it could be possible to have a team make themselves an outlier on that shot chart by using drive + kick plays to create space for shooters in 18-20' range, but obviously no one is doing that because if you can create space for an open outside shot, obviously you create that space for a 3FGA.

so perhaps the 3FG% looks good there simply because a 3FGA is most often the result of a specific type of play designed to have a high % long range shot. it doesn't mean 3FGAs are, by definition, more valuable than midrange jumpshots. it just means if you have an open shot, take it, and a good offense will space the floor to maximize the opportunity to score 3 pts instead of 2 pts.

what you're talking about in critiquing Melo, Josh Smith, Kobe et. al. is simply shot selection. they're taking poor midrange jumpers. it doesn't mean a midrange jumper is valueless, or that a player should avoid it at all costs. and if you're a player like Melo that has to act as the initiator of all NYK offense, you HAVE to keep the defense on their toes by creating from a range of spaces, in order to keep them moving and attackable for you and your teammates.

so it doesn't surprise me one bit that 3FGAs have a higher value, on aggregate, than midrange jumpers. what surprises me is that you've taken this data and made a sweeping generalization from it that "all midrange game is bad."

bad shots that don't involve an entire team offense are bad, it doesn't matter what part of the floor they're coming from.