If you've paid any kind of attention to Jalen Brunson over the past year—or his entire career—you've likely heard the criticism. Small guards can't win, midrange jumpers are inefficient, and he doesn't play defense. All three of those statements were proven wrong when he took over time after time to lead the New York Knicks to their first championship in 53 years.
Brunson didn't successfully challenge the truth, however, during the 2026 NBA Playoffs. He just mastered what's always been necessary: Converting bad shots with elite efficiency.
For as silly as that may sound, it's actually a characteristic that championship teams consistently lean on—and will continue to lean on. It was more pronounced when Stephen Curry was hitting mind-blowing threes and Kobe Bryant was talking trash after every contested mirange jumper, but it's oftentimes the difference between contenders and pretenders.
No, not everyone should build their offense around those shots, but if you're truly convinced that you won't have to make them in the playoffs, you may need a reality check.
Once the playoffs roll around, subpar defenders are almost impossible to hide and often get subbed off no matter how solid their offensive play is. Even Brunson had to lock in with tighter rotations and stronger contests for the Knicks to realize their potential.
With all five players on the court committed to getting a stop on virtually every possession played, ideal looks at the basket are significantly more difficult to generate. That's where the bad-shot-makers come into play.
Jalen Brunson mastered the art of making bad shots
Brunson epitomized this truth in 2025-26—not only during the playoffs, but the regular season, as well. He would dribble into traffic, stand far shorter than the defenders within range, and still manage to get off midrange jumpers, floaters, and step-back threes with a hand in his face.
Brunson ultimately ranked in the bottom half of the NBA in midrange shot quality yet he ranked in the 98th percentile in midrange shot making efficiency, per Basketball Index.
Jalen Brunson's One on One Shooting was elite last season. His midrange game is top notch, and his floater is among the best in the league pic.twitter.com/B9zkdUZIx4
— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) September 5, 2026
It's the unspoken truth about the NBA: If you don't have a player who can get into the midrange and convert difficult shots, winning in the playoffs will be a tall task. It's not the mathematician's dream shot, nor is it something to have all five players on the court attempting to do.
It's simply essential—as Brunson on the 2026 Knicks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday on the 2024 Boston Celtics, and Jamal Murray on the 2023 Denver Nuggets all proved throughout their championship runs.
Championship teams need stars who can make bad shots
Ill-advised as the shots may be on the surface, they're simply inevitable if one is operating within the flow of a game. Teams will attempt to run great shooters off of the three-point line and pack the paint to take shots at the rim away from them.
That leaves the polarizing space that is the midrange area available for the greats to exploit and ultimately turn the tide of a game in.
The ability to knock midrange jumpers down also creates opportunities around the rest of the court. Bigs now have to step out of the paint to contest midrange jumpers, which opens the baseline. Wings collapse not only with the intent to trap, but contest—thus making a far more committed step away from a now wide-open three-point shooter.
In an era where the greats all tend to drive and dish, Brunson has simply remembered that those aren't the only two options once you get past the first defender.
Add us as a preferred source on Google