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Game plans · Monday, November 17

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

Knicks at Nets

How the Knicks beat the Nets

  1. AttackAttack the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd most), and the Nets allow 42.3% there (30th of 30).
  2. 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%).

How the Nets 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 Nets defense there ranks 30th (42.3% allowed).
  3. Key scorerKey scorer: Jalen BrunsonBrunson (26.0 points per game): best from midrange (51% on 296 shots, league 42%), worst at the rim (63%, league 66%).
  4. AttackAttack the above-the-break 333.9% of Nets shots come from above the break (6th most), and the Knicks allow 35.5% there (21st of 30).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneNYK offenseBKN defenseBKN offenseNYK defense
At the rim65.8% (18th)67.0% (19th)63.4% (27th)64.2% (6th)
Paint45.2% (13th)46.6% (25th)40.1% (27th)44.2% (17th)
Midrange44.9% (2nd)41.2% (13th)36.8% (28th)39.9% (8th)
Corner 341.6% (6th)42.3% (30th)36.8% (26th)37.8% (9th)
Above-the-break 335.3% (12th)36.4% (28th)33.2% (27th)35.5% (21st)

Matchups on Mon, Nov 17

8 games
  • Bucks at CavaliersFinal

    How the Bucks beat the Cavaliers

    1. AttackAttack the corner 3The Bucks shoot 42.9% from the corners (2nd), and the Cavaliers allow 40.1% there (25th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Bucks shoot 36.9% from above the break (2nd), and the Cavaliers allow 36.1% there (25th of 30).

    How the Cavaliers 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. Take awayTake away the corner 313.4% of Bucks shots come from the corners (3rd most) and they make 42.9% (2nd). The Cavaliers defense there ranks 25th (40.1% allowed).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pacers at PistonsFinal

    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.

    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).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Clippers at 76ersFinal

    How the Clippers beat the 76ers

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Clippers play at 95.6 possessions per 48 minutes (28th in pace), the 76ers at 98.8 (15th). Make it a half-court game.
    2. 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%).

    How the 76ers 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 76ers play at 98.8 possessions per 48 minutes (15th in pace), the Clippers at 95.6 (28th). Run and make them keep up.

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Knicks at HeatFinal

    How the Knicks beat the Heat

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Giannis AntetokounmpoAntetokounmpo (27.6 points per game): best at the rim (76% on 411 shots, league 66%), worst from midrange (27%, league 42%).
    2. TempoSlow it downThe Knicks play at 96.1 possessions per 48 minutes (26th in pace), the Heat at 102.8 (1st). Make it a half-court game.

    How the Heat 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. TempoPush the paceThe Heat play at 102.8 possessions per 48 minutes (1st in pace), the Knicks at 96.1 (26th). Run and make them keep up.

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Hornets at RaptorsFinal

    How the Hornets 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. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Raptors force turnovers on 13.5% of plays (4th) and the Hornets give it away on 12.8% (24th of 30).

    How the Raptors 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 Raptors defense there ranks 2nd (33.7% allowed).
    2. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Raptors force turnovers on 13.5% of plays (4th), and the Hornets give it away on 12.8% (24th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Mavericks at TimberwolvesFinal

    How the Mavericks 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 Mavericks

    1. 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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Thunder at PelicansFinal

    How the Thunder beat the Pelicans

    1. 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.
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Trey Murphy IIIMurphy (21.5 points per game): best from the corners (49% on 59 shots, league 39%), worst in the paint (38%, league 44%).

    How the Pelicans 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. AttackAttack the corner 3The Pelicans shoot 39.2% from the corners (9th), and the Thunder allow 39.9% there (24th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Bulls at NuggetsFinal

    How the Bulls 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 rim36.1% of Bulls shots come at the rim (2nd most), and the Nuggets allow 69.1% there (27th of 30).

    How the Nuggets beat the Bulls

    1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 3The Nuggets shoot 37.8% from above the break (1st), and the Bulls allow 36.6% there (29th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack midrangeThe Nuggets shoot 44.8% from midrange (3rd), and the Bulls allow 43.1% there (25th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    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.