Hottest zone: Right wing, 3-pointer
— 21-of-45 (46.7 percent)
— League average (35.0 percent)
Coldest zone: Top of the key; 3-pointer
— 6-of-24 FG, (25.0 percent)
— League average (34.6 percent)
Here’s a saying that might catch on: you can take the Rocket out of Houston, but you can’t take the Houston out of that Rocket. Trevor Ariza hasn’t made a single midrange shot in 2019-20 — in fact, he’s only six of them, most of which coming after a pump-fake that allows him a step-up beyond the line.
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But Ariza’s been such a revelation at his age, it hasn’t really mattered. The Blazers have a +4.4 on-off swing with him on floor, in large part because he knows his role and strengths to a tee. He’s hitting corner 3s at or around league average, and scores in the paint above it, hitting 60.7 percent of his drives.
Where he’s been most excellent is at the right wing, where he’s found success as a catch-and-shoot marksman with enough street cred and wit to force defenders to over pursue. From there, he’s got a herky-jerky type snatch-back wiggle, where he gets his feet set and finds bottom.
On his hex map, it shows that from there (and from that right corner) is where his highest frequency of shots come. But the further you drift left, the colder he becomes. (See the examples on that same page).
He struggles to find net on those shots at the top of the key, which usually only come when he’s the pick-and-roll ball-handler, or on fast break scampers where he just happens to be there for spacing and running the lane well. But over his tenure with both the Sacramento Kings and the Portland Trail Blazers, he’s clanked 18 of 24 attempts from there.
Similar to Anthony, though, there’s a lot to like. You don’t get this far into your career by being negligent of your skills and hot spots. And Ariza certainly knows his.