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Game plans · Saturday, February 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
at

Magic at Grizzlies

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).
  3. Key scorerKey scorer: Ty JeromeJerome (19.7 points per game): best in the paint (53% on 64 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (40%, league 35%). 40% on the left side, 47% on the right; push him left.
  4. AttackAttack midrangeThe Magic shoot 43.0% from midrange (10th), and the Grizzlies allow 43.1% there (24th of 30).

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%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneORL offenseMEM defenseMEM offenseORL defense
At the rim65.4% (19th)68.4% (24th)64.1% (25th)67.5% (21st)
Paint40.3% (26th)44.9% (21st)45.9% (8th)45.3% (23rd)
Midrange43.0% (10th)43.1% (24th)40.3% (19th)42.1% (18th)
Corner 338.4% (15th)39.6% (23rd)36.5% (27th)38.5% (13th)
Above-the-break 332.6% (30th)35.2% (18th)34.8% (18th)34.2% (7th)

Matchups on Sat, Feb 13

7 games
  • Kings at Pacers2:00 PM ET

    How the Kings beat the Pacers

    1. AttackAttack midrange15.1% of Kings shots come from midrange (1st most), and the Pacers allow 45.4% there (30th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the paint26.4% of Kings shots come in the paint (1st most), and the Pacers allow 47.1% there (27th of 30).

    How the Pacers beat the Kings

    1. Take awayTake away the paint26.4% of Kings shots come in the paint (1st most) and they make 45.7% (9th). The Pacers defense there ranks 27th (47.1% allowed).
    2. AttackAttack midrange11.6% of Pacers shots come from midrange (7th most), and the Kings allow 43.7% there (27th of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Mavericks at Hornets3:00 PM ET

    How the Mavericks 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 Mavericks defense there ranks 9th (34.2% allowed).
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Mavericks play at 101.1 possessions per 48 minutes (4th in pace), the Hornets at 96.1 (26th). Run and make them keep up.

    How the Hornets beat the Mavericks

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Hornets play at 96.1 possessions per 48 minutes (26th in pace), the Mavericks at 101.1 (4th). Make it a half-court game.
    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%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pistons at Trail Blazers3:30 PM ET

    How the Pistons beat the Trail Blazers

    1. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Pistons force turnovers on 14.1% of plays (1st), and the Trail Blazers give it away on 14.0% (30th of 30).
    2. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Pistons grab 30.9% of their misses (3rd), and the Trail Blazers rank 25th on the defensive glass (72.7%).

    How the Trail Blazers beat the Pistons

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Pistons force turnovers on 14.1% of plays (1st) and the Trail Blazers give it away on 14.0% (30th of 30).
    2. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Pistons grab 30.9% of their misses (3rd) and the Trail Blazers rank 25th on the defensive glass (72.7%).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • 76ers at Thunder5:30 PM ET

    How the 76ers 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 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
  • Spurs at Magic7:00 PM ET

    How the Spurs beat the Magic

    1. 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%).
    2. AttackAttack the rim32.3% of Spurs shots come at the rim (7th most), and the Magic allow 67.5% there (21st of 30).

    How the Magic 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. AttackAttack midrangeThe Magic shoot 43.0% from midrange (10th), and the Spurs allow 42.5% there (22nd of 30).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

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

    How the Bucks beat the Wizards

    1. AttackAttack the corner 3The Bucks shoot 42.9% from the corners (2nd), and the Wizards allow 40.9% there (28th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the rimThe Bucks shoot 68.7% at the rim (5th), and the Wizards allow 68.5% there (26th of 30).

    How the Wizards 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 Wizards defense there ranks 28th (40.9% allowed).

    Based on 2025-26, with the current roster

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Warriors at Knicks8:30 PM ET

    How the Warriors 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 Warriors defense there ranks 27th (40.9% allowed).

    How the Knicks beat the Warriors

    1. AttackAttack the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd most), and the Warriors allow 40.9% there (27th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack midrangeThe Knicks shoot 44.9% from midrange (2nd), and the Warriors allow 43.1% there (26th 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.