Written by Joe Mags at Bloguin
Indiana opened the season dragging on the floor, averaging 92.7 points per game in three losses to Toronto, Memphis and Utah. The team-wide small ball movement, mandated by team president Larry Bird, failed in a multitude of ways. The Raptors (41-32) and Jazz (47-34) crushed the Pacers on the glass, and Indiana surrendered 39 fourth quarter points to Memphis. Paul George’s play was justifiably rusty after missing most of the past season — the All-Star shot 23.5 percent from the field in his debut at power forward. George was just 5-for-15 from the field against Memphis, and the Pacers committed 20 turnovers. Against the Jazz, the Pacers were 4-for-17 from behind the arc, scored 76 points, and shot themselves in the foot with 10 assists against 24 turnovers.
A fringe playoff pick before the season began, nobody could be sure what Indiana would look like in the early-goings of the season. The personnel had been altered so drastically in order to shamelessly bite a basketball philosophy employed by the NBA’s best and brightest teams. In George, the Pacers have a head start over the majority of Eastern Conference wannabes — a true-blue superstar is the surest way to relevance — but what could Indiana honestly expect from its stretched-thin frontcourt, collection of combo-guards and altogether unfamiliar core?
Over the last 10 games, Indiana fans have had plenty to smile about. The team is 8-2 with a 10.2 net rating — Indiana is scoring 103.4 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com, while defending at the second-best rate over that stretch. After an anemic start, the Pacers have jumped to 13th in rebounding percentage. The team is 9th in turnover ratio, 4th in points off turnovers, and sixth in second chance points. Indiana is 11th in fastbreak points and ninth in opponent fastbreak points.
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