Jordan over time used the negativity to put and keep himself in the gym and work on his greatest perceived weakness and throughout his career, he became a better, smarter and more effective shooter from the mid-range and beyond.
6’9″ Serbian Peja Stojakovic had the ability to catch and shoot or create his own jumper over most small forwards in his prime from virtually any spot …
For all the ridicule Shawn Marion gets for sticking his butt out on his jump shot, he’s always, especially in the Phoenix and Dallas years, remained a legitimate shooting and scoring threat as a combo forward who could not only play all-team defense against the opposition’s best guards and forwards and even centers, but one that could also stretch the floor and create opportunities for point guards like Steve Nash and Jason Kidd.
Shooting is the most essential basketball skill because it directly causes scoring which determines outcomes of games. Beyond the obvious, remember that even skills such as passing and ball handling, the possession ends with a shot, one that must be converted for all those skills to matter. Good individual shooting, therefore, is a useful team skill because it enables opens up for floor for the entire offense to do their thing. It creates space, which keeps defenders from double-teaming your playmakers.