TeamSPACE: The Wizardly Extinction of the Toronto Raptors

Apr 26, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; (L-R) Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce, forward Drew Gooden, guard John Wall, and center Marcin Gortat celebrate on the bench in the final seconds of the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 125-94, and won the series 4-0. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Wizards eliminated the Toronto Raptors this week, and it wasn’t pretty. To quote Thomas Hobbes, the sweep was relatively nasty, brutish, and (obviously) short. Before this series started, here’s how the Wizards most used lineup got buckets:

It was a balanced – maybe too balanced – attack. When these color-coded Hunting Grounds aptly called TeamSPACE are added up, the sum results in the overall court space used by a lineup. Thus, we can measure change – something I’ve previously discussed here. When it’s all said and done, there are three things to look for in these Hunting Grounds: shot activity areas that shrink, expand, or remain the same. It’s important (or least interesting) because there’s subtle yet important changes to how the offense generates points.

During the series, the Wizards experienced a bit of an offensive renaissance. The starting five jumped in court usage from a paltry 4.46% three times over, to nearly 13%. As you can see, a lot of precise midrange activity was ditched for more in the paint and behind the arc activity. Seemingly, the Wizards ditched the “open shot” mentality and went for targeted, high-value scoring opportunities. While the midrange scoring still exists, it looks more balanced – not a Houstonian extreme, but certainly a more contemporary look. Nene and John Wall remain basically the same, specifically at the elbows. Marcin Gortat expanded in the paint, as his rolls to the rim on Wall dimes went largely unabated. The biggest increases – and shifts – were from Playoff Bradley Beal and Small Ball Four Paul Pierce. They maintained some corner 3pt activity, and strongly clustered their above the break activity. Aside from the 3pt line Wall and Beal are driving more in the postseason, and as Ian Levy noted earlier this week, the results have been quite positive.

Beyond the most used lineup, there’s another story in DC – the emergence of Otto Porter.

Otto has received a lot flack during his two seasons in the league. He’s battled injury, little-to-no playing time, mental lapses, and streaky shooting. Playoff Otto Porter has been a heart-warming story – scoring and defending like the player the Wizards always wanted. As Porter’s Hunting Grounds indicate, he reduced his spatial footprint against the Raptors – for the better. Similar to the Wiz starting five, he’s tidied up the midrange stuff, focusing more on one corner, one wing, and at the rim. It’s a recipe that’s a proven winner across the league. If Porter can keep this up in Round 2, he may be a legitimate X Factor. It’s certainly a feel-good story, just like the Playoff Wizards, that’s worth monitoring in the next round.

Data and photo support provided courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball-Reference.com, and data extraordinaire Darryl Blackport.