[Goose]

5.  Last point and a pet peeve of sorts.  The pull up 6-8 footer is your friend, especially when the defender gets to a spot and is obviously not in "contest shot" mode.

Amen! Seems to be largely a lost art across much of basketball - college and pro.

There is a reason for this. Basketball Analytics deprecates shots in the 3 to 10 foot range. They have the lowest expected value as a function of range from the basket.  See https://fansided.com/2015/08/17/nylon-ca...selection/
Granted, these numbers are for all types of shot, contested as well as uncontested. The raw expected value doesn't take into account angle to the backboard either. However, this low expected value in the general case has pushed these shots out of the game plan mainstream. If you don't practice taking that shot, you don't take it in a game, or if you do, you are more likely to miss. You may also get yelled at. The Analytics becomes a self-fulfilling prediction. Analytics says you either try to drive to the 0 to 3 ft area, or kick it out for a 3. That is the "new" basketball.

[Goose]

5.  Last point and a pet peeve of sorts.  The pull up 6-8 footer is your friend, especially when the defender gets to a spot and is obviously not in "contest shot" mode.

Amen! Seems to be largely a lost art across much of basketball - college and pro.

There is a reason for this. Basketball Analytics deprecates shots in the 3 to 10 foot range. They have the lowest expected value as a function of range from the basket.  See https://fansided.com/2015/08/17/nylon-ca...selection/
Granted, these numbers are for all types of shot, contested as well as uncontested. The raw expected value doesn't take into account angle to the backboard either. However, this low expected value in the general case has pushed these shots out of the game plan mainstream. If you don't practice taking that shot, you don't take it in a game, or if you do, you are more likely to miss. You may also get yelled at. The Analytics becomes a self-fulfilling prediction. Analytics says you either try to drive to the 0 to 3 ft area, or kick it out for a 3. That is the "new" basketball.