Indiana Pacers: Dominant start is being severely overlooked

The Indiana Pacers’ impressive start to the 2018-19 season isn’t getting the recognition it deserves

The Indiana Pacers are 25-12. That deserves some attention, doesn’t it?

Sure, the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors have gotten off to electric starts, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Jimmy Butler, and the Boston Celtics have been underwhelming. But the Pacers have been just as captivating as those teams and are also as big a threat to win the Eastern Conference.

Last season, the Pacers surprised many winning 48 games and taking the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. Victor Oladipo shined as head coach Nate McMillan‘s offensive focal point, and, as a whole, the Pacers were an elite unit defensively. In the offseason, they added two proven wings in Tyreke Evans and Doug McDermott, as well as gritty center Kyle O’Quinn to an already deep roster.

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This season has been a continuation of the 2017-18 season for the Pacers. Currently 25-12, they’re the third seed in the East and only two games behind the Bucks for the one seed. The key ingredient to their success? Lockdown defense.

While it may not scream excellence, the Pacers are currently surrendering an NBA-best 101.1 points per game. In today’s NBA, holding a team to roughly 25 points a quarter is remarkable. The Pacers are also second in opponent field goal percentage (43.5) and opponent points per shot (1.18). Whether it be Myles Turner anchoring the paint – while also averaging an NBA-best 2.9 blocks per game – Thaddeus Young‘s post defense, or Oladipo’s ability to lockdown the perimeter, the Pacers are adept at playing swarming defense.

On the other end, the Pacers have struggled to pose a potent threat offensively. Going into Tuesday night, they were 23rd in points per game (107.5). With that said, they were also second in field goal percentage (48.0) and fifth in 3-point shooting percentage (37.3) meaning they’ve struggled to get good, open looks.

The Pacers’ priority is defense, and there’s nothing wrong with that mindset. At the same time, they still have to be able to score at a higher rate when it matters most. But when you consider who, in particular, is struggling, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think the Pacers could turn the corner offensively and pose more than just a defensive threat, as a team.

After averaging a career-high 23.1 points per game in the 2017-18 season, Oladipo is averaging just 19.6 points per game this season. Last season, Oladipo established himself as one of the best guards in the NBA. He can serve as the go-to scoring option, play at a high level defensively, and do so with a motor. The drop in offensive production is a bit alarming for the Pacers, but it’s nothing that can’t be improved in time.

Plus, when you look at who has picked up the slack in the midst of Oladipo’s slight drop in scoring, the Pacers have to feel that a more productive version of Oladipo makes them formidable. After an encouraging debut season with the Pacers, forward Bojan Bogdanovic has continued to be a reliable source of offense in McMillan’s rotation. Averaging a career-high 16.2 points per game while also shooting career-highs from the field (51.0 percent) and beyond the arc (45.7 percent), the 29-year-old has come into his own as a vital source of offense.

Meanwhile, third-year forward Domantas Sabonis is an early frontrunner to win the Sixth Man of the Year award. Averaging 14.6 points and a team-high 9.6 rebounds per game on a career-best 62.7 percent shooting from the field, he’s been one of the most prominent figures to the Pacers’ hot start. Having six players averaging double figures in points (Oladipo, Bogdanovic, Sabonis, Turner, Young, Evans) also speaks to the Pacers’ cohesion – despite their low offensive output.

If you’re looking to improve your wins and losses, or general makeup, it’s easier to alter your offense than get on the same page defensively. And defensively, the Pacers are arguably the most potent team in the league; it’s their identity. Any improvements they can make on the offensive end will do wonders for their squad, whether it be playing with more aggression, or simply attempting more field goals.

The biggest argument against the Pacers is that their offense is too anemic to go on a deep playoff run, and it’s understandable. The Raptors offense features Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, and Pascal Siakam; the Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, and Eric Bledsoe; the 76ers sport Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler; the Celtics have the likes of Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown.

Yes, in crunch time, it’s imperative to have scorers and sharpshooters at hand, but you still need to be able to stop the same situation on the other end of the floor. The notion that defense isn’t a necessity anymore in the NBA is absurd and generated from the nauseating concept that you need to have a high-powered offense to be a contender.

The Pacers have the talent to limit the most prolific offenses in the NBA; there aren’t many teams who can boast about such an ability.

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The Indiana Pacers don’t have a “big three,” or a bonafide superstar. Instead, they have one of the most well-constructed rosters in the NBA and are a model for how you don’t need to be a superteam to excel. The Pacers are for real and a team that no one wants to face in a seven-game series.

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