In an NBA era dominated by three-pointers and rim attacks, the mid-range jumper has become basketball’s lost art. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has revived it and mastered it in a way that has flipped the script on modern offense.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Thunder star has quietly become the league’s most efficient and dangerous scorer by thriving in the space most players avoid: the 15-to-18-foot range.
A big reason for that is assistant coach Sam Cassell, who worked closely with a young Gilgeous-Alexander during his formative years. Cassell saw an opportunity where others saw inefficiency.
“I know that’s the shot that in today’s game they’re giving up,” Cassell explained. “They’re giving you the 15-foot pull-up shot. So I just told him from day one, if this is the shot they’re giving, let’s be exceptional at this shot.”
Cassell encouraged him to think differently – to zig where the league zagged.
“The analytic guys say it’s a bad shot,” he added, “but it ain’t a bad shot for him.”
Years later, that philosophy has turned into Gilgeous-Alexander’s signature weapon. When defenders run him off the three-point line or cut off driving lanes, he calmly rises for that pull-up – smooth, mechanical, and deadly.
“If anything go wrong, this is your bread and butter,” Cassell said. “We worked on the same stuff for days.”
And now, that “bad shot” is burying teams nightly.
Thunder Notes: Jaylin Williams, SGA, Hartenstein, Defense https://t.co/KkOEYTwheE pic.twitter.com/5mNmzltuFQ
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) June 16, 2025
