In the 2020-21 season, only 16 players took at least three long midrange shots per team game, according to NBA Advanced Stats. But they were almost all elite players—12 of the 16 were All-Stars within the past two seasons—and capable from that spot, combining for 45.4 percent accuracy. The difference between the modern NBA and previous eras isn’t where stars shoot. Instead, it’s that “teams have gotten much smarter about role players not taking bad shots,” the lead analyst says.