Wizards from 3, Nets in the paint, Spurs’ depth lead key NBA postseason trends

Each of the eight teams remaining in the NBA playoffs have played a game in this second round, and some interesting trends have emerged that could be harbingers of things to come over the next two weeks (or however long the league decides to stretch out this round).

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Wizards sorcerers from 3

Other outlets rightfully have attacked Indiana big man Roy Hibbert for his disappearance this postseason. But Washington deserves a good amount of attention for its 3-point efficiency. In six postseason games, the Wizards are shooting 42.3 percent from three as a team, barely below its 43.9 percent shooting from two. Here’s Washington’s postseason shot chart from three:

Washington leads Miami by just a shade as the best 3-point shooting team this postseason, with Trevor Ariza and Bradley Beal leading the way. Ariza is at a scorching 55.9 percent and Beal is at a lethal 48.1 percent thanks to strong drives towards the basket from John Wall, really pretty ball movement and the ability to knock down the open shot.

But Indiana should take solace in the fact that Washington’s 3-point wizardry (pun intended) can’t last, especially when it isn’t faring so well close to the basket. In Game 1, the ‘Zards shot 10-of-16 from deep, and Pacers coach Frank Vogel should have his team more closely guard the 3-point line to make Beal, Wall and Ariza become volume shooters from the perimeter.

Nets pummeled in the paint

Miami was able to cruise to a Game 1 win over Brooklyn in part because of its dominance inside. The Heat outscored the Nets 52-28 in the paint for their first win in five tries this season against Jason Kidd’s squad.

Brooklyn by no means has to win the battle inside to be successful against Miami; that’s not the Nets’ style of play. But they have won by keeping things close inside, slowing the pace and shooting at a high enough percentage to win close games. Without going into the subtle matchup nuances, which Beckley Mason thoroughly covered at The New York Times, that was Brooklyn’s winning formula in the regular season.

The following shows how important keeping things close inside is for Brooklyn:

Paint Points	Reg Season 1	Reg Season 2	Reg Season 3	Reg Season 4	Game 1
Miami	40	44	36	42	52
Brooklyn	32	36	34	42	28

If Brooklyn can even be within single digits in the paint and close in the turnover battle, it will have a chance. But if Miami has its way inside, it will be too strong for Brooklyn and too easy to get easy baskets and trips to the line.

Perhaps fatigue was a factor in Game 1. The Nets were coming off a grueling seven-game series with the finale on the road, while the Heat slept in their own beds for a week. Look for Brooklyn to come back energized Thursday and make this an interesting series.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Converting mistakes key

Oklahoma City and Los Angeles split its four-game regular season series and are two pretty evenly matched sides. So besides the obviously transcendent Game 1 performance from Chris Paul, a huge determining factor is which team will capitalize best off its opponent’s turnovers.

Amazingly, the Thunder and Clippers have exactly the same number of points off turnovers after five matchups this season.

Points Off Turnovers	Reg Season 1	Reg Season 2	Reg Season 3	Reg Season 4	Game 1
LA Clippers	24	11	22	9	23
Oklahoma City	24	11	22	22	10

OKC won the final regular season matchup and the Clippers dominated Game 1 thanks to their sloppy counterparts. Russell Westbrook committed six turnovers Monday night, compared to just nine total by LA. If the series comes down to which star point guard best takes care of the ball, the Clippers will reach the Western Conference finals like most SheridanHoops columnists (including this one) predicted.

Spurs supply deep and diverse scoring

There’s a reason San Antonio general manager R.C. Buford was named Executive of the Year the morning after the Spurs’ Game 1 romp over Portland. His ability to obtain different pieces from all over the world and put the team in the best position to develop cohesion over the course of a season is unmatched and unrivaled in any sport.

Australians Aron Baynes and Patty Mills and Italian Marco Belinelli were three of six Spurs in double figures in the 116-92 victory that saw Buford’s bunch shoot over 50 percent, force 20 turnovers and hold the offensively dynamic Blazers to 37.8 percent shooting.

San Antonio’s superior depth has shone through this postseason after being dutifully cultivated by Gregg Popovich during the regular season. After looking through the box scores of each postseason game this season, it came as no surprise that the Spurs had the most players to score double figures in at least one playoff game.

It’s no secret that Portland has had a problem with bench scoring, which is a definitive advantage for San Antonio and could benefit the Spurs as the series progresses and players deal with more fatigue.

Shlomo Sprung is a national columnist for SheridanHoops who loves advanced statistics and the way they explain what happens on the court. He is also the web editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, The Sporting News, Business Insider and other publications. His website is SprungOnSports.com. You should follow him on Twitter.