Skip to content
Courtside

Game plans · Sunday, January 3

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
at

Nets at Trail Blazers

How the Nets beat the Trail Blazers

  1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Trail Blazers force turnovers on 13.0% of plays (7th) and the Nets give it away on 13.7% (29th of 30).
  2. TempoSlow it downThe Nets play at 96.2 possessions per 48 minutes (25th in pace), the Trail Blazers at 99.8 (9th). Make it a half-court game.
  3. Key scorerKey scorer: Deni AvdijaAvdija (24.2 points per game): best in the paint (42% on 220 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (31%, league 35%).

How the Trail Blazers beat the Nets

  1. AttackAttack the corner 312.2% of Trail Blazers shots come from the corners (5th most), and the Nets allow 42.3% there (30th of 30).
  2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 334.6% of Trail Blazers shots come from above the break (5th most), and the Nets allow 36.4% there (28th of 30).
  3. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Trail Blazers force turnovers on 13.0% of plays (7th), and the Nets give it away on 13.7% (29th of 30).
  4. Key scorerKey scorer: Michael Porter Jr.Porter (24.2 points per game): best at the rim (75% on 227 shots, league 66%), worst from the corners (32%, league 39%).
  5. TempoPush the paceThe Trail Blazers play at 99.8 possessions per 48 minutes (9th in pace), the Nets at 96.2 (25th). Run and make them keep up.
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneBKN offensePOR defensePOR offenseBKN defense
At the rim63.4% (27th)65.3% (13th)64.9% (22nd)67.0% (19th)
Paint40.1% (27th)44.1% (16th)38.7% (29th)46.6% (25th)
Midrange36.8% (28th)42.1% (19th)37.5% (27th)41.2% (13th)
Corner 336.8% (26th)39.0% (19th)34.4% (30th)42.3% (30th)
Above-the-break 333.2% (27th)34.5% (14th)34.2% (21st)36.4% (28th)

Matchups on Sun, Jan 3

8 games
  • Pistons at Nuggets5:00 PM ET

    How the Pistons beat the Nuggets

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Nikola JokicJokic (27.7 points per game): best from midrange (57% on 109 shots, league 42%), worst from above the break (37%, league 35%).
    2. AttackAttack the rim36.0% of Pistons shots come at the rim (3rd most), and the Nuggets allow 69.1% there (27th of 30).

    How the Nuggets 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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Hornets at Bucks5:30 PM ET

    How the Hornets beat the Bucks

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Tyler HerroHerro (20.5 points per game): best in the paint (58% on 165 shots, league 44%), worst from midrange (36%, league 42%).
    2. AttackAttack the corner 3The Hornets shoot 42.8% from the corners (3rd), and the Bucks allow 41.1% there (29th of 30).

    How the Bucks beat the Hornets

    1. Take awayTake away the above-the-break 337.3% of Hornets shots come from above the break (2nd most) and they make 36.3% (5th). The Bucks defense there ranks 26th (36.4% allowed).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Brandon MillerMiller (20.2 points per game): best from the corners (42% on 71 shots, league 39%), worst from midrange (37%, league 42%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Grizzlies at Magic6:00 PM ET

    How the Grizzlies beat the Magic

    1. AttackAttack the paint22.1% of Grizzlies shots come in the paint (4th most), and the Magic allow 45.3% there (23rd of 30).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Paolo BancheroBanchero (22.2 points per game): best from the corners (44% on 52 shots, league 39%), worst in the paint (35%, league 44%).

    How the Magic beat the Grizzlies

    1. Take awayTake away the paint22.1% of Grizzlies shots come in the paint (4th most) and they make 45.9% (8th). The Magic defense there ranks 23rd (45.3% allowed).
    2. AttackAttack the rim32.6% of Magic shots come at the rim (6th most), and the Grizzlies allow 68.4% there (24th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Lakers at Raptors7:00 PM ET

    How the Lakers 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 Lakers defense there ranks 29th (70.5% allowed).

    How the Raptors beat the Lakers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Luka DoncicDoncic (33.5 points per game): best at the rim (79% on 174 shots, league 66%), worst from midrange (44%, league 42%).
    2. AttackAttack midrangeThe Raptors shoot 44.1% from midrange (6th), and the Lakers allow 44.7% there (29th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Clippers at Wizards7:00 PM ET

    How the Clippers beat the Wizards

    1. AttackAttack the rimThe Clippers shoot 69.4% at the rim (3rd), and the Wizards allow 68.5% there (26th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the corner 3The Clippers shoot 41.6% from the corners (5th), and the Wizards allow 40.9% there (28th of 30).

    How the Wizards 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 Wizards play at 100.8 possessions per 48 minutes (5th 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
  • Cavaliers at Rockets7:00 PM ET

    How the Cavaliers 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. Take awayTake away the paint23.5% of Rockets shots come in the paint (2nd most) and they make 47.2% (6th). The Cavaliers defense there ranks 13th (44.0% allowed).

    How the Rockets beat the Cavaliers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Donovan MitchellMitchell (27.9 points per game): best in the paint (55% on 309 shots, league 44%), worst at the rim (64%, league 66%). 39% on the left side, 45% on the right; push him left.
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Rockets shoot 36.1% from above the break (7th), and the Cavaliers allow 36.1% there (25th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Spurs at Timberwolves7:00 PM ET

    How the Spurs beat the Timberwolves

    1. AttackAttack the corner 313.9% of Spurs shots come from the corners (1st most), and the Timberwolves allow 40.7% there (26th of 30).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Anthony EdwardsEdwards (28.8 points per game): best from the corners (46% on 54 shots, league 39%), worst from midrange (44%, league 42%).

    How the Timberwolves 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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Kings at Thunder8:00 PM ET

    How the Kings 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 Kings

    1. AttackAttack midrangeThe Thunder shoot 48.1% from midrange (1st), and the Kings allow 43.7% there (27th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the paintThe Thunder shoot 46.1% in the paint (7th), and the Kings allow 48.7% there (29th of 30).

    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.