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Game plans · Monday, January 11

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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Hornets at Jazz

How the Hornets beat the Jazz

  1. Key scorerKey scorer: Lauri MarkkanenMarkkanen (26.7 points per game): best from the corners (43% on 76 shots, league 39%), worst from midrange (29%, league 42%).
  2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 337.3% of Hornets shots come from above the break (2nd most), and the Jazz allow 36.4% there (27th of 30).
  3. Take awayTake away the paint22.8% of Jazz shots come in the paint (3rd most) and they make 47.6% (5th). The Hornets defense there ranks 11th (43.8% allowed).
  4. TempoSlow it downThe Hornets play at 96.1 possessions per 48 minutes (26th in pace), the Jazz at 101.6 (3rd). Make it a half-court game.
  5. AttackAttack the corner 3The Hornets shoot 42.8% from the corners (3rd), and the Jazz allow 39.2% there (21st of 30).

How the Jazz 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 Jazz defense there ranks 27th (36.4% allowed).
  2. TempoPush the paceThe Jazz play at 101.6 possessions per 48 minutes (3rd in pace), the Hornets at 96.1 (26th). Run and make them keep up.
  3. 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%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneCHA offenseUTA defenseUTA offenseCHA defense
At the rim64.8% (23rd)72.0% (30th)66.5% (14th)65.1% (9th)
Paint42.8% (22nd)48.8% (30th)47.6% (5th)43.8% (11th)
Midrange35.8% (29th)44.1% (28th)38.8% (25th)39.7% (6th)
Corner 342.8% (3rd)39.2% (21st)38.1% (16th)38.8% (16th)
Above-the-break 336.3% (5th)36.4% (27th)32.9% (29th)35.1% (17th)

Matchups on Mon, Jan 11

6 games
  • Nets at Pacers7:00 PM ET

    How the Nets 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. TempoSlow it downThe Nets play at 96.2 possessions per 48 minutes (25th in pace), the Pacers at 100.3 (8th). Make it a half-court game.

    How the Pacers beat the Nets

    1. 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%).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Pacers play at 100.3 possessions per 48 minutes (8th in pace), the Nets at 96.2 (25th). Run and make them keep up.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

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

    How the Hawks beat the Wizards

    1. AttackAttack the corner 311.7% of Hawks shots come from the corners (8th most), and the Wizards allow 40.9% there (28th of 30).
    2. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Hawks force turnovers on 13.2% of plays (6th), and the Wizards give it away on 13.2% (26th of 30).

    How the Wizards beat the Hawks

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Hawks force turnovers on 13.2% of plays (6th) and the Wizards give it away on 13.2% (26th of 30).
    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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Rockets at Celtics7:30 PM ET

    How the Rockets 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 Rockets defense there ranks 6th (34.1% allowed).
    2. AttackAttack midrange12.8% of Rockets shots come from midrange (2nd most), and the Celtics allow 42.5% there (21st of 30).

    How the Celtics 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 Celtics defense there ranks 4th (41.4% allowed).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Nuggets at Knicks7:30 PM ET

    How the Nuggets beat the Knicks

    1. TargetTarget this lineupWhen Anunoby, Bridges, Brunson, Towns and McBride share the floor (91 min), they allow 129.1 per 100, against 114.1 for the team: attack it.
    2. Take awayTake away the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd most) and they make 41.6% (6th). The Nuggets defense there ranks 4th (36.5% allowed).

    How the Knicks 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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Cavaliers at Timberwolves8:00 PM ET

    How the Cavaliers beat the Timberwolves

    1. 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 Cavaliers

    1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Timberwolves shoot 36.5% from above the break (3rd), and the Cavaliers allow 36.1% there (25th of 30).
    2. 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.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Lakers at Clippers10:00 PM ET

    How the Lakers 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. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Lakers shoot 36.3% from above the break (6th), and the Clippers allow 35.6% there (22nd of 30).

    How the Clippers 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 the rimThe Clippers shoot 69.4% at the rim (3rd), and the Lakers allow 70.5% 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.