VanVleet's 1.7 gap frames a win our index graded low across the board

The index verdict on Phoenix 102-99 Houston: a war of attrition, not a showcase. Not a single grade crossed 7.2, and Miles Bridges' 7.1 — built on 13 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists — was the ceiling. Devin Booker's 24 points led everyone and still graded just 6.0; two rebounds and three assists mean volume alone doesn't move our needle.

The distance from the reference is the story. All seventeen graded players were marked higher by the reference, none more generously than Fred VanVleet: 5.9 against 7.6. Sixteen points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and a 0.195 defense component read as a quiet night on our scale — not a 7.6 performance. Amen Thompson (17 points, zero assists) and Jabari Smith Jr. carry 1.3 gaps of their own.

The components explain the pushback. Kevin Durant's 21 and 10 came with a 0.159 defense mark, hence 6.4, while Khaman Maluach's 10 rebounds in under 19 minutes earned a perfect rebounding component and the runner-up grade at 6.5. Where the reference rewards star volume, Pred1x pays for two-way production — and this night was thin on it.