“Only thing we’re shooting in practice are layups and 3s,” starting point guard Patrick Beverley explains. “We don’t like midrange,” Garcia and Beverley say in unison.
The two of them have a firm grasp on Houston’s mission, but I want to know just how extreme their team’s approach is. “Did you know that LaMarcus Aldridge has shot ...” Beverley interrupts my question with the exact number of midrange shots Aldridge has hoisted relative to the entire Rockets team. As of Friday, the Portland power forward has attempted 98 more midrange shots than everyone on the Houston roster combined. That’s a startling statistic, but it’s not especially novel to Beverley, who “keeps up with everything,” as he puts it.
Beverley responds with, “What would you rather shoot, a 3 or a 2?” Now that he’s won locker room "Jeopardy!," he turns the tables and quizzes me. All I can manage in return is, “I think you guys might be on the forefront of something.”
Houston’s three most commonly used lineups employ a four-out approach (four 3-point shooters, one non-shooting big man). The style has gained popularity since Mike D’Antoni and the Suns redefined NBA offense in the mid-aughts.
