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Game plans · Thursday, December 4

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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Suns at Wizards

How the Suns beat the Wizards

  1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Suns grab 28.9% of their misses (7th), and the Wizards rank 30th on the defensive glass (70.2%).
  2. TurnoversPressure the ballThe Suns force turnovers on 13.9% of plays (3rd), and the Wizards give it away on 13.2% (26th of 30).
  3. AttackAttack the corner 3The Suns shoot 39.6% from the corners (7th), and the Wizards allow 40.9% there (28th of 30).
  4. Take awayTake away midrange12.1% of Wizards shots come from midrange (5th most) and they make 43.4% (8th). The Suns defense there ranks 16th (42.0% allowed).
  5. TempoSlow it downThe Suns play at 96.3 possessions per 48 minutes (24th in pace), the Wizards at 100.8 (5th). Make it a half-court game.

How the Wizards beat the Suns

  1. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Suns grab 28.9% of their misses (7th) and the Wizards rank 30th on the defensive glass (70.2%).
  2. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Suns force turnovers on 13.9% of plays (3rd) and the Wizards give it away on 13.2% (26th of 30).
  3. TempoPush the paceThe Wizards play at 100.8 possessions per 48 minutes (5th in pace), the Suns at 96.3 (24th). Run and make them keep up.
  4. AttackAttack the rimThe Wizards shoot 67.3% at the rim (9th), and the Suns allow 67.9% there (23rd of 30).
  5. 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%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZonePHX offenseWAS defenseWAS offensePHX defense
At the rim65.8% (17th)68.5% (26th)67.3% (9th)67.9% (23rd)
Paint43.7% (19th)40.6% (2nd)38.9% (28th)44.1% (14th)
Midrange42.3% (11th)41.9% (14th)43.4% (8th)42.0% (16th)
Corner 339.6% (7th)40.9% (28th)39.2% (10th)36.4% (3rd)
Above-the-break 335.1% (13th)35.5% (20th)34.9% (16th)34.0% (5th)

Matchups on Thu, Dec 4

5 games
  • Warriors at 76ersFinal

    How the Warriors beat the 76ers

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe 76ers force turnovers on 12.8% of plays (8th) and the Warriors give it away on 13.3% (27th of 30).
    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 Warriors

    1. Key scorerKey scorer: Stephen CurryCurry (26.6 points per game): best from midrange (52% on 91 shots, league 42%), worst at the rim (68%, league 66%).
    2. Take awayTake away the corner 313.4% of Warriors shots come from the corners (4th most) and they make 39.5% (8th). The 76ers defense there ranks 20th (39.1% allowed).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Celtics at WizardsFinal

    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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Jazz at NetsFinal

    How the Jazz beat the Nets

    1. AttackAttack the corner 311.9% of Jazz shots come from the corners (7th most), and the Nets allow 42.3% there (30th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the paint22.8% of Jazz shots come in the paint (3rd most), and the Nets allow 46.6% there (25th of 30).

    How the Nets 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. Take awayTake away the paint22.8% of Jazz shots come in the paint (3rd most) and they make 47.6% (5th). The Nets defense there ranks 25th (46.6% allowed).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Lakers at RaptorsFinal

    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).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Timberwolves at PelicansFinal

    How the Timberwolves 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 Timberwolves

    1. AttackAttack the corner 3The Pelicans shoot 39.2% from the corners (9th), 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%).

    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.