you think i don't play basketball? OKAY DUDE (as if that typical jock huffiness isn't stupid as a bag of dildos anyway).

you're not thinking of this in NBA terms. it's not just about pure FG%. three pointers count for three points, while two pointers only count for two. you can draw fouls and go to the line. offensive rebounds mean another possession.

because of the RULES OF THE NBA, a contested 18-footer is not better than a contested three-pointer (if we're going to say any contested shot is a good one, outside of being in the paint). for any player who can make those shots at a decent clip, the difference in FG% between the two doesn't make up for the fact that one of them is WORTH MORE. so that's why threes are better.

if you get to the basket, you can draw fouls, get a three-point play or get your own rebound at a much higher rate than if you took an 18-footer. so that's why shots around the basket are better.

these facts are why harden and manu, the two most efficient perimeter players in the NBA, almost never take midrange js. by the way, tony parker doesn't take threes, but has led the league in points in the paint before. here's his shots from last season.

http://vorped.com/bball/index.php/player/shotchart/1134-Tony-Parker/season/2011-2012-REG

if you click the pts/shot tab, you'll find, much to your dismay, that parker does not, in fact, crush kill and destroy from midrange. he's far better when in the lane and not particularly dominant in the midrange at all. he's actually about as good as chris bosh.

http://vorped.com/bball/index.php/player/shotchart/838-Chris-Bosh/season/2011-2012-REG