Smith: Evaluating the Pacers so far
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
(Photo by Pacers Sports and Entertainment)
The NBA season can be broken down into four 20-game sections. Through the first 1/4th of the season, the Indiana Pacers sit at 7-13. They’ve managed to play nearly .500 basketball in the last 13 games after starting the year 1-6. This team started 18-2 just one season ago, which now feels like a distant memory. Considering the injuries of this team, however, it could be a lot worse.
Last season, the Pacers were extremely healthy compared to other teams. Players who were part of the regular rotation only missed a combined 77 games the entire year. This year’s rotational players have already missed 88 combined games, with 62 games left to play. Assuming Paul George misses the entire season, he will pass last year’s injury totals by himself.
The Pacers have used six different starting lineups already and will be using more once George Hill returns. Injuries are a part of the game, but it’s very difficult to gain any kind of continuity and flow when there are different players playing each night.
All things considered, a 7-13 record isn’t all that bad. It’s very early to be talking about playoff seeding, but the Pacers currently sit two games out of the number eight seed in the Eastern Conference.
Where do the Pacers rank in some key statistics so far this season?
Rebounds: 2nd in the NBA at 46.2 rebounds per game.
Points: 26th in the NBA at 93.5 PPG.
FG%: 27th in the NBA at 42.5%
Opponents Scoring: 8th best in the NBA at 96.3 PPG.
Scoring has been an issue, but the team defense and rebounding has been excellent. Even without elite defender Paul George, and solid defending guard George Hill, a top ten defense is something to be proud of. The Pacers also rank among the NBA’s best in 2nd half defense. Coach Frank Vogel deserves a lot of credit for maintaining a strong defensive team despite the key injuries.
One of the major questions facing this team moving forward is: Will the intensity and effort remain high when everybody is healthy? It’s easy for guys like Lavoy Allen and Donald Sloan to give max effort every night. Those guys were taking full advantage of the opportunity to play. Guys like David West and George Hill always play hard, but you have to wonder if the max effort of some of the other players was the driving force between some big early wins this season.
Another key to watch: How will George Hill’s return impact the team? Before his injury, the Pacers were talking about turning George Hill loose this season on the offensive end. I even predicted he would lead the team in scoring. How long will it take Hill to get acclimated upon his return? Is he the guy that will give this offense the boost it needs to climb back to .500 or better? Time will tell, as George Hill is expected to return later this month.
December is a tough month for the Pacers schedule-wise. They will continue to try and hang around enough to give themselves a shot at the playoffs. When the next 20-game stretch concludes, we will know a lot more about where this team is headed.
Follow Tyler on Twitter: @TylerSmith_ISL
