San Antonio Spurs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being that the Spurs sport the NBA’s best offensive efficiency, it should come as no surprise that they are a well above average offensive team in each of the four quarters. Even in their worst offensive quarters, San Antonio still scores at a rate that would rank among the league’s top five in points per possession. They are especially effective in the first and second quarters, scoring at 8.39 and 8.96 points per 100 possessions better than league average, respectively. In the first quarter, San Antonio has had 10 players play at least 200 minutes this season, and eight of them are shooting at least 45% from the field. Of the two who are not shooting above 45%, one is no longer with the team – Richard Jefferson – and the other is shooting 43.6% from 3-point land in the first quarter – Matt Bonner.

The Spurs also defend at an above average level for three of the four quarters, with the second quarter being the only one where they allow more points per 100 possessions than the league average. San Antonio really clamps down on defense when the game enters clutch time; their 95.3 points per 100 possessions allowed in the clutch ranks fourth in the NBA and would lead the league over the course of a full season. San Antonio does seem to be a much better team in the first half than the second; in the third and fourth quarters, they outscore their opponents by 3.9 and 4.5 points per 100 possessions, respectively, as opposed to 11.9 and 8.3 points per 100 possessions in the first and second quarters.

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oklahoma City is the only NBA team that sports both an above average offensive efficiency and an above average defensive efficiency in all four quarters, though they cut it extremely close in the second quarter with their 102.5 defensive efficiency. OKC scores 114.8 points per 100 possessions in the second quarter, 12.26 points per 100 possessions better than the league average. How are they doing it? Their top six players in second quarter minutes played – Kevin Durant, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Perkins, Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka – are each shooting above 47% from the field in the quarter, led by Collison at 63.6%. As a team, OKC shoots 50.5% from the field, 38.1% from 3 and 80.2% from the line in the second quarter. They also attempt 26.8 free throws per 48 minutes in the second quarter, a mark which would lead the league over the course of a full season.

The Thunder, like the Spurs, are better in the first half than the second. They outscore opponents by 7.9 points per 100 possessions in the 1st quarter and 12.3 points per 100 possessions in the second quarter, but that drops to 5.4 and 3.5 points per 100 possessions in the third and fourth quarters. However, Durant and Westbrook – their best players and the most likely ones to sit in a blowout – have sat out the entire fourth quarter in 10 and 11 games, respectively, so it is possible that OKC’s reserves are throwing off the balance in the second half. Harden has sat the whole fourth quarter just three times.

Los Angeles Lakers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tracking the Lakers’ performance across quarters is perhaps best done by by also tracking Kobe Bryant. When healthy, Bryant usually plays the entire first quarter; he averages 11.22 first quarter minutes per game. When Bryant is on the floor, the Lakers outscore their opponents by 9.9 points per 100 possessions, score at a rate which would rank seventh in the NBA over a full season and defend at a rate that would lead the league. In the 129 first quarter minutes Bryant hasn’t played, LA has outscored opponents by just 1.3 points per 100 possessions.

Bryant takes his first rest of the game at the beginning of the second quarter, usually for about 5-6 minutes. We can see here that LA’s offense drops slightly in the second quarter and that their defense falls way off. They go from the best defense in the NBA to one that would rank tied for 27th with the Golden State Warriors. Presumably, Los Angeles’ bench is playing poor defense and poor offense, and then Kobe comes in and rights the ship, right? Wrong. In the 5-6 minutes that Kobe spends off the floor in the second quarter, the Lakers score 106.4 points per 100 possessions and allow 101.3 points per 100 possessions, outscoring their opponents by 5.1.

When Kobe re-enters the game though, the Lakers fall apart. With Bryant on the floor in the second quarter, LA is outscored by an average of 9.0 points per 100 possessions; 101.8 to 110.8. That’s 3-full-points-per-100-possessions-worse-than-the-Bobcats level defense for the six second quarter minutes Kobe averages per game. On offense, Kobe turns it over 4.0 times per-36 minutes and his shots are turned into offensive rebounds about 13% less of the time than on average.

In the third quarter, Bryant again usually plays all twelve minutes barring injury or foul trouble. The Lakers are pretty much a league average team on both ends in the third quarter. They score 100.9 points per 100 possessions (would rank 19th) and allow 101.1 (would rank 12th).

In the fourth quarter, Bryant again usually rests for the first 5-6 minutes. The Lakers’ offense rebounds and averages 104.3 points per 100 possessions overall in the fourth and their defense allows 102.8, slightly worse than in the third quarter. Last time, we assumed the poor defense and slightly worse offense was due to the Lakers’ bench unit being in and we were wrong. This time, however, that’s spot on. When Bryant is on the bench in the fourth quarter, LA scores at a rate of 94.4 points per 100 possessions and allows 104.1. That offense would rank 29th in the league and the defense would be 24th. But when Kobe comes back in for the last 6-7 minutes, the whole offense shifts. The Lakers score 110.9 points per 100 possessions with Bryant on the floor in the fourth quarter, an increase of 16.5 points per 100 possessions from when he’s not on the floor and a mark that would lead the league over a full season. Bryant’s turnovers drop way down, his shots are offensive rebounded more often (as a percentage of missed shots) and his assist/turnover ratio jumps by 17.5%.

Los Angeles Clippers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Clippers are pretty schizophrenic across quarters. In the first, they have an elite level offense and a below average defense, and outscore their opponents by 7.0 points per 100 possessions. In the second quarter, their offense collapses, their defense gets even worse and they get outscored by 4.6 points per 100 possessions. The beginning of the second quarter usually coincides with Chris Paul’s first stint on the bench of the game, and when he’s out, LA’s offense suffers greatly, scoring just 94.0 points per 100 possessions. Caron Butler and Randy Foye are each shooting under 40% in the second quarter.

In the third quarter the Clippers sport an offense that would be among the top five in the league and a much improved defense over the rest of the game. They allow just 99.7 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter, 3.1 points better than their next best defensive quarter. That mark would tie them for ninth in the league with Oklahoma City, while their full-season rank is 17th. The third is the only quarter where the Clippers have an above average offense and an above average defense.

In the fourth quarter, their offense takes another dip when Paul rests, as it does during the second quarter. Their defense regresses as well, though it’s not quite as bad as in the first half. In clutch situations, the Clippers’ offensive efficiency is just the 18th best in the league, surprising for a Chris Paul-led team. Their defense sits 12th in efficiency in crunch time.

Memphis Grizzlies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second quarter is a nightmare for the Grizzlies. A top ten-level defense in every other quarter, Memphis surrenders 105.7 points per 100 possessions in the second, a mark that would place them 26th in the NBA, tied with the Cavaliers. They played a bunch of lineups earlier in the season that featured O.J. Mayo, Marreese Speights and either Jeremy Pargo or Josh Selby, and that’ll throw your defense off a bit. But the Grizzlies’ D has been really bad in the second quarter even when their better defenders like Tony Allen are on the court. The Grizzlies also play their best offense of the game in the second, largely when Mike Conley, Rudy Gay and/or Zach Randolph is on the floor. Conley has a particularly strong effect; when he’s on the court Memphis scores 109.2 points per 100 possessions and when he leaves they score just 96.6 points per 100.

Memphis’ offense is below average in every other quarter, but their defense is well above average, especially in the first and third. The 94.9 and 95.5 points per 100 possessions Memphis allows in the first and third quarters best and equal Chicago’s league-leading mark. Their defense is mostly very good, but Memphis struggles to score. They don’t shoot very many 3′s and they make them at a below average rate. They only get to the free throw line a league average amount, and they only shoot about the league average from the stripe.

Denver Nuggets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nuggets’ are the bizarro version of the Grizzlies. Consistently below average on defense for three quarters of the game, Denver locks down in the second quarter, allowing just 100.1 points per 100 possessions. Their solidly above average offense goes bonkers at the same time. Their 110.2 points per 100 possessions scored in the second quarter would be the best in the league over the course of the season. The defense is best with Danilo Gallinari out there, as they surrender just 88.1 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the court in the second quarter. Gallo also has considerable impact on their offense, which scores 112.1 points per 100 possessions in the 7.5 minutes per game he gets in the second quarter.

Other than that one quarter though, the Nuggets are a pretty ordinary bunch. They have an above average offense and below average defense in each of the first, third and fourth quarters. They get outscored by 0.3 points per 100 possessions in the first quarter and by 1.7 points per 100 possessions in the fourth. They barely squeak by their opponents by 0.9 points per 100 possessions in the third. Denver suffers from a similar problem to the Philadelphia 76ers in that their offense falters in the fourth quarter because they don’t have a true go-to guy to get them a bucket when the defense clamps down. Denver’s spread-it-around approach works for much of the game, but fails them late. Gallinari, often an option down the stretch, shoots just 30.3% in the fourth quarter this year.

Dallas Mavericks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only quarter where the Mavericks are above average on both offense and defense is the first quarter, though their offense is just 0.5 points per 100 possessions better than average. In what is their best quarter of the game, Dallas outscores their opponents by just 4.3 points per 100 possessions, about a Hawks or Sixers level scoring margin. Again, this is the Mavs’ best quarter.

In what seems to be a pattern, Dallas also has a quarter where their offense completely falls off a cliff. After scoring 106 points per 100 possessions in the second quarter (where every Mav who has played at least 100 minutes in the period is shooting at least 44.1% from the field), a mark that would place them fourth in the NBA, that number drops all the way to 96.6 in the third quarter, which would rank 29th in the NBA over the full season. Though they play their best defense of the game in the third, they manage to outscore their opponents by just 0.3 points per 100 possessions in the period. Dirk Nowitzki shoots just 43.1% in the third quarter of games and Jason Terry’s field goal percentage drops under 40. Every Mav who has played at least 100 third quarter minutes is shooting under 44% from the field in the period. In the fourth quarter, Dallas actually gets outscored by an average of 0.7 points per 100 possessions on average.

Utah Jazz*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jazz are a pretty average team in the first half of games. They score at a slightly below average rate in the first quarter and a slightly above average rate in the second. They also defend at a slightly below average rate in the first quarter and a slightly above average rate in the second. Those net ratings would place them somewhere between the Mavericks (+1.5) and the Timberwolves (-1.7) over the course of a full season.

But everything goes haywire in the second half. Their previously league average offense takes a significant jump all the way to 106.6 points per 100 possessions scored in the third quarter. With Gordon Hayward on the court, as he has been for 583 of the Jazz’s 768 third quarter minutes, the Jazz have scored 110.4 points per 100 possessions, which would lead the league by a good margin. However, they also allow 109.2 points per 100 possessions in Hayward’s time on the floor in the third, a mark that would place Utah second-to-last in the NBA, just ahead of the Charlotte Bobcats. Despite playing elite level offense in the third, Utah is actually outscored by 0.5 points per 100 possessions in the period.

In the fourth quarter, the Jazz also score at an elite level and defend like one of the worst teams in the league. So the average on offense, average on defense first half Jazz are still pretty average in the second half of games, but it’s because they sport an excellent offense and a terrible defense.

Phoenix Suns*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Suns are an above average team for three quarters of the game, but they completely fall apart when Steve Nash takes his first rest of the game in the second quarter. With Nash on the bench for usually about the first 5-6 minutes of the second, Phoenix scores just 98.5 points per 100 possessions and allows 106.6 Each of these marks would place the Suns in the bottom five in the NBA over the course of a full season. The -5.8 points per 100 possessions scoring margin puts them in the range of the Kings and Nets.

After halftime, their offense bounces back and averages 107.3 points per 100 possessions, which would rank just behind the Spurs for first in the NBA and just ahead of the Thunder for second. Nash, when healthy, usually plays just about all of the third quarter, and when he is on the floor, Phoenix scores 110.4 points per 100 possessions in the period. He’s aided by especially hot shooting from Marcin Gortat (60.8%), Jared Dudley (50.0% from the field, 42.0% from 3) and Shannon Brown (41.9% from 3). Phoenix’s positive scoring margin of 4.3 points per 100 possessions in the third would be top five in the NBA over the course of a full season.

Chicago Bulls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bulls are at their best in the second and fourth quarters, where they outscore their opponents by 12.1 and 11.7 points per 100 possessions, respectively. In the first quarter, they are also quite good, outscoring opponents by 7.9 points per 100 possessions. In the third quarter, however, their offense takes a precipitous drop and they outscore their opponents by just 3.0 points per 100 possessions.

It’s interesting to note that Chicago’s best offensive quarters tend to come when their reserves play big minutes; their bench is probably the best in the league. Being that Derrick Rose usually takes his rest at the beginning of the second and fourth quarters, this may lead you to draw some conclusions, but closer examination reveals that Chicago’s offensive efficiency with Derrick Rose on the court in the fourth quarter is a ridiculous 118.9 and that number drops to 100.5 when he’s not on the court. Similarly, in the second quarter, Chicago’s offensive efficiency with Rose on the court is 110.2 and when he’s off the court it’s 104.2. Chicago’s defense is above average in the first quarter at 98.0 points per 100 possessions allowed, but for the rest of the game they defend at an elite level that would lead the league.

Miami Heat

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miami destroys teams in the first half of games. They outscore their opponents by 9.3 points per 100 possessions in the first quarter of games and 14.5 points per 100 possessions in the second quarter. But after halftime, their offense falls off a cliff during Erik Spoelstra’s halftime speeches, to the point that the Heat become simply an average team on offense in the second half of games. The score at just 0.28 points per 100 possessions above the league average in the third quarter and actually score .14 points below league average in the fourth quarter.

Now, before you think about how this just feeds into LeBron not being a clutch player, consider that he usually sits the first 5-6 minutes of the quarter and that while he does, the Heat score at a rate of just 94.2 points per 100 possessions, but when he comes back in for the last 6-7 minutes of the game, that number jumps all the way to 108.4 points per 100 possessions, a mark which would lead the league over the course of the season.

With Dwyane Wade on and off the court, the change is not as drastic. With Wade on the court in fourth quarters, the Heat score 104.1 points per 100 possessions compared to 100.1 when he’s out. The biggest culprit in the Heat’s fourth quarter offensive woes appears to be Udonis Haslem. He’s played just about two thirds of Miami’s fourth quarter minutes, and they score at a rate of just 100.4 points per 100 possessions when he’s out there. That mark would place 21st in the league over a full season.

Indiana Pacers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only quarter during which the Pacers are above average on both offense and defense is the third quarter, where they score at a rate that would place them 2nd in the league over the course of a full season and their defense would be the 5th best in the league. They outscore opponents by 9.1 points per 100 possessions in third quarters. In every other quarter, however, the Pacers seem like an exceedingly average basketball team.

They are 2.2 points per 100 possessions worse than their opponents in first quarters (with an above average offense and below average defense), 3.2 better in second quarters (with a below average offense and an above average defense) and 2.0 better in fourth quarters (with an above average offense and below average defense). That would put them in the Knicks-Clippers-Nuggets range of efficiency differential, as opposed to the Spurs-Thunder-Heat-Bulls range they play in during the third quarter. A big reason for their jump in third quarter offensive efficiency is the play of Darren Collison, who shoots 52.5% from the field and 46.4% from 3 in the quarter (in 561 minutes played) as opposed to his usual low-40′s, mid-30′s percentages.

Boston Celtics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boston defends at elite levels in every quarter of the game. Their defensive efficiency ranks third, sixth, second and third in the league from the first to the fourth quarter, respectively. The only quarter where they don’t defense at a rate of at least 5.0 points per 100 possessions better than league average is the second quarter, where they’ve given extended minutes to below average defenders like Brandon Bass, Keyon Dooling and Mickael Pietrus.

Their third quarter defensive efficiency reaches historic levels, especially when Avery Bradley is on the floor. In Bradley’s 283 third quarter minutes, the Celtics have allowed just 85.0 points per 100 possessions, which would obviously lead the league. The third quarter is also the only one in which the Celtics offense creeps above the league average offensive efficiency for the quarter. So whatever Doc Rivers is telling his team at halftime, it’s working. In Ray Allen’s time on the court in the third quarter, Boston scores at a rate of 106.2 points per 100 possessions, a mark that would be third in the NBA over the full season. Once they get to the fourth quarter, however, they stop scoring at an above average rate, likely because they struggle to create their own looks off the dribble and in isolation. They depend on Rajon Rondo to manufacture open looks for other players, and when the defenses start keying on that, it becomes more difficult for Boston to score.

Atlanta Hawks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hawks, on both offense and defense, perform like the typical league average team. Their offense is best in the second and fourth quarters, while their defense is best in the first and third. As you can see, their efficiency follows the league average in terms of fluctuation. Their best quarter appears to be the fourth, where they outscore opponents by 6.6 points per 100 possessions, while they are at their worst in the third quarter, getting outscored by 1.3 points per 100 possessions.

Their offense, like Miami’s, completely falls off a cliff in the third quarter. Their 103.9 offensive efficiency in the second quarter would place seventh in the league over a full season, while their 96.0 mark in third quarters would be 29th in the NBA. Marvin Williams has played just over half of Atlanta’s third quarter minutes and has shot 34.9% from the field. In second quarters, he’s shot 48.9% from the field. Maybe it’s as simple as Marvin playing to his capabilities.

Orlando Magic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Magic are world beaters in the first quarter, but for the rest of the game they lie somewhere between average and below average. Both their offense and their defense are well above average in the first quarter, and they fluctuate between slightly above and slightly below average for the rest of the game. In first quarters, Orlando outscores opponents by 9.6 points per 100 possessions, scores at a rate of the fifth best offense in the league and defends at a rate of the fourth best defense.

In the second quarter, the Magic are outscored by 3.2 points per 100 possessions and in the fourth they get outscored by 0.7 points per 100. Their defense is below average in both quarters while their offense is slightly below average in the second and slightly above average in the fourth. Of course, none of these numbers really mean anything without Dwight Howard on the floor. In the 979 minutes the Magic have played without Howard this season, they’ve scored 102.5 and allowed 106.2 points per 100 possessions. The offense stays at about the same level as when Dwight is on the floor (102.9) but the defense is 6.9 points per 100 possessions worse without Dwight.

New York Knicks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Knicks appear to be one team (above average) in the first and second quarters, another team in the fourth quarter (elite) and a completely different team in the third quarter (Bobcats-esque). In the first and second quarters, they outscore opponents by 4.1 and 5.9 points per 100 possessions, respectively, which would put them in the tier just below the elite level teams like the Bulls, Heat, Thunder and Spurs but still above teams like the Sixers, Hawks and Pacers.

Their post-halftime woes have been well-chronicled this season, but seeing it in visual form makes it even more striking. Their offense is virtually non-existent in the third quarter; their 94.8 points per 100 possessions would be 29th in the NBA over the course of a full season. Their normally stout defense is merely average in the third quarter as well. The third is the only quarter where the Knicks don’t defend at a rate at least 5.0 points per 100 possessions better than league average. They also get outscored by an average of 6.4 points per 100 possessions in the third quarter. Tyson Chandler, the league leader in FG%, has made just 41.7% of his shots in the third quarter. Steve Novak, the league leader in 3PT%, has made just 35.4% of his 3′s. Knick opponents have shot 37.9% from 3 in third quarters. The third quarter is really, really ugly for New York.

The Knicks are at their best on offense in the fourth quarter, scoring 105.2 points per 100 possessions; the fourth best mark in the NBA and a mark which would be fifth best in the NBA over the course of the season. With Jeremy Lin on the court in fourth quarters, they scored 115.6 points per 100, but without him they’ve scored just 99.6. Still, the Knicks have outscored opponents by 8.0 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter this season.

Philadelphia 76ers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fourth quarter is not kind to the Sixers. After defending at an elite level for three quarters, and being historically great on defense in the third quarter, their defensive efficiency drops to just 1.34 points per 100 possessions better than league average in the fourth quarter. This would be okay if Philly could generate any offense in the fourth, but they struggle to do that as well. The result is that they get outscored by 1.4 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter this season. Louis Williams has been their go-to guy for much of the season, and they’ve scored just 99.3 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor in the fourth quarter this season, and that accounts for over two-thirds of their total fourth quarter minutes played.

They’ve also had Jodie Meeks on the floor for nearly half their fourth quarter minutes, and he’s been a drag on both their offense (97.6 points per 100) and defense (102.2). By contrast, with Meeks on the floor for over half their third quarter minutes, Philly has scored very well (106.0 points per 100, which would be third best in the NBA) and defended very well too (90.3 points per 100, which would lead the league).

Statistical support for this story from NBA.com – All charts also made with data supplied by NBA.com

Amare Stoudemire has not been good this year. He hasn’t been as horrible as people say, yikes, has he not been good.

Casting aside his rookie season, he is at career-lows in points per game, FG%, rebounds per game, and player efficiency rating. He’s obviously struggled to co-habitate on the same court with Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler. So, in a move to perhaps regain his 2005 mojo, Amare has taken on a 2005 hairstyle: the cornrow.

Now, I wasn’t a fan of cornrows then and I’m certainly not a fan of them now. The only good thing to arise from the cornrow era was Brad Miller donning them while with the Sacramento Kings. If Amare really wants to get his 2005 groove back he needs to either a) retain the services of Steve Nash as Knicks point guard or b) select some of the following hair styles…

Darnell Hillman’s Afro

When in doubt, always grow a fro to improve basketball performance. Even when you actually perform horribly, people will be so entranced by your magnificent blowout, they’ll hardly bother to note your putrid game. Exception to this rule is Josh Childress.

Kenny Walker’s Pencil Eraser High Top Fade

What better way to show you’re on your way back to the top than getting a flat top? None, I tells ya. Kenny Walker was never much of a player, but I’m convinced this hairstyle gave him super powers in the 1989 dunk contest.

Walt Frazier’s Chops

Even Dave Cowens is “oohing” in aww at these chops of delight. Pro-tip: anything Walt Frazier is doing, it’s best for you to emulate that. Sure you won’t do it quite as well as Clyde does, but even being 1% Clyde is 100% better than your current state.

Jason Kidd’s Bleached Hair

Now, I don’t recommend bleached hair for just anyone. It’s a stylistic choice wrought with pitfalls and terror, but Amare is in such a funk he may need to go down this unsavory road to truly find himself. Jason Kidd was good but not truly great until he went through his bleached-hair, soul-searching quest through the Valley of the Desert. When he emerged he was leading the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals. I’m not saying it’s a great look, but it may be what Stoudemire needs.