The Phoenix Suns made a handful of moves during the 2026 offseason that, at least on paper, limit the team’s offensive spacing compared to a season ago. Yet, as two NBA greats argue, the mid-range game still has value, especially in postseason play.
Devin Booker remains one of the best mid-range artists in the game today, even with trends continuing to favor 3-point shooting volume year-over-year. It’s a skill he should lean into even more this coming season.
Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady argue in favor of mid-range shooting
While speaking with Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis on their “Cousins” podcast, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady made the case for the mid-range game.
“That is crazy that we are sitting here having a conversation about you not being able to take mid-range jump shots,” McGrady said to Buzelis after he explained he’ll take maybe one mid-range shot during a game more as a “set up” to get defenders off balance for the rest of the contest.
“The greatest players that have won championships in our league have taken mid-range jump shots,” McGrady said. “Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant … what are we talking about?”
Carter, a former Sun, extrapolated from there after T-Mac put in his two cents.
“We talked about this. We watch the games, and I understand it’s the layup or the three, and what do the numbers say? I get it, but what does the play say in that moment?” Carter said.
That’s something the Arizona Wildcats embraced under head coach Tommy Lloyd with Suns first-round draft pick Koa Peat in the mix. The Wildcats shot by far the fewest 3-pointers in the Big 12, but still made a run to the Final Four because Lloyd leaned on his players’ collective strengths and aimed to get the “best shot available,” which often means a 2-pointer or mid-range look.
“Sometimes the layup sets up the 3,” Carter said. “The mid-range sets up both.”
In the era of analytics, pretty much every team is prioritizing 3-point looks due to a simple mathematical fact: they’re worth more points. But as Carter explains, utilizing mid-range shots can keep defenses honest because they’re forced to not drop back and protect the rim if their opponent is connecting on open mid-range looks.
After the Suns traded sharpshooters Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale to Charlotte for Miles Bridges, it makes sense for the offense to focus less on 3-point volume. Phoenix finished fifth in the league last season in 3-point attempts per game, but they’re losing 371 made triples without those two. The free-agent signing of Luke Kennard will no doubt help, but last year’s leader in 3-point percentage only attempted 3.1 treys per game.
Suns have the personnel to bring back mid-range attack
Booker has said on numerous occasions that NBA great Kobe Bryant served as his inspiration. There’s a lot of the Black Mamba in Book’s game, perhaps most notably his mid-range acumen.
Like Bryant, Booker is an assassin with mid-range looks. He made 47.7 percent of his 2-point attempts beyond 16 feet last season and was an even more sterling 48.7 percent on shots between 10 and 16 feet. Juxtapose that with Book’s 33 percent shooting from deep last season — the worst mark since the 2018-19 campaign — and it’s pretty clear his mid-range game is more of a strength.
The same can be said for his teammate Dillon Brooks. “The Villain” shot 34.4 percent on 3-pointers a season ago, but made 46 percent of his shots between 10 and 16 feet and 50.3 percent of his shots between three and 10 feet, according to Basketball-Reference data.
Their ability to attack from the mid-range not only frees up their ability to pump fake or drive defenders later on, but it can also free up outside shooters like Collin Gillespie and Kennard, who head coach Jordan Ott genuinely wants firing away from deep, given they make them count more than 40 percent of the time.
There’s a reason NBA legends like McGrady and Carter are praising the mid-range shot. The Suns, especially with their roster, shouldn’t shy away from it.
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