Suns head coach telling Eric Bledsoe to work on his midrange game

The midrange game has really gone out of style over the last few years. With the advent of analytics, cost-benefit analysis based on points per shot doesn't favor the dead areas between the 3-point line and the basket.

However, that's not stopping Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek from encouraging point guard Eric Bledsoe to work on his pull-up game. 

"I see a lot of Kevin Johnson in his strength and ability to get to the basket," Hornacek told Paul Coro of AZ Central. "If you can come down full bore and hit the pull-up jumper from anywhere between 15 and 20 feet, teams are going to just be back there going, 'What the heck do I do?' You can't just lay back and play the drive because then he just kills you with the jumper."

For what it's worth, Hornacek has a point. Bledsoe isn't a terrific shooter and he's at his best going to the basket. He sunk a decent share of his shots from midrange (42 percent from 10-16 feet from the basket), but he's also a hesitant shooter. He only tried 27 percent of his attempts from between the 3-point line and 10 feet from the basket.

Last year, Bledsoe enjoyed a breakout campaign after being traded to the Suns in the offseason. Hornacek started Bledsoe alongside Goran Dragic in a two-point guard lineup. Combined with a pick-and-roll-heavy offense, Bledsoe flourished, averaging 17.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.

(H/T EOB)