If you have ever played a sport, you have heard the phrase “play to your strengths, and avoid your weaknesses” from your parents and coaches. This phrase applies even where it seems like players don’t have weaknesses whatsoever, in the NBA. Each NBA team has players with different strengths and “weaknesses.” This causes teams to play with different styles, so they could “play to their strengths, and avoid weaknesses.” This sounds pretty easy to understand, right? Not for 12-time NBA all star, 2-time NBA champion, and hall of famer Isiah Thomas. Isiah recently tweeted that, “The marketing of Analytics in the @nba has convinced coaches and players to “think” and “play” the game the same exact way to achieve accurate measurements. Some players and teams would be better off playing a different style.” By making this absurd claim, Isiah is stating that all NBA teams operate under the same offenses. This claim is beyond false. Every NBA offense operates differently from one another, because each team has players with different strengths and weaknesses. To prove Isaiah’s claim false, let’s look at some stats regarding the top 5 best offenses in the NBA, using Adjusted Offensive Rating, (Points per 100 possessions adjusted for strength of opposing schedules, as of January 1, 2022).’

1. Utah Jazz. At 116.7 points per 100 possessions, the Utah Jazz are the best offense in the NBA. What makes the Jazz offense so efficient? Let’s take a deep dive into why this offense is so successful. Although being widely acknowledged as the best defender in the NBA, three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert is the centerpiece of this Utah offense. Rudy Gobert’s elite lob catching ability allows the Utah Jazz to obliterate other teams with pick and roll offenses.  Quinn Snyder uses Gobert’s Lob catching ability often, the Utah Jazz have a 24.6% pick and roll ball handler frequency, which leads the NBA. Having crafty, small guards like Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, and Donovan Mitchell fit well with Gobert. Defenders have to respect these guards’ elite difficult-shot making ability, while guarding the roller, who shattered the NBA dunks record in a season, in 2019. Not only can the Jazz take advantage of the pick and roll, the Jazz always have the opportunity to get second chance points, thanks to Gobert’s tenacious rebounding ability. Rudy leads the NBA in putback points per game, at 3.2. The combination of elite ball pick and roll ability,  and second chance points make the Jazz offense the best in the NBA. Let’s see how it differs from the 2-5 best offenses in the NBA.
2.  Charlotte Hornets. At 113.6 Adjusted Offensive Rating, the Charlotte Hornets have the second best offense in the NBA. Led by second year guard Lamelo Ball, this Charlotte Hornets offense is electric. The Charlotte Hornets are second in the NBA in transition points, with 23.6 per game. Playing in transition can make the defense become discombobulated, and create open three pointers. Charlotte  has the highest points per possession in spot up opportunities, while using spot up 25.1% of their offense, which is 6th in the NBA. The question arises, why do the hornets play this way? Having playmakers such as Terry Rozier, and Lamelo Ball who like to push the pace fit well with high flyers Miles Bridges and Kelly Oubre Jr, and can lead to easy transition buckets. These Transitions opportunities also create lots of spot up shots, which give opportunities for snipers to hit threes, like Gordon Hayward and P.J. Washington. Unlike the Utah Jazz, the Hornets rarely use screens. They are 25th in on ball screen frequency, using it only 14.9% of their offense. This occurs simply because arguably the Hornets biggest positional disadvantage is the center position. They don’t have incredible pick and roll big men, although pairing one with the fast paced, electric Hornets offense would be intriguing.
3. Atlanta Hawks. At 113.6 Adjusted Offensive Rating, the Hawks have the 3rd best offense in the NBA. Similar to the Utah Jazz, the Atlanta Hawks find most of their success within picking and rolling with the ball handler. The hawks lead the league in pick and roll ball handler frequency at 24.8% of their offensive possessions. Atlanta has great lob catchers, similar to the jazz, with great gravity. John Collins (former dunk contest participant), Clint Capela, and Onyeka Okongwu all have gravity within the pick and roll that pulls defenders towards them. This can create open shots for their guards. 3rd year phenomenon Trae Young fits well within this offense, because of his deep range shooting ability. Trae is currently shooting shots from 30-34 feet at a remarkable 41%. Unlike the Charlotte Hornets, the Hawks rarely play in transition, which results in them not using spot up threes as much as other offenses. Atlanta is 26th in the entire NBA at transition possessions per game, with 14.5, and is second to last in Spot Up threes per game, at 22.4.
4. At 112.4 Adjusted offensive rating, the Golden State Warriors have the 4th best offense in the NBA. It’s not surprising whatsoever to see the greatest shooter of all time team in the top 5 offenses in the NBA. Steph Curry draws so much attention from the defense because, when he is across half court, he has the greenlight to shoot the ball. Often being face guarded, and double teamed, Steve Kerr’s offense depends on off screens, and cuts to create open jumpshots for Steph. The warriors lead both play types in Frequency, and possessions per game, respectively. Draymond Green’s elite playmaking ability, and chemistry with Steph make Green vital to the Warriors offense. It appears that Draymond knows where Steph is on the court at all times, and he knows exactly when Steph can get open for a three ball. Steph Curry’s one of a kind shooting abilities differs this warriors offense from the rest, because he draws attention from defenses that no other player in the league does.
5. At 112.0 Adjusted Offensive Rating, the Chicago Bulls have the 5th best offense in the NBA. Having an all star caliber center, and two all star caliber ball handlers is a luxury that few NBA teams can say that they have. It’s safe to say that the Bulls know how to use this, the Bulls have the best record in the eastern conference. Having an all star caliber center and two all star caliber ball handlers makes for a deadly pick and roll offense. The Bulls are 5th in pick and roll ball handler frequency, using it 20.9% of the time. The Bulls also excel in pick and roll man, using it 5th in the nba in possessions per game. Zach Lavine and Demar Derozan are known for being incredible finishers at the rim, which is why their offense consists of the ball handler attacking the rim after a pick and roll.

Clearly, we can see that offenses in the NBA have different structures, depending on their superstar’s strength. Teams with great ball handlers and big men, such as the Jazz, Hawks, and Bulls will use pick and roll, while teams with incredible shooters such as the Warriors will find ways to create shots for Steph Curry, by using cuts and off ball screens. So, no Isiah Thomas, not every offense in the NBA runs under the same way. Teams play to their strengths, disregarding what ‘everybody’ else uses.