How the Rockets, Lakers, Nuggets, and Raptors Are Winning Without Living at the Three-Point Line
If you’ve been following the NBA through highlight reels and hot takes, you’d be forgiven for thinking the league has gone all-in on the three-point revolution. And sure, the long ball is still king-but what we’re seeing this season is a reminder that there’s more than one way to build a winning offense.
Nearly a quarter into the 2025-26 campaign, several teams are proving that you don’t need to flood the floor with threes to climb the standings or field an elite offense. In fact, among the top 10 teams in wins so far, six rank in the bottom 10 in three-point attempts.
And of those, three teams-the Rockets, Lakers, and Nuggets-are also top-10 in offensive rating. The Raptors, sitting just outside at 11th, aren’t far behind.
So how are these teams thriving while bucking the modern shot profile? Let’s break it down.
Back to the Block: The Post-Up Renaissance
The post-up isn’t extinct. Far from it. For these teams, it’s a foundational piece of their offensive identity.
The Nuggets lead the league in field goal attempts off post-ups at 5.9 per game, and they’re not just chucking it down low for nostalgia’s sake-they’re converting at a high clip, ranking 5th in true shooting percentage (TS%) at 65%. Unsurprisingly, Nikola Jokic is the engine here, orchestrating the offense with his usual blend of patience, vision, and soft touch.
The Rockets aren’t far behind, getting 5.6 shots a night from the post and converting at a 62% TS rate, good for 7th in the league. That’s largely thanks to Alperen Sengun, who has emerged as one of the league’s most skilled post scorers.
The Lakers are tied for 7th in post-up attempts (3.3 per game) and match the Nuggets in efficiency. The Raptors, meanwhile, rank 10th in attempts but lag in efficiency, sitting 25th in TS% on post-ups. Still, the volume speaks to a clear stylistic choice.
These teams aren’t just throwing it back to the ‘90s for fun-they’re using the post as a pressure point, forcing defenses to collapse and rotate, and creating high-value looks in the process.
Midrange Money: Winning the “Math Battle” Differently
In today’s NBA, the midrange is often viewed as the no-man’s land of shot selection. But for these teams, it’s a weapon-either through volume, efficiency, or both.
The Rockets and Raptors are among the league leaders in midrange attempts, ranking 3rd and 5th respectively. The Raptors are making those shots count, converting at the 5th-best efficiency in the league.
The Rockets? Not so much-22nd in TS%-but they’re clearly committed to that area of the floor.
The Lakers and Nuggets take fewer midrange shots (14th and 11th in volume), but they’re elite in terms of efficiency. The Lakers lead the league in midrange TS%, with the Nuggets right behind them in 3rd. The Thunder are the only team splitting the difference.
These teams aren’t ignoring the math. They’re just solving the equation differently-by making sure those “less efficient” shots are taken by the right players, in the right spots, at the right times.
Closing Time: Elite in the Fourth
Games are often won and lost in the final minutes, and these teams are proving they have the poise and execution to close out tight contests.
The Rockets lead the league in fourth-quarter TS% at 64%, with the Nuggets right behind at 62%. The Lakers and Raptors are tied for 6th at 60%, just a hair behind the fifth-ranked Bucks.
Houston’s late-game dominance goes beyond just shot-making. They lead the league in clutch-time offensive rating and advantage creation, and they’re second in lowest turnover rate. That’s a deadly combo when the game tightens up.
Kevin Durant has been a steadying force in crunch time, ranking 8th in clutch advantage creation per game-a stat that tracks how often a player creates high-value opportunities for their team.
And when it comes to finishing, the numbers speak for themselves. Among the 62 players with at least 50 fourth-quarter shot attempts this season:
- Nikola Jokic leads all with a blistering 71.9% TS%.
- Austin Reaves is right behind at 71.5%.
- Alperen Sengun checks in at 70.5%.
- Scottie Barnes, the Raptors’ top late-game option, ranks 10th at 66.9%.
These are the guys making the big shots when it matters most.
Different Paths, Same Destination
While these teams share some key traits-post-up volume, midrange prowess, fourth-quarter execution-each has carved out a distinct identity.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets made a conscious decision to get bigger this offseason, and it’s paying off on the glass. They’re bludgeoning opponents with second-chance opportunities and controlling the possession game.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are the best rim-finishing team in the league and lead the NBA in clutch-time free throw rate.
They also rank first in efficiency on self-created shots, leaning heavily on Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic to generate offense without relying on drive-and-kick threes. They’re second-to-last in field goal attempts off closeouts-a sign of how rarely they depend on others to bend the defense.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets don’t just create advantages-they protect them.
While they rank 7th in advantage creation, they’re 2nd in advantage retention, meaning they rarely squander the cracks they open in opposing defenses. Only the Celtics and Knicks are better at sustaining those edges, per SIS data.
Toronto Raptors
Toronto knows who they are.
They use their length and athleticism to push the pace and attack in transition, ranking 1st in both transition field goal attempts and fast break points. In the half court, they rely on crisp ball movement and smart decision-making-3rd in assists, 5th in assist-to-turnover ratio-to find quality looks without relying on isolation-heavy sets.
Possession is Power
What ties all of this together is a shared emphasis on maximizing every possession. These aren’t teams that can afford to waste trips down the floor by bombing away from deep and hoping for the best.
Instead, they:
- Create extra possessions through offensive rebounding (Rockets)
- Limit turnovers and protect advantages (Nuggets, Raptors)
- Get to the line and finish efficiently (Lakers)
It’s a reminder that while the league continues to evolve, there’s still room for variety in how teams win. You don’t have to lead the league in threes to be dangerous. You just have to know who you are-and execute like it matters on every single possession.
And for the Rockets, Lakers, Nuggets, and Raptors, that formula is working just fine.