Indiana Pacers Have Shocked The NBA To Become A Dangerous Playoff Team

After an unfortunate offseason many expected the Indiana Pacers to hit the NBA draft lottery this season, although they had other plans

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Back in August, Paul George suffered a horrendous broken leg during a team USA scrimmage. He was thought to miss the entire 2014-15 NBA season, including the playoffs (if the Pacers were even to make it). There was a point in early February where the Indiana Pacers were 15 games under .500 and thought of as an afterthought to make the playoffs.

No longer.

Since then, the Pacers are 12-4 and are currently in 7th place in the Eastern Conference. They were the 5th worst scoring team through the end of January, averaging only 95 points per game, behind only tanking teams such as the Knicks and Sixers, and the struggling Heat and Hornets. Since then, though, the Pacers been 9th in the league in points per game, averaging 101.5 points per game.

They have reversed not only their scoring struggles, but their shooting struggles as well. They were the 4th worst shooting team in the league at 43 percent through the end of January, trailing only the Hornets, Pistons and Sixers. Since the beginning of February, however, they are tied with the Spurs for 4th in the league in field goal percentage at 46.2, behind only the surging Pelicans, Thunder and Cavaliers.

Paul George has been speculated to come back during the season for months now. Back in February, George said he was hopeful that he would return this season.

Before George actually returns, we have to look at the circumstances. The Pacers will likely grab either the 7th or 8th seed in the East, which would mean they would likely be bounced in the first round. I personally can’t see George coming back from a serious injury to play a couple of games in the playoffs and risk the chance of hurting himself — again.

Regardless, whether or not George returns in time for the playoffs, this team is still dangerous. They’re still a stingy defensive team, holding opponents to only 96 points per game this season, which would place them third behind the Grizzlies and the Jazz.

Thier defense has remained as imressive as last year’s, mainly because of the rim protection of Roy Hibbert. Out of all the players in the NBA with at least 100 blocks this season, oppponents shoot only 42 percent at the rim when Hibbert is there, the 3rd lowest percentage, trailing only shot blocking monsters Serge Ibaka and Rudy Gobert. Opponents are only shooting 55.1 percent from less that 5 feet at the rim, secnd best in the league, trailing only the Thunder. Again, a lot of it has to do with Hibbert.

They’ve also gotten a spark from their bench offensively. Since the beginning of February, Rodney Stuckey has been a beast, averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game on 51.4 percent shooting. He had a season-high 34 points vs the Magic on Tuesday.

This Indiana Pacers team might be able to get away with some bad stretches on offense if it ends up playing a team like Cleveland or Toronto, teams that just aren’t good on defense, in the playoffs. However, teams such as Atlanta, Washington and Milwaukee will bring trouble due to their length and quickness.

The Pacers have shocked a lot of us. We expected them to be a lottery team this year and just wait for next year.

The Pacers don’t want to wait for next year, though. They want it now.

Next: 10 most disappointing players of the NBA season thus far