Suns Continue Amazing Run with Sweep Over Nuggets
Jokic was this season’s MVP but his great season ended with a sweep by the Suns. The Suns have an incredibly strong and concise group of players. All 5 of their starters had over 100 points scored each in the series. A large portion of their points came off assists. Chris Paul is one of the NBA’s greatest ever point guards and it shows.
Suns Shot Analysis – Fast and Effective
We broke down the Suns’ shots and came up with six groups, aka clusters. Missed Fast Break shots were the first cluster, with Jae Crowder leading the team in those attempts. Crowder had success though in the Fast Break Points cluster, as did Cam Johnson. Most of Deandre Ayton‘s points came off of Full Play Points, where an organized play took place.
Chris Paul had a large proportion of his points come from Beating the Shot Clock, making big shots as the shot clock winded down. Booker wasn’t as successful and had many Shot Clock Misses, failing to convert towards the end of the play. Ayton also had many Fast Break Attempts near the Paint.
Nuggets Shot Analysis – Jokic Rules the Paint
We broke down the Nuggets’ shots and came up with six groups, aka clusters. Missed Mid-Play shots were the first cluster, with Michael Porter Jr. leading the team in those attempts. MPJ had success though in the Made Mid-Play cluster,as did Campazzo and Marcus Morris. Most of Aaron Gordon’s points came off of Fast Break Paint Points, though he also failed and had many Fast Break Paint Misses.
The Joker had a large proportion of his points come from End of Play Paint Points, converting as the shot clock ended. Campazzo and Will Barton had a large amount of Mid-Play Distance Missed shots.
Conclusion
The Suns have been super efficient and consistent throughout the season. Their starting five have a great pace and connect well. Can they continue this way?
Jokic desperately needed some help in this series. MPJ and Campazzo took great initiative. There is no way to know what would have happened if Jamal Murray was healthy. This is a great talented team though. Can they break through next year?
Let us know if you have any questions or need guidance to interpret the graphs. Some great resources can be found here.