Live by the Pistol
Action Breakdown + Data
The sun has not set on the 7-seconds-or-less Phoenix Suns, and the New York Knicks are one of many teams making sure of that lately. Pistol action has found a permanent home in Mike Brown's playbook down the stretch, and the numbers back it up. I wrote an earlier piece breaking down its debut against the Chicago Bulls, so check that out for more detail on the plays:
As the season winds down, it’s become one of the team’s most reliable quick hitters, and the team’s comfort running and executing it has only grown with the reps.
Early on, the Knicks tested the waters with Pistol sparingly, and for much of the season it remained on the sideline, until the last 10 to 20 games. Over the full season they’ve run 151 Pistol possessions, scoring 1.24 points per possession with a possession quality of 1.11 ePPP. Those are elite numbers, and they tell a clear story: this action is working, and the Knicks should press the button more.
Among all their offensive series, 1.24 PPP ranks second only to their Baseline Out of Bounds plays (BLOBs) meaning outside of special teams, Pistol is their single most efficient offense. It also generates the second-highest spot-up frequency of any series on the roster, trailing only Double Drag, which explains why the shots coming out of it tend to be high-quality looks. Let’s look at three of my favorite sets in New York’s Pistol Series:
Pistol 5
42 plays | 1.22 PPP (extremely good)
By far one of my favorite actions and one I called for since last season under Tom Thibodeau to run more. I love the action so much, I already have a detailed breakdown on it, but let’s go through more plays:
The action begins by clearing out one side of the floor and entering the ball to the big, what’s known as Pistol 5. From there, the Knicks have the freedom to read and react however they choose. The most basic look the Knicks want is KAT touching it back to the handler, almost like a get-action, taking the handler off the basketball and putting them back on.
One wrinkle they’ve gone to only a couple of times is having the guard who made the entry pass immediately set a ball screen for KAT.
When the defender shades the ball-handler to take away the handoff, that's exactly when the counter becomes available. It’s a subtle, but punishing, because most defenses aren’t looking to switch a big-guard action. In the play above, Claxton navigates the screen by going under while the screener’s defender sticks to Brunson, giving KAT a lane to drive to the basket.
In the same situation the ball-handler also has the option to cut hard to the basket, a read that can collapse the paint just as effectively.
Pistol Flat
36 plays | 1.14 PPP
The Knicks has weaponized this action as a switch beater, using the movement to attack mismatches or slip away from switching coverages. Bridges and Shamet are the go-to options in that role, both are sharp movers off the ball and draw the opposing team's weakest defender. And for teams that choose to stay attached and not switch, the ball-handler simply reads it like any other ball-screen and attacks the coverage. The flat screen is an opener to other actions detailed in the earlier piece.
Pistol Keep Veer
8 plays | 1.50 PPP
Like a Pistol Keep variant, Brunson hands off to Bridges, who takes the ball-screen while KAT peels off to set a pin-down, veering Brunson back onto the ball. The Knicks haven't leaned on this one heavily, but it's one of the best wrinkles in the package. There's something satisfying about an action that deliberately takes your best player off the ball only to create a clean look to get it right back to him.
The veer screen can also create a switch for KAT on the block.