Brunt: Why the Pacers are 8-0
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Just eight games into the season, the Indiana Pacers are flying in rarified air.
They are one of just 18 NBA teams to start a season at least 8-0.
I said in my season preview for Indy Sports Legends that I believed the Pacers would reach the NBA Finals. I believe that more strongly than before.
The scariest thing about this team is that there is room for improvement. The Pacers have shot better than 50 percent just once and haven’t scored 100 points in a game. Indiana had to rally from significant deficits against New Orleans and Toronto, so the Pacers could improve their starts.
Plus, Danny Granger has not played. Some are worried that Granger will disrupt chemistry. He could, but he’s also a big-time player when healthy. He’s still 6-foot-9, he’s still a scorer, still long and a very good defender. Though there is the risk that he could blow up the operation, there also is the possibility that he’s the final piece to a championship puzzle.
Indiana’s 95-79 win over Memphis on Monday night was its most complete game of the season. The Pacers were strong from the start, then did their usual damage in the third quarter and dominated a team that went to the Western Conference Finals last year.
Here are five reasons the Pacers are unbeaten.
1. Paul George has taken the next step.
We all thought he had the potential to get to the next level. Now, we’re seeing it. It’s hard to believe he’s only 23 years old. It’s even harder to believe he lasted until the 10th pick of the 2010 Draft.
As of Tuesday, George was fourth in the NBA with 24.9 points per game. He also was averaging 7.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists. George has been efficient overall, despite his occasional displays of what one reporter called “hero ball.”
George is fighting an internal battle right now. He has said aloud that he wants to be league MVP. Usually, MVPs are scorers. But he needs to look no further than his new rival, LeBron James, to see that he doesn’t have to force scoring to lift his team to new heights.
In the second half against Memphis on Monday, he made 7 of 8 shots from the field and scored 19 points. That’s the Paul George the Pacers need. When he lets the game come to him, he’s lethal and the Pacers are unbeatable. Though he has not perfected this aspect of the game, he has improved it. Most important, he is aware of his need to avoid forcing shots. He has brought it up more than once when I’ve interviewed him without being prompted. That’s a great sign.
2. Roy Hibbert is destroying folks.
The 7-foot-2, 290-pound center has taken full ownership of his role – to dominate on defense. He entered Tuesday as the NBA’s leader in blocked shots with 4.4 per game. That stat only scratches the surface of his impact.
As of Tuesday, the Pacers led the NBA in scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense. Hibbert is the primary reason for that. Indiana allowed 84.5 points per game through eight games; Chicago was second at 91.0. The Pacers were holding opponents to 39.2 percent shooting, making them the only team holding opponents below 40 percent shooting. Though he averaged just 9.9 points in his first eight games, he has proven effective when needed as an offensive threat — he scored 20 points in the win over Toronto. Hibbert said he wants to be Defensive Player of the Year. He’d be the likely winner if a vote was taken today. His willingness to dominate defensively and on the glass while still being ready with the offensive game makes him one of the best centers in the NBA and an anchor on this team.
3. Lance Stephenson’s improvement
We started the season wondering if Stephenson would start over Granger. Now, we’re wondering if the Pacers would be better off trading Granger. Stephenson has picked up where he left off in last year’s playoffs. Through eight games, he was second on the team with 14.3 points per game, and he averaged 5.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists. The words ‘efficient’ and ‘professional’ are being thrown around to describe him — it was unthinkable that those words would be connected with him a year ago. He fits in well with both the starting and reserve units and doesn’t seem to get tired, as evidenced by his 35 minutes per game. If he can keep this up, the Pacers have a real shot at an NBA title.
4. The improved bench
Luis Scola has been lights out. The veteran forward who came in a trade with Phoenix is averaging 7.8 points per game in just 17 minutes. He lifts the offense and often is strong at the start of the fourth quarter. It’s not just Scola, though. Point guard C.J. Watson has stepped in when George Hill has been out and the Pacers didn’t miss a beat. Orlando Johnson has provided a spark and has proven to be an excellent reserve shooting guard. Guard Donald Sloan and center Ian Mahinmi have been solid contributors. Chris Copeland has great potential as a reserve big who stretches the floor. And again, this is all with Granger having not even played. Paul George tends to come out strong in the third quarter of games. That’s because the bench allows him to have energy. This part of the team, the part that let the team down during last year’s playoff run, is one of its primary strengths this year.
5. Veterans who keep the youngsters humble.
Scola said on Monday that the unbeaten record wasn’t as important as what the team did to get there. West, while sitting just a few lockers away from Stephenson, said Indiana’s rising star has come a long way, but he still has growing up to do. The biggest threat to the Pacers comes from within. It’s the possibility that George and Stephenson, 23-year-old rising stars, might hear what everyone is saying, let their egos get the best of them and forget what got them to the brink of greatness. That’s why West and Scola are so important. Their defense against George’s and Stephenson’s egos will be the most important defense the Pacers play all season.
