The Phoenix Suns had an amazing regular season. They had the best record in basketball at 64-18, had one of the more efficient offenses in basketball according to Team Rank, and already had a deep playoff run from which to build on for this season. So what went wrong? Was it players altering the way they play offense? Poor shooting? Defensive problems? That's what I'm going to have a look at. This part of the project is just going to have a look at the types of shots the Sun's players were taking and compare it to the types of shots they took during the regular season.
Chris Paul
Chris Paul's output on the offensive end picked up during the playoffs. He shot about 3 more shots per game, raised his field-goal percentage, took about the same number of shots during the playoffs, and played more minutes. We can also see that:
He took more shots near the basket.
Took more 3 point shots.
His favorite area of the floor remains the right elbow.
Conclusion:
Chris Paul raised his offensive level during the playoffs, at least from a shooting perspective. No game personified this more than his big game in the series-clinching win over the New Orleans Pelicans where he was 14-14 and scored 33 points while also having eight assists.
Devin Booker
Devin Booker was less efficient during the playoffs. He averaged fewer points per game, shot a lower percentage from the field, and took fewer shots per game, while also playing more minutes per game as well. The profile of shot that Devin Booker seemed to change a fair amount during the playoffs as well:
While the highest number of shots he took were still around the rim, in general, he took more midrange and long-range shots in the playoffs.
His shot selection could have contributed to his lower field-goal percentage overall. However, he actually shot better from the 3 in the playoffs at 43.1% compared to his 38.3% mark for the regular season.
His 2-point shot percentage was significantly lower compared to the regular season which means that teams were probably running him off the 3-point line and forcing him to take contested mid-range jump shots.
Conclusion: Devin Booker's performance dropped during the playoffs. He shot at a higher percentage from 3, however, he was likely being guarded tightly because he shot well from 3 which resulted in him struggling from 2-point range due to having to take highly contested shots.
Mikal Bridges
Right away I can see that Mikal Bridges' offensive output dipped during the playoffs. He's a player that is certainly known more for his defense, but he has a well-defined role and expectations from his coach on the offensive end. That can be seen by the similarity between the two heatmaps:
Bridges still took the majority of his shots near the rim, which is because he's usually asked to slash or cut to the basket, while also encouraged to stay in the corner for kick-outs to the 3-point line.
Despite the clear role outlined within the context of the Suns' offense, Bridges didn't shoot as well during the playoffs and actually played more minutes. These minutes were probably because of the value he brings to the defensive side of the ball, which I will look at later, but on offense, he didn't play as well during the playoffs.
Conclusion:
Mikal Bridges struggled on offense during the playoffs. The intensity during the playoffs increases, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Shots are contested more physically at the rim and it looks like that may have contributed to Bridges' woes on offense.
Jae Crowder
Jae Crowder's outputs for the playoffs were near identical to his regular-season outputs. He averaged the same number of points per game on the same number of attempts per game while shooting 1% better during the playoffs. Additionally:
More of Crowder's shots seemed to be coming from the 3 pt line.
There's a clear pattern between his regular season and playoff shot areas as well. Crowder mainly does his work on the perimeter, but in the playoffs, the fraction of shots he took near the rim was a little higher.
Conclusion: Jae Crowder had nearly identical statistical outputs as a shooter during the regular season and playoffs. He shot slightly better from the field, but this was with fewer attempts overall.
Deandre Ayton
A player likely leaving in free agency this summer, Deandre Ayton struggled to take it up another notch during the playoffs. His totals are quite similar between his regular-season outputs and playoff outputs, along with his shot selection. Some could make the arguments that:
Ayton warrants a larger role within the team, due to his efficiency.
His numbers improved during the playoffs so he should be been given the ball more.
I'd say that although he was slightly more efficient during the playoffs, the passivity with which he played during the Dallas Mavericks series left a lot to be desired. Especially when you consider that the Mavs didn't really have anyone to match up with him.
Conclusion: Deandre Ayton's playoff performances were highly similar to his regular-season performances. The outputs were similar in terms of points scored per game, shots taken per game, minutes played per game, and his field-goal percentages. There's something not right between him and Monty Williams, which will ultimately lead to separation this summer.
コメント