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Game plans · Monday, January 18

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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Mavericks at 76ers

How the Mavericks beat the 76ers

  1. Key scorerKey scorer: Jaylen BrownBrown (28.7 points per game): best in the paint (50% on 434 shots, league 44%), worst from midrange (40%, league 42%).
  2. TempoPush the paceThe Mavericks play at 101.1 possessions per 48 minutes (4th in pace), the 76ers at 98.8 (15th). Run and make them keep up.

How the 76ers beat the Mavericks

  1. AttackAttack midrangeThe 76ers shoot 43.0% from midrange (9th), and the Mavericks allow 42.7% there (23rd of 30).
  2. Key scorerKey scorer: Cooper FlaggFlagg (21.0 points per game): best in the paint (46% on 360 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (30%, league 35%).
  3. TempoSlow it downThe 76ers play at 98.8 possessions per 48 minutes (15th in pace), the Mavericks at 101.1 (4th). Make it a half-court game.
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneDAL offensePHI defensePHI offenseDAL defense
At the rim64.6% (24th)65.4% (14th)63.3% (28th)66.2% (16th)
Paint45.4% (11th)42.4% (5th)40.7% (25th)45.5% (24th)
Midrange39.4% (24th)40.7% (11th)43.0% (9th)42.7% (23rd)
Corner 337.1% (25th)39.1% (20th)37.2% (24th)37.2% (6th)
Above-the-break 333.2% (28th)33.8% (3rd)34.2% (22nd)34.2% (9th)

Matchups on Mon, Jan 18

7 games
  • Pistons at Cavaliers12:00 PM ET

    How the Pistons 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.

    How the Cavaliers 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
  • 76ers at Hawks2:30 PM ET

    How the 76ers beat the Hawks

    1. 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%).

    How the Hawks beat the 76ers

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Jaylen BrownBrown (28.7 points per game): best in the paint (50% on 434 shots, league 44%), worst from midrange (40%, league 42%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Celtics at Wizards3:00 PM ET

    How the Celtics beat the Wizards

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Celtics play at 94.2 possessions per 48 minutes (30th in pace), the Wizards at 100.8 (5th). Make it a half-court game.
    2. AttackAttack the rimThe Celtics shoot 70.5% at the rim (2nd), and the Wizards allow 68.5% there (26th of 30).

    How the Wizards beat the Celtics

    1. TempoPush the paceThe Wizards play at 100.8 possessions per 48 minutes (5th in pace), the Celtics at 94.2 (30th). Run and make them keep up.
    2. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Celtics grab 29.2% of their misses (6th) and the Wizards rank 30th on the defensive glass (70.2%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Timberwolves at Knicks5:00 PM ET

    How the Timberwolves 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 Timberwolves defense there ranks 26th (40.7% allowed).

    How the Knicks beat the Timberwolves

    1. AttackAttack the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd 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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Rockets at Grizzlies7:30 PM ET

    How the Rockets beat the Grizzlies

    1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Rockets grab 34.8% of their misses (1st), and the Grizzlies rank 29th on the defensive glass (70.9%).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Rockets play at 95.2 possessions per 48 minutes (29th in pace), the Grizzlies at 100.8 (5th). Make it a half-court game.

    How the Grizzlies 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. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Rockets grab 34.8% of their misses (1st) and the Grizzlies rank 29th on the defensive glass (70.9%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Thunder at Mavericks8:00 PM ET

    How the Thunder beat the Mavericks

    1. AttackAttack midrangeThe Thunder shoot 48.1% from midrange (1st), and the Mavericks allow 42.7% there (23rd of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the paintThe Thunder shoot 46.1% in the paint (7th), and the Mavericks allow 45.5% there (24th of 30).

    How the Mavericks 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%).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Mavericks play at 101.1 possessions per 48 minutes (4th in pace), the Thunder at 98.5 (16th). Run and make them keep up.

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Suns at Clippers10:30 PM ET

    How the Suns 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 334.9% of Suns shots come from above the break (4th most), and the Clippers allow 35.6% there (22nd of 30).

    How the Clippers beat the Suns

    1. AttackAttack the rimThe Clippers shoot 69.4% at the rim (3rd), and the Suns allow 67.9% there (23rd of 30).
    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%).

    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.