Brandon Ingram: Inefficient MidRange Merchant

The Heat Maps Tell a Different Story

I'm on PTO right now just to have a relaxed start to Ramadan and as one does on PTO, I mindlessly scroll Twitter where I come across some of the stupidest takes I’ve seen one of which being: Brandon Ingram is a midrange merchant who doesn’t fit the modern NBA. He’s inefficient, allergic to threes, and the Raptors overpaid.

The Reality Check: Let’s see what the numbers actually say.

---

Full Season: The “Midrange Merchant” Label Has Merit — But Not For The Reason You Think

Look at Brandon Ingram’s full season heat map. The midrange is absolutely painted red: 88 attempts from one zone at 45.6%, 43 attempts from the right elbow at 55.1%, 25 from the top of the key at 54.3%. NBA 2K26 calls him a “Crafty Mid-Range Menace” for a reason.

But here’s what the critics miss when they scream “inefficient”:

He’s shooting 67.5% at the rim (104/154). That’s elite finishing for a wing. He’s not just settling for midrange, he’s getting to the basket at will and converting at a rate most wings can’t match.

His effective field goal percentage (eFG%) is 53.9%. League average is 54-55%. Despite living in the midrange, he’s basically at league average efficiency because he’s making those midrange shots at 45-55% and dominating at the rim.

His True Shooting is 57.0%: better than Luka Doncic (56.2%) and right around where Jayson Tatum sits. If you’re calling Ingram inefficient, you’re calling half the NBA inefficient.

His ORtg is 100.8. This is below league average (110-115), and it’s the only number that actually supports the inefficiency criticism. But here’s the context: he’s averaging 21.8 points on 21.6 possessions per game. Volume matters. He’s shouldering a significant offensive load for Toronto.

---

Last 10 Games: The Efficiency Jumped And Nobody Noticed

Something changed over Ingram’s last 10 games. His ORtg jumped from 100.8 to 110.1 which is right at league average.

What’s different?

Rim efficiency skyrocketed to 76.7% (23/30). He’s attacking more aggressively and finishing at an absurd clip.

He’s shooting 40.5% from three over his last 15 games (per ESPN). The “he doesn’t shoot threes” narrative is outdated. Look at the heat map — 45.5% from the top (5/11), 41.7% from the right wing (5/12). Small sample, but it shows he’s capable when Toronto needs spacing.

The midrange is still there — 44.1% from the short mid area (15/34), 50.0% from multiple other zones — but he’s balancing it with rim pressure and selective three-point shooting. The result? A 9.3-point ORtg increase.

---

Most Recent Game vs. Detroit: Quiet Night, Elite Efficiency

Against Detroit on February 11, Ingram scored just 13 points on 5-7 shooting (71.4% FG%). Box score watchers saw a quiet night.

The heat map tells a different story: 131.6 ORtg. 82.5% True Shooting.

He went 1-for-1 from the left elbow. 1-for-1 from the right elbow. 1-for-1 from the top of the key. 1-for-1 at the rim. He didn’t force a single shot. He took what Detroit gave him and was nearly perfect.

This is the version of Brandon Ingram the Raptors signed. Not a volume scorer forcing 20+ shots from midrange. An efficient scorer who knows when to attack, when to pull up, and when to pass.

---

The Verdict: Myth Partially Confirmed — But Missing Context

Is Brandon Ingram a midrange merchant? Yes. The numbers don’t lie — he takes more midrange shots than almost any wing in the league.

Is he inefficient? No — not anymore. His full-season 53.9% eFG% is at league average despite the shot selection. His 57.0% True Shooting is above Luka. And his recent 10-game stretch (110.1 ORtg, 76.7% at the rim) shows he’s figuring out Toronto’s system.

Does he fit the modern NBA? The Raptors are betting millions that he does. And the heat maps suggest they’re right — when he attacks the rim at 67-76% and selectively shoots threes at 40%, the midrange becomes a weapon, not a liability.

The real story isn’t that Ingram takes midrange shots. It’s that he’s making them at 45-55% while still dominating at the rim. That’s not inefficient. That’s just different from what Twitter thinks basketball should look like.

TL;DR: Brandon Ingram shoots 67.5% at the rim, 40.5% from three over his last 15 games, and 53.9% eFG% overall. His ORtg climbed from 100.8 to 110.1 in his last 10 games. The “inefficient midrange merchant” label is lazy analysis. He’s not playing like it’s 2026 — he’s playing like it’s basketball.

I hope you guys liked this piece! I think I’m goingto start writing pieces like this mroe often just to spruce things up in between the heat maps. I plan to also expand more on these and add in more stats but that’s another day’s problem

-Abdul