also.”
Bridges isn’t like Kevin Durant with the midrange jumpers, the player — ironically — he was tasked with replacing after the trade deadline. But Bridges’ 46.2 percent clip for shots between 10 and 14 feet ranks within the top 50 of NBA players who average 1.0 or more attempts from that range per game.
He understands the analytics. He knows teams and coaches have tried to eliminate the midrange jumper and emphasize the 3-pointers and shots around the basket. But sometimes, Bridges won’t be able to get to the rim. “You just can’t,” he said. Sometimes, what appears to be a midrange jumper simply stems from adjusting to defenses on the fly.
“There’s a lot of other space on the floor that you can get to,” Bridges said, “and if you work on it enough and confident enough, those can be your layups.”
In the aftermath of the Nets’ loss to the Bucks on Feb. 28, when Bridges recorded 31 points, Vaughn said that the Nets “don’t want to live with” Bridges relying on midrange jumpers. He was rewarded that night — despite playing a team that wanted to lure shooters into those types of in-between looks — but Vaughn reiterated he still wanted to see Bridges attack the rim.
That’d put even more pressure on opposing defenses, just like Giannis Antetokounmpo did to the Nets that night.
One week later, Bridges continued converting the midrange jumpers against the Hornets. He opened the scoring with an 11-foot shot. The next time down the court, he connected on one 13 feet from the basket. He beat defenders and drove toward the basket until some form of help defense — or doubleteam — shaded over. That’s when Bridges started his jump shot mechanics.
Vaughn noticed a similar approach against the Celtics, and he added that the Nets will keep monitoring Bridges’ percentages and shot selection. For Bridges, though, it buys him more time to keep attempting the types of shots he prefers the most.
“I don’t think I come out just thinking ‘get to my midrange,’ ” Bridges said. “It’s just, if it’s there, it’s there. If they’re up, I’ll drive. Just playing the game of basketball.”