harden's refusal to take those shots is what makes him so more effective than wing scorers like kobe, melo, etc. it's not coincidence that harden and manu share a common distain for midrange jumpers.

http://vorped.com/bball/index.php/player/shotchart/1133-Manu-Ginobili/season/2011-2012-REG

being able to make midrange jumpers is kind of an irrelevant skill. sure, it's nice to have in a pinch, but terrible as a go-to strategy. you don't get to the foul line, you don't get as many offensive rebounds and it's a lower-percentage two-point shot.