Interesting Article by John Hollinger

[Pego61]

Just wanted to see what you guys thought. Not trying to flame. I would link to it but it is on the ESPN Daily Dime so there is no specific page for the article. If you must see it, http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime ... d=tab1pos1

BOSTON -- Location, location, location.

It's just as important in basketball as it is in real estate, and the principle is the same. For the Los Angeles Lakers, their struggles in the first two games come down to the simple fact that they're not shooting from the court's most prized turf.

The two prized areas for any offensive team are the 3-point line and the area right around the basket. The basket area is valued, of course, because that's where the easiest shots tend to come, while the 3-pointer has value because of the extra point that teams get for the shot.
Look at almost any good offense and you'll see this is where they get the bulk of their shots. Yes, there are some teams and players that are particularly good on midrange jumpers -- we'll talk about two of them in a minute -- but this is almost always the shot of last resort. The first objective is to try to get a layup or a 3; only if that doesn't work out is the midrange J the weapon of choice.

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[snaquille oatmeal]

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[magic1fan]

why do reporters assume the lakers were not shooting in the paint? it was the refs people. the only stat that stands out are the free throws. without that advantage the celtics don't win. i have said it before and i will say it again. we shot 50% against them on their floor. the rebounds were even,more points in the paint and less turnovers.

[Dexmor]

Midrange not smart? Has he heard of Michael Jordan after the first comeback? All he did was the midrange game. Rip Hamilton mean anything?

[Gomes3PC]

As Rick Pitino put it, the worst shot in basketball is the one that is a step in from the 3 point line. If you are going to take and make midrange shots that's fine. But it's a lot easier to win if you concentrate nailing 3s and getting in the paint. People call it a lost art, but it's getting increasingly lost because jumpshooting teams have a lot of trouble winning in the NBA, unless they are good 3 point shooting teams too.