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Game plans · Friday, March 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
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Bulls at Warriors

How the Bulls beat the Warriors

  1. AttackAttack the corner 312.0% of Bulls shots come from the corners (6th most), and the Warriors allow 40.9% there (27th of 30).
  2. 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%).
  3. AttackAttack the rim36.1% of Bulls shots come at the rim (2nd most), and the Warriors allow 67.8% there (22nd of 30).
  4. Take awayTake away the corner 313.4% of Warriors shots come from the corners (4th most) and they make 39.5% (8th). The Bulls defense there ranks 7th (37.4% allowed).
  5. TempoPush the paceThe Bulls play at 101.9 possessions per 48 minutes (2nd in pace), the Warriors at 98.3 (18th). Run and make them keep up.

How the Warriors beat the Bulls

  1. AttackAttack the above-the-break 336.3% of Warriors shots come from above the break (3rd most), and the Bulls allow 36.6% there (29th of 30).
  2. TempoSlow it downThe Warriors play at 98.3 possessions per 48 minutes (18th in pace), the Bulls at 101.9 (2nd). Make it a half-court game.
  3. Key scorerKey scorer: Norman PowellPowell (21.7 points per game): best in the paint (51% on 159 shots, league 44%), worst from the corners (33%, league 39%).
FG% by zone. Offense rank: 1st = best shooting. Defense rank: 1st = lowest FG% allowed, 30th = most.
ZoneCHI offenseGSW defenseGSW offenseCHI defense
At the rim62.7% (30th)67.8% (22nd)68.9% (4th)65.0% (8th)
Paint44.0% (18th)47.0% (26th)43.4% (21st)42.4% (6th)
Midrange41.0% (18th)43.1% (26th)39.5% (23rd)43.1% (25th)
Corner 337.3% (22nd)40.9% (27th)39.5% (8th)37.4% (7th)
Above-the-break 334.9% (17th)34.4% (13th)34.1% (24th)36.6% (29th)

Matchups on Fri, Mar 13

8 games
  • Grizzlies at PistonsFinal

    How the Grizzlies beat the Pistons

    1. GlassFinish possessions: box outThe Pistons grab 30.9% of their misses (3rd) and the Grizzlies rank 29th on the defensive glass (70.9%).
    2. 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%).

    How the Pistons beat the Grizzlies

    1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Pistons grab 30.9% of their misses (3rd), and the Grizzlies rank 29th on the defensive glass (70.9%).
    2. AttackAttack the rim36.0% of Pistons shots come at the rim (3rd most), and the Grizzlies allow 68.4% there (24th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Knicks at PacersFinal

    How the Knicks beat the Pacers

    1. AttackAttack midrangeThe Knicks shoot 44.9% from midrange (2nd), and the Pacers allow 45.4% there (30th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack the corner 313.6% of Knicks shots come from the corners (2nd most), and the Pacers allow 39.4% there (22nd of 30).

    How the Pacers 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 Pacers defense there ranks 22nd (39.4% allowed).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Suns at RaptorsFinal

    How the Suns 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 Suns defense there ranks 23rd (67.9% allowed).

    How the Raptors beat the Suns

    1. AttackAttack the rimThe Raptors shoot 67.7% at the rim (7th), 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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Cavaliers at MavericksFinal

    How the Cavaliers beat the Mavericks

    1. AttackAttack the paintThe Cavaliers shoot 47.8% in the paint (4th), and the Mavericks allow 45.5% there (24th of 30).
    2. AttackAttack midrangeThe Cavaliers shoot 44.5% from midrange (4th), and the Mavericks allow 42.7% there (23rd of 30).

    How the Mavericks 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.
    2. TempoPush the paceThe Mavericks play at 101.1 possessions per 48 minutes (4th in pace), the Cavaliers at 99.1 (13th). Run and make them keep up.

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Pelicans at RocketsFinal

    How the Pelicans 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 Pelicans rank 28th on the defensive glass (71.4%).

    How the Rockets beat the Pelicans

    1. GlassCrash the offensive glassThe Rockets grab 34.8% of their misses (1st), and the Pelicans rank 28th on the defensive glass (71.4%).
    2. AttackAttack the paint23.5% of Rockets shots come in the paint (2nd most), and the Pelicans allow 47.9% there (28th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Timberwolves at WarriorsFinal

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

    How the Warriors beat the Timberwolves

    1. AttackAttack the corner 313.4% of Warriors shots come from the corners (4th 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%).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Jazz at Trail BlazersFinal

    How the Jazz beat the Trail Blazers

    1. TurnoversTake care of the ballThe Trail Blazers force turnovers on 13.0% of plays (7th) and the Jazz give it away on 12.8% (24th of 30).
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Deni AvdijaAvdija (24.2 points per game): best in the paint (42% on 220 shots, league 44%), worst from above the break (31%, league 35%).

    How the Trail Blazers 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 rim33.5% of Trail Blazers shots come at the rim (4th most), and the Jazz allow 72.0% there (30th of 30).

    2025-26 so far

    Full preview →Full plan
  • Bulls at ClippersFinal

    How the Bulls 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 Bulls play at 101.9 possessions per 48 minutes (2nd in pace), the Clippers at 95.6 (28th). Run and make them keep up.

    How the Clippers beat the Bulls

    1. TempoSlow it downThe Clippers play at 95.6 possessions per 48 minutes (28th in pace), the Bulls at 101.9 (2nd). Make it a half-court game.
    2. Key scorerKey scorer: Norman PowellPowell (21.7 points per game): best in the paint (51% on 159 shots, league 44%), worst from the corners (33%, league 39%).

    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.