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Game plans · Sunday, December 13

How each team beats its opponent. Where to attack, and what to take away.

Plan any matchup

Based on 2025-26, with the current roster
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Hawks at Suns

How the Hawks beat the Suns

  1. TempoPush the paceThe Hawks play at 100.7 possessions per 48 minutes (7th in pace), the Suns at 96.3 (24th). Run and make them keep up.
  2. Key scorerKey scorer: Devin BookerBooker (26.1 points per game): best from midrange (46% on 314 shots, league 42%), worst from above the break (33%, league 35%).

How the Suns beat the Hawks

  1. TempoSlow it downThe Suns play at 96.3 possessions per 48 minutes (24th in pace), the Hawks at 100.7 (7th). Make it a half-court game.
  2. Key scorerKey scorer: Jalen JohnsonJohnson (22.5 points per game): best at the rim (69% on 397 shots, league 66%), worst in the paint (42%, league 44%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneATL offensePHX defensePHX offenseATL defense
At the rim64.9% (21st)67.9% (23rd)65.8% (17th)65.2% (10th)
Paint45.0% (14th)44.1% (14th)43.7% (19th)44.2% (18th)
Midrange42.3% (13th)42.0% (16th)42.3% (11th)42.0% (17th)
Corner 338.9% (11th)36.4% (3rd)39.6% (7th)38.1% (10th)
Above-the-break 336.4% (4th)34.0% (5th)35.1% (13th)34.6% (15th)

Matchups on Sun, Dec 13

6 games
  • Celtics at Nets3:00 PM ET

    How the Celtics beat the Nets

    1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 338.5% of Celtics shots come from above the break (1st most), and the Nets allow 36.4% there (28th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the corner 3The Celtics shoot 41.8% from the corners (4th), and the Nets allow 42.3% there (30th of 30).

    How the Nets beat the Celtics

    1. Take awayTake away the above-the-break 338.5% of Celtics shots come from above the break (1st most) and they make 35.6% (10th). The Nets defense there ranks 28th (36.4% allowed).
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 333.9% of Nets shots come from above the break (6th most), and the Celtics allow 35.7% there (24th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Raptors at Thunder3:30 PM ET

    How the Raptors beat the Thunder

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderGilgeous-Alexander (31.1 points per game): best from midrange (54% on 332 shots, league 42%), worst from above the break (39%, league 35%).

    How the Thunder beat the Raptors

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Kawhi LeonardLeonard (27.9 points per game): best in the paint (55% on 339 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (38%, league 35%).
    2. Take awayTake away the rim31.2% of Raptors shots come at the rim (8th most) and they make 67.7% (7th). The Thunder defense there ranks 1st (60.1% allowed).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pistons at Pacers5:00 PM ET

    How the Pistons beat the Pacers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Pascal SiakamSiakam (24.0 points per game): best in the paint (47% on 330 shots, league 44%), worst from midrange (33%, league 42%). 34% on the left side, 43% on the right; push him left.
    2. AttackAttack the paint20.8% of Pistons shots come in the paint (10th most), and the Pacers allow 47.1% there (27th of 30).

    How the Pacers beat the Pistons

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Cade CunninghamCunningham (23.9 points per game): best from midrange (49% on 174 shots, league 42%), worst at the rim (61%, league 66%).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Pacers play at 100.3 possessions per 48 minutes (8th in pace), the Pistons at 98.3 (18th). Run and make them keep up.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Rockets at Bulls6:00 PM ET

    How the Rockets beat the Bulls

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Rockets play at 95.2 possessions per 48 minutes (29th in pace), the Bulls at 101.9 (2nd). Make it a half-court game.
    2. AttackAttack midrange12.8% of Rockets shots come from midrange (2nd most), and the Bulls allow 43.1% there (25th of 30).

    How the Bulls beat the Rockets

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Kevin DurantDurant (26.0 points per game): best in the paint (59% on 393 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (40%, league 35%).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Bulls play at 101.9 possessions per 48 minutes (2nd in pace), the Rockets at 95.2 (29th). Run and make them keep up.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Clippers at Spurs7:00 PM ET

    How the Clippers beat the Spurs

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Victor WembanyamaWembanyama (25.0 points per game): best at the rim (75% on 389 shots, league 66%), worst from midrange (39%, league 42%).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Clippers play at 95.6 possessions per 48 minutes (28th in pace), the Spurs at 99.1 (13th). Make it a half-court game.

    How the Spurs beat the Clippers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Brandon IngramIngram (21.5 points per game): best from the corners (52% on 93 shots, league 39%), worst from above the break (33%, league 35%).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Spurs play at 99.1 possessions per 48 minutes (13th in pace), the Clippers at 95.6 (28th). Run and make them keep up.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pelicans at Kings9:00 PM ET

    How the Pelicans beat the Kings

    1. AttackAttack the rim40.4% of Pelicans shots come at the rim (1st most), and the Kings allow 69.8% there (28th of 30).
    2. Take awayTake away the paint26.4% of Kings shots come in the paint (1st most) and they make 45.7% (9th). The Pelicans defense there ranks 28th (47.9% allowed).

    How the Kings beat the Pelicans

    1. AttackAttack the paint26.4% of Kings shots come in the paint (1st most), and the Pelicans allow 47.9% there (28th of 30).
    2. TargetTarget this lineupWhen Bey, Murphy, McGowens, Fears and Queen share the floor (96 min), they allow 132.1 per 100, against 119.9 for the team: attack it.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
How this works

Each plan is a short list of rules applied to both teams' season numbers. Every item shows its numbers and ranks out of 30 so you can check it. At most 5 items per team, the biggest edges first.

  • Attack: a shot zone where the team is good (top 10 in FG% or in share of its shots) and the opponent's defense there is bottom 8 in FG% allowed (bottom 10 if that finds fewer than 2).
  • Take away: the opponent's favorite zone (top 5 in share, top 8 if fewer than 2 qualify) where they are also efficient (top 10 FG%), with the team's own defensive rank there.
  • Target: of the opponent's 5 most-used lineups, the one that allows the most points per 100 possessions, with at least 100 possessions and at least 3 points worse than the team's own defensive rating. All 5 players must still be on the team.
  • Key scorer: the opponent's top scorer on the current roster (100+ shots). Best and worst zones compare his FG% with the league average there (50+ shots per zone). A side lean shows only when he has 60+ shots on each side and a gap of 6+ points. Left and right are as our shot charts draw them (rim at the bottom), and shots at the rim are left out of the side split.
  • Tempo and glass: a pace gap of 2+ possessions per 48 minutes; offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding and turnovers when one team is top 5 and the other bottom 5 (widened to 8 when fewer than 2 edges show up).

Data: team zones come from every counted regular season shot (made and missed; backcourt heaves left out; left and right corner 3s combined). Defense zones use the shots each team allowed. Lineups come from our play-by-play lineup stints. Before a team has played 10 games this season, its plan uses last season's numbers with today's roster, and lineups that no longer exist are skipped.

What it cannot see: there is no tracking data, so no defender distance, individual matchups or play types (pick and roll, isolation, post ups). Team zone numbers include every player a team used, even ones who have left. Injuries and rest are not in the plan, and season numbers can hide a recent change in form.