Friday, November 29, 2013

Hey, the coach deserves some credit, too

The Pacers improved to 15-1 with an 93-73 win over the visiting Washington Wizards Friday night.
The Big Picture
It was the Pacers final game before they head off on an eight-day, five-game road trip that at least for the moment looks like it will be the toughest of the season. So, it was nice to not have a nail biter against a shorthanded Washington team, which was without starting center Nene and shooting guard Bradley Beal, who is averaging 20 points a game. The Pacers took control early here by closing the first quarter with a 22-4 run. The Wizards chopped that lead to four in the second quarter, but the Pacers got it back to seven at the half and then were up by 13 to end the third quarter.
The Ups
Frank Vogel, reacting to a call in Monday's
win against Minnesota, has made a big
difference since he took over as coach of the Pacers.
1) How about the coach? Sure, the players make the plays, have to do the work in the offseason to improve, and have to listen to the coach. But the coach must be telling them the right things and doing something right. From the beginning,  FrankVogel has understood that the NBA is all about the players, not the coach. The coach gives out the basic game plan, calls the set plays out of timeouts, calls timeouts at the right times and establishes the regular rotation. But unlike college basketball, the coach is not really part of the show. But what Vogel has really done is cultivate an attitude of expecting to win every night the Pacers step on the court. Sure, they are not always going to execute or play their best game every night, but that doesn't mean they still can't figure out a way to win. Sometimes we wonder if one man, a coach in this case, can really make a difference. I don't think there's any question that since Day 1 that Vogel took over that he has been a big difference maker for the team and franchise. In his 201 regular season games as Pacers coach, he has a 126-75 record, good for a .627 winning percentage. We've talked about Paul George as an MVP candidate and Roy Hibbert as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Certainly, too, we can talk about Vogel as a Coach of the Year candidate.
2) Sure, we all would like to have seen Lance Stephenson get a triple double, especially since he was lacking in the points category, finishing with 11 rebounds, 10 assists and seven points. But Vogel did the right thing here, too, taking him out late in the game with just over three minutes left. One, he wanted to avoid a possible injury in a blowout game and two, he did not want Stephenson to get out of control and focus on scoring, even though it was a blowout game. But a couple of years ago it would have been hard to imagine fans booing the fact that Stephenson was being taken out of the game because he had played so well. He's come a long way and he understands the importance of getting his teammates involved in the game and helping out with the rebounding, too. There will be more triple-doubles to come for him.
3) Defense. There's that word again, but the Pacers make a habit of playing it well and Friday night was no exception. They have held their opponents to 80 points or less in six of these games and to 90 or less 10 times. The Wizards, though they were shorthanded, came in as a high scoring team averaging right at 100 points per game, but were nowhere close to that Friday night. The Pacers didn't let John Wall do much in this game with eight points and nine assists. Every time Wall tried to force the pace on the fast break, there was someone there to at least slow him down. Wall's had an excellent season averaging nearly 20 points and nine assists a game, but the Pacers defense is so good that you wouldn't know it without looking at his season stats.
The Downs
1) Admittedly, we have to search a bit for something on this game. There was that second quarter where the Pacers built a 15-point lead then let it slip to four. The Pacers were outscored by seven in the quarter as they had some stretches where they seemed to get out of their offense, and Washington, too, made some effort to pick up the defensive intensity. At least the Pacers did stretch the lead back to seven at halftime.
Afterthoughts
This was not an earth shattering win by any means, but it was important to beat a shorthanded team handily at home. The Pacers never let this game get interesting in the fourth quarter once again throwing another dart in those "last two minutes is all the matters in the NBA" theories. If you missed the third quarter of this game, then you essentially missed the game. And yes, it must be noted that Paul George scored 23 points and that Pacers have yet to lose when he scores 20 or more.
Next Up
The Pacers start what looks to be their toughest road trip of the season when they play at the Clippers Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. They then go to the Trail Blazers on Sunday, Utah Wednesday, then San Antonio and Oklahoma City on Friday and Saturday. They then return to home to the heat on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
The question we all like to debate here is what can the Pacers do in this six-game stretch? First, let's hope they can avoid a 2-4 mark. I think that would be disappointing to them as well as all involved in the Pacers organization. A 3-3 mark would be OK, Maybe not quite what they wanted, but not a disaster considering the schedule. My pick is that they will go 4-2 in these six games. This is a good team that plays defense every night. We'll get to see how good that defense is in the coming days. And yes, what about 5-1? While I can't predict that in good conscience, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they reached that mark in the next six games. This is a very good team here and they realize it too, which is probably the most important thing of all.



Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Watson answers the call in win at Charlotte

The Pacers improved to 14-1 with a 99-74 win at Charlotte Wednesday night.
The Big Picture
This was one of the uglier games to watch in terms of nobody being able to put the ball into the basket, especially in the third quarter However, it's a bottom-line league and coming up with the win was the most important thing here. It's not one that fans want to remember, but is probably a good one for the Pacers coaches to pull out if they ever feel the team is getting overconfident. Some say the Pacers record is a result of a weak schedule, but a good sign here is that they beat an average team with ease.
The Ups
C.J. Watson hit five 3-pointers in the second half
to give the Pacers a much needed boost in this win
1) The Pacers needed someone to step up in this one. Since Paul George was on the bench in foul trouble for most of the third quarter, it was a good assumption to think it would be him when he re-entered the game in the fourth quarter. But no, this time it was reserve guard C.J. Watson who took the lid off the basket by hitting his first six 3-pointers of the game, including five straight late in the third quarter and then throughout the fourth quarter. Watson finished with 18 points on 6 of 7 shooting from 3-point range. Watson had played just OK up to this point of the season, but even before Wednesday night he was without question an upgrade over D.J. Augustin from last year and A.J. Price from two years ago. I guess maybe Larry Bird got the right first initial for his reserve point guard this season.
2) Well, since the shooting was so bad in this game, you have to say the defense had something to do with it. Indiana high school basketball coaching legend Howard Sharpe once told me if you play poorly, the other team is at least partly responsible. Pacers fans have known this team doesn't have to shoot well in order to keep playing hard. And while this game was difficult to watch at times, they still didn't allow very many easy shots.
3)Watching these road games on TV, it's great to see so many fans wearing Pacers jerseys and shirts in the stands. While some may say they are jumping on the bandwagon and don't like that, I say come on in and join the party. It's great to be a fan of a team who has people wanting to jump on the bandwagon for once. It's been an enjoyable ride so far this season and I say the more the merrier.
4) The fourth quarter was thankfully, a complete contrast to the third quarter. The Pacers scored 39 points in the fourth partly because of Watson's shooting, but also because they started moving the ball and making good passes. It was as if they remembered how to play offense again. OK, we can relax now.
The Downs
1) Shooting. Yes, we love defense and rebounding and blocked shots and hustle, all of that stuff for sure. But the object of the game is to put the ball in the basket and neither team was really adept at that for large parts of Wednesday night's game. At one point in the third quarter the Pacers were shooting 17 percent in the period and the Bobcats were at 14 percent. For the game, the Pacers used a late surge to finished at 38 percent and the Bobcats finished at 31. Some of these shots were challenged, but some were of the open variety, too.
2) We understand the the officials need to have control of the game. But maybe Dick Bavetta, John Goble and Bill Kennedy were just in a bad mood because they wanted the day before Thanksgiving off. In all, they called 50 fouls in this game and the third quarter was real paint dryer, grass grower, whatever you want to call. It was tough to watch even though the Pacers were adding to their lead.
Afterthoughts
The big five-game road trip is looming beginning Sunday at the Clippers, so it's important for the Pacers to win these types of games and win them with some ease. They still have the Wizards Friday night at home before heading out West. This game won't go down as one of their best of any season, but it was important they didn't let the home team Bobcats hang around and take it down to the wire.
Next up
The Pacers play host to the Washington Wizards Friday night. The Wizards are improved this season and part of the reason for that is the elevated play of point guard John Wall. He's been on a real roll lately and is averaging 19.5 points and nine assists per game. The Pacers do get a bit of break as Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal is out with stress injury in his leg. Beal is averaging just over 20 points per game.



Monday, November 25, 2013

It's a good night for the G2 Zone

The Pacers improved to 13-1 on the season with an 98-84 win over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night.
The Big Picture
This is one of those games a team like the Pacers should win, but with Minnesota on the upswing a bit it was by no means an easy game on the schedule. The Pacers used a 14-2 run to start the fourth quarter to expand their five-point lead. The Pacers also held the Timberwolves scoreless for the first 4:30 of the fourth quarter and that was pretty much the game.
The Ups
George Hill was ready to score when called upon Monday night
and finished with 26 points and also had seven assists and five steals.
1) The first G2 Zone member we'll mention is point guard George Hill. His counterpart in this game, Minnesota's Ricky Rubio, receives a lot of attention for his passing ability and it's not uncommon to see him pass the ball between the legs of opponents to a teammate for baskets. And that's great and all, but what Hill and the Pacers knew coming into this game was that Rubio is without question defensively challenged and they went right at him. Hill responded with 26 points on 9 of 13 shooting from the floor with seven assists and five steals. Meanwhile Rubio was just 3 of 9 from the floor with seven points, though he did have seven assists. When Hill plays like this, the Pacers are nearly impossible to beat. When the team seemed a bit flat at times late in the second and for much of the third quarters, it was Hill who kept coming up with big plays. Just another case of a veteran player sensing that his team needed him to take control for a bit. He did and wasn't long thereafter that others followed.
2) One of those others, in this case at least, was the other half of the G2 Zone, Paul George. He too finished with 26 points, but his timing for making big plays early this season is certainly noteworthy. This time he made two free throws to put the Pacers ahead 67-66 with three minutes left in the third quarter and then came right back with a steal and thunderous windmill dunk to put the Pacers up by three and the Pacers were never challenged again the rest of the game. The Pacers, too, are 12-0 when George scores 20 or more points in a game. We know he's good and we know he's an all-star and an MVP candidate who makes big plays. But one of my favorite plays he made in this game came when he made a nice post pass into David West, leading West toward the basket and away from the defense, which led to a basket. No, not a highlight reel type play, but another of example of a winning play that scores the same amount points as the windmill dunk.
3) Ian Mahinmi has maybe been a bit of a disappointment this season as a backup center. I think we were all looking for some type of progress from last year, and while I'm not suggesting he hasn't worked hard, the results have rarely shown up on the court this season. But finally there were some good results Monday night. With starting center Roy Hibbert in foul trouble, Mahinmi played 20 minutes and responded with seven points, four rebounds and two blocked shots, including one in the second half that led to a Paul George basket that fired up the crowd. It was good too see him help the team and the Pacer bench up and cheering him after he made a layup and was fouled. It's always good to see a team pull for a teammate who has had some struggles this season.
4) Whether you are an Indiana University or Purdue University fan, you had to like seeing Purdue graduate Robbie Hummel on the floor for the Timberwolves Monday night. After losing two seasons to knee surgery at Purdue, you know he's put in the work to get back on the court and into the NBA.
The Downs
1) One of the dangers of playing such a good offensive team like Minnesota is that it's easy to lose your own offensive identity a bit. That happened, especially in the first 21/2 quarters for the Pacers as they were careless with the ball at times and eventually ended up with 20 turnovers on the night. Sometimes it's just a matter of not wanting to get shown up by a guy like Rubio, or to show the other team, hey we can make a fancy pass on occasion, too. But if it's at the expense of wasting possessions and risking the ability to make good solid basketball plays. Hopefully, this is just a one-time recurrence and it won't return anytime soon.
2) The allowance of offensive rebounds was a bit better tonight, but it was still an issue for the first three quarters. The Timberwolves finished with 15 offensive rebounds, that's down from the 23 the Pacers allowed against the Sixers Saturday, but it's still too many. The Timberwolves outrebounded the Pacers 47-45 and while they do have guys like Kevin Love, who had 17 rebounds, and Nikola Pekovic, who had 11, the Pacers still shouldn't be beat on the boards by Minnesota.
Afterthoughts
This was the first of four games this week so it was important to get off to a good start. The Pacers need these wins now because the schedule will toughen up in the next couple of weeks with a five-game road trip that includes games at the Clippers, Trail Blazers, Spurs and Thunder then a return home with the Heat. So, yes, win now and get ready for real test of a road trip that begins Sunday at the Clippers.
Next Up
While yes, we looked ahead a bit, first things first. The Pacers are at Charlotte Wednesday in a 7 p.m. game. Like the Timberwolves, they aren't great, but they are certainly better with a 7-8 record led by Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson and Al Jefferson. They Bobcats did lose at home to the Celtics Monday night, so they won't want to lose two straight at home either. Expect them to be ready to battle and ready to try and make a statement
against one of the league's best teams.


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Hibbert reminds us he can be offensive force too

The Pacers improved to 12-1 with a 106-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
The Big Picture
Sure, the Pacers won and all and that's a good thing, but this game was a reminder that as team, they can always play a little harder. They needed a 15-2 run midway through the fourth quarter to put this one away against a pesky Sixers team.
The Ups
Pacers center Roy Hibbert can be a force on
offense too as he scored 27 points Saturday night
1) Many have written plenty about what Pacers center Roy Hibbert means to the team's defense. He had six more blocked shots Saturday night against the under-sized Sixers bringing his season total to 56 for an average of 4.3 per game. Just how long Hibbert can keep that average above 4.0 remains to be seen, but even if he stays close to that, it's a pretty major accomplishment. What we sometimes forget in all of this deserved Defensive Player of the Year talk, though, is that Hibbert, when called upon, can be a pretty big force offensively. I remember back in his first or second year in the league and the then Jim O'Brien-coached Pacers were at Phoenix, who had Amare Stoudemire as their so-called center back then. To be fair, Hibbert was still in the project stage and nobody really knew for sure what the Pacers had. And in a rare moment of coaching common sense for O'Brien, he put Hibbert in the game, who set himself up on the low post on offense and scored three straight baskets against Stoudemire. It was then in that moment, with Hibbert's size and ability to have some touch with the ball around the basket, that I knew he had a chance to be a plus offensive player. Over these last few years, Hibbert has become much more than that on offense. He has worked to become adept with both his right hand and left hand around the basket and he's worked to develop the footwork that is required to get those shots off. Also, he's the Pacers best offensive rebounder and as many have mentioned before, you know Hibbert is going to bring the effort every night. So when the team needed him to step up and be a scorer Saturday night, he was that, too, with his 27 points, while throwing in 13 rebounds. He's not just a last option on offense, he's someone they can count to score when they need him too.
2) Paul George didn't have his best game of the season by any means. In fact, the Pacers won with him scoring less than 20 points for the first time this season as he finished with 19. But what George is beginning to do is develop a knack of hitting big shots at big times in games. He's ended third quarters a couple of times this year by hitting shots at the buzzer. But his 3-pointer from the corner put the Pacers in the lead for good and was as big of a shot as any in the game. That's yet again, a mark of very good player. George seems to have that sense of knowing that his team really needs him to step up and hit the big shot and he did it again Saturday night.
3) It's not often that I give other teams' players credit, but you have to give a big thumbs up to Sixers rookie guard Michael Carter-Williams. He finished with 29 points, seven steals and six rebounds. But he also already has a sense of knowing when to step up. When pretty much all of us thought the Sixers were done after the Pacers built an 11-point lead by the end of the third quarter, Carter-Williams led a comeback that at one point had the Sixers leading 85-81. If you didn't know before Saturday night, now you know, he's the real deal.
4) You have to love modern technology. When you're in the middle of nowhere in a cabin at a Boy Scout camp like I was Saturday night and can still watch the game on a mobile device, that's definitely a big thumbs up.
The Downs
1) One dent in the Pacers armor in the last couple of games has been in allowing offensive rebounds. Against the Sixers the Pacers allowed 23 offensive rebounds and that was with two of the Sixers starting big men out in Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young. Sure, the Sixers were shorthanded so there were some guys who normally don't get big minutes who wanted to make a good impression and that they did. Normal reserves Daniel Orton and Lavoy Allen combined for 10 of those offensive rebounds. Sure, a team is going get a good bounce here and there, and even work hard to get some its own offensive rebounds. But 23, as I'm sure Pacers coach Frank Vogel would agree, is way too many.
2) This hasn't been a problem this season, but it was Saturday night. The Pacers had that 11-point lead to end the third quarter and then pretty much stopped playing in the early parts of the quarter as the Sixers regained the lead. That lack of killer instinct was missing in this game and the Pacers should have known, that unlike many teams who get down double digits to start the fourth quarter, the Sixers aren't going to stop playing hard. The Sixers erased a big deficit late in regulation Friday night to win in overtime. Sure give the Sixers some credit here, but the Pacers, too, hopefully learned they can't let off the gas pedal either.
Afterthoughts
It was a game where you know, the Sixers outworked the Pacers for much of the night and any Indiana basketball fan has to appreciate a team that does that. The Pacers are a hard working team, too. It was just a reminder that they can't let up. The Pacers too, didn't panic when they got down in the fourth quarter and stayed with their offensive game plan. That, too is a sign of maturity and big reason why they are one of two one-loss teams (along with San Antonio) in the league.
Next up
The Pacers play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night. In past years, it's been a game on the schedule that you could pretty much chalk up as a win, but that's not the case now, The Timberwolves are all healthy at the moment with power forward Kevin Love, point guard Ricky Rubio and shooting Kevin Martin

playing well, Minnesota is at 8-7. No, Minnesota is not great, but the team is not a pushover either.







Friday, November 22, 2013

Stephenson regains his form in win at Boston

The Pacers moved to 11-1 on the season with an 97-82 win at Boston Friday night.
The Big Picture
This is one of those road games that the Pacers are supposed to win and they closed the third quarter with a 12-2 run to pull away and take the lead for good. The 4-10 Celtics are undermanned, but give former Butler coach Brad Stevens some credit for at least keeping them competitive as they are missing their best player, point guard Rajon Rondo, who is recovering from a knee injury and has yet to play this year.
Lance Stephenson earned his
second career triple-double Friday night.
The Ups
1) Lance Stephenson had struggled a bit since getting his first career triple double four games ago. So to break out of what might have been termed a mini-slump, he,as they say, messed around and got himself another triple double Friday night. He finished 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. And he even threw in four steals. But the numbers were not the most impressive part of his game on this night. From the beginning, Stephenson was mostly under control. What I also liked about this game in what has become a bit of trend, is that Stephenson is running the point more often. And when he plays a bit calmer, he's without question the best passer on the team as he found teammates in a variety of scoring positions both in the set halfcourt offense and on the fastbreak. It's no secret he's a very good player, it's just a matter of consistency now.
2), Well we've seen this before early in this season and we'll probably see it again, but the third quarter was the Pacers' friend once again. They outscored the Celtics 25-8 in the quarter and that was pretty much the game. The Pacers remain one the of the best second half teams in the league and I guess if you have to pick a half to be at your best, you'd have to take the second half. The Pacers scored 55 points in the second half using a 10-0 run in the third quarter and a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter. That's pretty difficult for any team to overcome.
3) Even though they spent some minutes on the court together Friday night, the power forward combination of David West and Luis Scola had an efficient game. They each scored 17 points and combined to shoot 14 of 23 from the floor and they also combined for five steals. Scola in particular looked more confident in his jump shot and really is becoming a legitimate and consistent weapon off the bench that the Pacers never had last year. It seems that point guard George Hill and Stephenson are recognizing were Scola likes the ball and he was in position to step into some shots Friday night.
4) This play occurred early in the fourth quarter when Stephenson penetrated then found himself trapped in the lane. He was stuck and tried to get the ball to Paul George. But the pass was a bit off target and as he has done other times this season, George went on the floor to get the ball and when he couldn't come up cleanly with it center Roy Hibbert followed also going to the floor. That's two all-stars going all out. It wasn't a defining moment in terms of changing the game around, but it does define what this team is all about.
The Downs
1) That second quarter issue came up again in this game as the Pacers were outscored 25-20. That doesn't seem like a disaster, but they were down three after the first quarter, so they went into the lockerroom down 50-42. Once they recognized that maybe somebody should guard Jordan Crawford, it was a little too late as he had the hot hand and hit his first nine shots of the game. That was one of the problems that was corrected in the second half, when Crawford was a non-factor scoring just five of his 24 points in the final 24 minutes.
Afterthoughts
The Pacers went out and won a game the way the way there were supposed too. Once they built a nine-point lead in the third quarter it was never close. The one interesting thing is again, George scored over 20 points, netting 27, meaning the Pacers are 11-1 when he scores 20 or more. Yes, this would have been a bad loss had they somehow not asserted themselves in the second half, but really, no worries in this game.'
Who's Next
The Pacers host the Philadelphia 76ers tonight and yes, it's another game they should win. But the Sixers can be a bit dangerous as they started the season 3-0, which included wins over the Heat and the Bulls. They have a respectable starting five, but their bench is week. They won in overtime Friday night over the Bucks, 115-107 and were led by forwards Evan Turner with 27 points and Spencer Hawes with 25 points. They also have a legitimate rookie of the year candidate in point guard Michael Carter Williams, whose hit some big shots and has a knack for the ball on defense too. He had five steals Friday night. So, it will be important not to go to sleep on the Sixers. Most thought they would be lucky to win 15 games this season, but they've already got six wins.







Thursday, November 21, 2013

George provides Pacers with some needed star power

The Pacers moved to 10-1 on the season with a 103-96 overtime victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night.
The Big Picture
It would not have been a complete disaster if the Pacers had lost to the Knicks on the road, but it was good to bounce back after Saturday's loss to the Bulls, a game they were out of after late in the second quarter. The Knicks are off to a slow start, 3-8 now, and they may be questioning a bit just how good they are. So they needed to have a statement game for themselves at home, but the statement was that the Pacers are pretty good. The Knicks were without some key players in Raymond Felton, Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire, so they'll have that excuse to lean on for a while, too. But it's the NBA and nobody feels sorry for you if you're down a player or two or three or however many it might be. The Pacers proved that's just the way it is.
Likes
Paul George has become the star
that the Pacers need in big games.
1) Paul George generally has deserved all of the praise and accolades he has received this season and Wednesday night showed just why. On the big stage in New York City, and on national television, George was at his best during the fourth quarter and overtime periods. The Pacers don't lean on their star player as much as some teams do, but there are some nights when you need that player to step up and George did just that. First there were the three free throws with five seconds left in the fourth quarter to tie the game, next there was defense on Knicks star Carmelo Anthony on the last shot in regulation, and then there was his performance in overtime, where he scored nine of his 35 points. At the beginning of the season, I didn't think the Pacers would have to have George score 20 or more points to win games. Sure, it would be nice and likely helpful, but not necessarily a good barometer of the team's record. But this will be a statistic worth keeping track of all season: The Pacers are 10-0 when George scores 20 or more points. The Pacers do have balance and other ways to score if George isn't having a big night, but those numbers tell us he's got some star power too, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it may be a good thing, especially come playoff time when the Pacers need a key call late in the game and get it, just like they did Wednesday night.
2) When you are the road team the one name you like to see when the referee's list is released is Joey Crawford. He's a long-time veteran of NBA wars and he knows all the little tricks that players do that either young officials don't see, or maybe, don't have the guts to call in front of the home crowd in the late stages of the game. So, when Crawford called the foul on the Knicks' Iman Shumpert while George was taking a 3-pointer it was without question the right call. That's because Shumpert did the long-time NBA defensive trick of scraping a players' shooting elbow. It's perceived as one of those ticky-tack fouls since it's not a blatant slap or body type of thing. But it definitely effects the shooter's ability to hit a shot and in this case could have directly influenced the outcome of the game. So, no, there's no crying foul on this one for the Knicks. It was the right call.
3) While Paul George was cementing his early season MVP candidacy, the other part of the Pacers G2 combination also had his best game in while. Point guard George Hill had 23 points and while he's not necessarily required to score in the 20s for the Pacers to win, I'm in 100 percent agreement with Pacers coach Frank Vogel here in that the Pacers are better when Hill is active in the offense and a legitimate threat to score. We know Hill is not a selfish player and that he keeps his teammates involved and generally has a good understanding of where they like the ball, where the best matchup may be, and who has a bit of a hot hand. But it's good too when Hill shoots with and plays with confidence. Sure, he would have liked to have hit that late 3-point attempt, and he missed a late free throw, too, but this was his best game since he returned from missing three games due to a hip injury.
Dislikes
1) I guess if you want to have a team outscore you 13-0 at any point in the game, then maybe the start of the game is the best place to let that happen. But the longer that goose egg stays on the scoreboard, the more doubt seeps in. And after the Pacers' offense came up missing in Chicago, it looked like it was going to be one of those nights. Luckily, it was against the Knicks, a team struggling for wins right now, so you know, even they probably doubted their ability to hold onto the lead. But these slows starts are not good habits to have. A 13-0 run, no matter what time of the game it occurs, is difficult to overcome and hopefully the Pacers won't make this kind of start habit-forming.
2) Since Lance Stephenson earned the first triple double of his career three games ago, he's regressed a bit and hit just 12 of 34 shots from the field. Maybe that's to be expected as part of the maturating process in learning how to handle success and the recognition that comes with it. This is not a "'Lance is terrible statement" or anything like that and his effort is obviously still there. Finding a way to re-sign him next year should remain a big priority. But these last three games there have a lot of off balance shots, and some flashy passes that became turnovers and some missed easy shots. He'll be OK, but the Pacers are virtually unbeatable when he plays well.
Afterthoughts
The Pacers didn't really play well in this game. There was the poor start and then the inability to take control of the game once they caught up in the second half. They still seemed a little out of sync and it didn't help that center Roy Hibbert was in foul trouble much of the night. The good part of this though is that good teams, even when they have mediocre nights by their standards, still find a way to win. And to do that, overtime or not, on the road against a Knicks team desperately trying to forge some kind of positive momentum, that in its own odd sort of way, is a good sign of things to come.
Next up
The Pacers are at 4-9 Boston on Friday night, a game by all accounts that they should win. The Celtics traded away the heart of their team in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in the offseason to the Brooklyn Nets. They do still have point guard Rajon Rondo, but he's still out due to injury. That leaves Jeff Green as the team's leading scorer at 14.8 points per game. The Pacers just need to take care of business here.






Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Just what do Hibbert's blocked shots really mean?


While contemplating the 9-1 Pacers Wednesday night game against the hated New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, like many of the Pacers' opponents, I was thinking about all the shots that Pacers center Roy Hibbert has blocked this season.
He's at 46 blocks 10 games into the season, and hey, even my mathematically challenged mind can come up with the average of 4.6 blocks per game, good for No. 1 in the NBA so far. And yes, while it's still very early in the season, I wondered if Hibbert is able to maintain that average through 82 games this season, where would that put him among the all-time leaders in average blocks per game for a season.
So here are some numbers to think about.
Pacers center Roy Hibbert is averaging
 4.6 blocks  after 10 games this season
First, if Hibbert's numbers do take a dip, and he averages four blocks or more during the season, he will be the first player to do that since Dikembe Mutombo accomplished that feat with the Denver Nuggets during the 1995-96 season when his average was 4.49.
I would say Hibbert has a reasonable chance, let's say 65 percent here, of finishing the season with an average of four blocks or more per game. It will take some work, but also is certainly doable.
So, then, you may or may not ask, when was the last time an NBA player averaged more than 4.5 blocks for a whole season? That would take us to Hakeem Olajuwon who swatted away 4.59 shots per game for the Houston Rockets during the 1989-90 season. And when you get above the 4.50 mark in blocked shots per game in an NBA season, that is pretty rare company. The only players to accomplish that besides Olajuwon are Manute Bol, God rest his soul, with the Washington Bullets during the 1985-86 season at 4.96, Mark Eaton of the Utah Jazz with an NBA record of 5.56 per game during the 1984-85 season and at 4.61 during the 1985-86 season, and Elmore Smith, of the Los Angeles Lakers, at 4.85 during the 1973-74 season, which was also the first season the NBA kept blocked shots as an official statistic.
And so, because of that, we can only guess at what the blocked shot numbers of legends like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Nate Thurmond would be. It's hard to say exactly what their numbers were in their best years, but for sure, they were each defensive anchors in their primes for their teams.
Former Jazz center Mark Eaton averaged
5.56 blocks during the 1984-85 season.
The blocked shot, at times, can be a bit of a misleading stat because if a player is more concerned about getting blocks than staying in solid defensive and rebounding position, then it can hurt a team's defense. Those of you who watch the Pacers know that'ts not the case with Hibbert. But the one thing the blocked shot, or potential of having your shot blocked, does that cannot be easily measured is it forces teams to take more outside and lower percentage shots. And you know, these days especially, almost no NBA player wants to be part of a Sportscenter highlight where he is the shot blocker's victim. So if there's a good chance of that happening, the smaller player will likely not venture down the lane.
So, yes, all of that plays a part, too, in a team's defense. The Pacers are among the league's best defensive teams again allowing a league low 86.3 points per game and are tied with Chicago for opponents' field goal percentage at .398.
Hibbert isn't the only reason the Pacers' defense has been so stout in recent seasons, but he is a big reason why it has been. The team stats tell us that and his blocked shot numbers send a similar message that at least through 10 games, he's among the best defensive centers we've seen in recent years.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Dream start ends with resounding thud

The Pacers dream start to the season ended with a resounding thud in Chicago Saturday night in what turned out to be a 110-94 loss.

The Big Picture
If former Pacers coach Dick Versace could have had his way with the NBA rules committee, coach Frank Vogel could have called a timeout late in the third quarter, rolled out a gong to center court, and banged it, therefore declaring the game over. There are usually about three or four of these a year, one way or the other, where there's not much point to keep on playing. But the rules say otherwise. The good news is if someone would have asked anyone involved with the Pacers if a 9-1 start to the season was acceptable, well, the answer would have been yes. So, it's just one game. There are still 72 more left. It's not time to panic over one loss on the road to a good Chicago team that has yet to lose at home this season.
Likes
1) There were not many on this night, but the only way the Pacers kept it somewhat close in the first quarter and through some of the second quarter was with the play of Roy Hibbert and David West. Hibbert had 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks and West had 13 points and seven rebound. As was the case a few times in blowout losses last year, Hibbert brings it every night.
2) We haven't seen Chris Copeland much this year, and for good reason. When you're not losing there's no reason to change anything. but with the game out of hand, Vogel saw a chance to use Copeland with the starters for a while. And he responded by hitting three 3-pointers. It was a good time to get some minutes for Copeland in case they have use him in a key spot later in the season. No, it wasn't about changing the game or anything, but it was about seeing how Copeland can fit in with the rest of the starters.
3) I'm not sure if this belongs in this category necessarily, but if there was any question about whether Derrick Rose is fully back. If he's hitting 6 of 11 3-pointers, there's not much you can do to stop him.
Dislikes
Luol Deng and the rest of the Bulls pretty much gave
the Pacers fits in Chicago Saturday night.
1) There's plenty to go around here, but the biggest disappointment was the lack of the smashmouth type of game that Vogel has preached about since he took the head coaching reigns. Sure, if Rose gets loose on occasion and gets down the lane, that's understandable. But when Kirk Heinrich and Jimmy Butler are getting free passes through the defense, that's certainly not what Vogel wants to see. The fact that this was not a competitive game was maybe the biggest surprise.
2) It's understood that basketball is a lot of reaction, but there's no law against using your brain on occasion. The Pacers seemed to forget about running some kind of offense and they also did a poor job of finding mismatches against the Bulls defense. And often, the bad offense put the defense in a bad position. And just like the late Michael Jackson said, it was all "bad" for the Pacers.
3) We've sung the praises of Paul George this season he's certainly deserved it. But on this night, he along with Lance Stephenson just didn't have it. They combined to shoot 8 for 28, including 0 for 7 from the 3-point land. Everyone has bad nights on occasion, but the one disturbing part of it was that is was apparent early on that they were playing a little tight. But no big worries here, there are other games. Lots of them.
Afterthoughts
The Pacers world did not end with this loss. They are still legitimate contenders to win the Eastern Conference and to win the NBA title. This game was just a reminder that it won't be easy. The Bulls are good, the Nets will get better and of course, you've got that team down in Miami that's still plenty capable, too. Sure, it would have been nice to see this game be more of battle, but losing one battle does not mean the war is lost. Remember, just the Pacers and Spurs are the only one-loss teams in the league.
Next Up
The Pacers have a few days off until they travel to New York to play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. The Knicks have struggled to start the season and were 3-6 after losing by 20 at home to Atlanta Saturday night. The Knicks seem a bit of a mess these days, but with Carmelo Anthony, they are capable of playing a good game at any time, especially when they are at home. The Knicks also play at Detroit on Tuesday, so they will be on the second night of  a back-to-back, while the Pacers will be a bit rested and surely ready to rebound from their own embarrassing loss on Saturday.











Friday, November 15, 2013

Hibbert's value to Pacers evident again in win over Bucks

The Pacers continued their perfect start with an expected easy victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks Friday night in what turned out to be a 104-77 victory, scoring over 100 points for the first time this season.

The Big Picture
The Pacers became the first team since the 2002-2003 Dallas Mavericks to start a season 9-0. The bigger point here is not that they won, but they won easily without having to struggle in the fourth quarter. With the second night of this back-to-back coming in Chicago Saturday night, the Pacers are well rested and feeling good about themselves.

Likes
Roy Hibbert's influence on the Pacers
is far reaching and difficult to measure.
1) We can talk about Roy Hibbert a lot, especially bout how much he has improved since the Pacers traded for him on draft day in 2008. But the big thing here is that Hibbert has continued to improve even though he is in his sixth season. And he dominated in a game he should have because of that, with his 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocked shots Friday night. It was at about this time last year that some were wondering if that max contract the Pacers signed him to was worth it. But after the way he played in the playoffs, continued to work on his game and body in the offseason, and with the way he's started this season, there's no questioning it now. He's the heart and soul of the team and it's not a stretch to say others on the team, like Paul George and Lance Stephenson, have worked to improve because he has worked to improve. Hibbert not only sets a high standard for himself, but puts out a high standard for the rest of his teammates to meet. No one's arguing that George is a legitimate MVP candidate here early in the season and no one's arguing that Hibbert is a legitimate early candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. But if you had to ask who is the most valuable player on this team, it would be hard to argue against Hibbert. For the record, Hibbert now has 43 blocks on the season, just under five per game. But he doesn't play just for his blocked shot numbers, he sets an example by playing to win and it's hard to put a value on that.
2) If you are a really good NBA team, this is the way you should beat bad teams. The Bucks were short-handed with just nine players and really had no business being competitive with the Pacers. Sure it did get a little interesting early in the third quarter, but the Pacers took any doubt out of this one by outscoring the Bucks 52-31 in the final 22 minutes of the game, including 28-9 to close the game.
3) Turnovers had been a big issue early in the season, including have games of 18 and 20 turnovers. Friday night that number was 13. Not unbelievably low, but much better than what we saw early in the season.
4) Sure, it's fun to complain about the referees at times, or not fun depending on the outcome of the game, but it's always good to see veteran Dick Bavetta call a game. He's not a robo-ref, who simply makes calls without personality. He will listen and converse with players and coaches. He's not perfect, but he doesn't act like he is either.

Dislikes
1) Sure it's all worked out fine over the past couple of years, and even though he was the Bucks' only legitimate scorer on the court Friday night, you have to wonder what it would have been like if the Pacers would have made the deal for O.J. Mayo a couple of years ago. If he had been on the team last year, with Danny Granger hurt, would he have been the extra offensive weapon that might have helped the Pacers beat Miami? Well, we'll never now, and maybe it's all for the better now with the emergence of George and Stephenson, but it is interesting to think about.
2) The third quarter has been the Pacers' quarter all season. So when they were up by 15 at the half, it was just an assumption they would come out of the locker room and remove all doubt about the outcome right away. Instead, the Bucks had one final surge in them and for the first time this season, the Pacers were outscored in the third quarter, 24-23. OK, it was the Bucks and the Pacers did pull away and win easily, but there's always something you can find to do a little better. The Pacers have outscored their opponents in the third quarter by 69 points this season.

Afterthoughts
The Pacers had the ball in the final seconds to end the half Friday night and Pacers coach Frank Vogel doesn't always call a timeout in that situation, about the only thing I can find to be critical of him about. But this time I was with Vogel for not calling that timeout in the final 10 seconds, because Pacers guard Geroge Hill got the ball on a fast break and drove in for layup with a second to go.
Next Up
The Pacers go to Chicago tonight, where the Bulls have yet to lose this season. The big question here is whether Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will play or not as he has a pulled hamstring. He sat out of the Bulls' 96-80 win at Toronto Friday night. Whether Rose plays or not, you know the Bulls will be ready to try and return the favor of the Pacers 97-80 win over them last week. And you know they'd love to be the first team to beat the Pacers this year. And you know the Pacers want to keep the winning streak going as long as they can. They're not going to let it die easily. All of that makes a recipe for good early season game.









Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Scola's not only got skill, but heart, too

The Pacers continued their perfect start with a 95-79 win over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies Monday night.

The Big Picture
We already know this about the Pacers, but this win was yet another sign of how mature of a team they are. After coming off a nice road victory at Brooklyn Saturday night, there was no let down against the Grizzlies. The Pacers, according to STATS, are the 18th team in NBA history to start a season 8-0. But what was even a bit better about this win is that the Grizzlies were a team that gave the Pacers fits last season, but that didn't come close to happening Monday night as the Pacers led throughout and were never in serious jeopardy of losing the lead after midway through the third quarter.
Likes
Pacers power forward Luis Scola has skills,
but also brings heart and hustle.
1) Yes, I was among those who liked the pick up of power forward Luis Scola. He is obviously a skilled veteran who is a good outside shooter and adept passer for that position. He also does not hurt the team defensively as he doesn't get himself out of position and also keeps himself in position to get rebounds. None of those things are surprises, having seen him play against the Pacers with other teams. But here's the thing I like most about Scola: He also brings hard work and hustle. It was a couple of games ago where he made a steal and went the length of the court for a dunk, a nice play for a big guy. But what was better about it was that he hustled back on defense and picked up his man, rather than lollygagging back and asking for some defensive help from teammates. That hustle was apparent again Monday night, when he regularly beat the Memphis big guys down the court not because he was the fastest among them, but because he simply put out the effort.
2) The second quarter, for once, was a not a bad thing for the Pacers. If these early games are any indication, if the Pacers can actually play a team even in the second quarter, they are in pretty good shape to win. They built a seven-point lead in the first, then played it even at 23-23 in the second, to keep that lead. That allowed for the trend, or maybe now habit, of outscoring their opponents in the third quarter to put the game away. The Pacers won the third quarter 26-16 and now have outscored their opponents by a total of 70 points in the third quarter in these first eight games.
3) Lance Stephenson joined the triple-double club with 13 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds. But given the growth in Stephenson's game and his ability to get the boards and pass the ball, it's no real surprise. He sometimes gets a bit too flashy, but that didn't happen Monday night. As Pacers coach Frank Vogel pointed out after the game, yes the 12 assists were nice, but they also came with just one turnover. That's a big step in the right direction for Stephenson.
4) Reserve center Ian Mahinmi has been late to the party this season. Even though there are not expectations for him to be a big impact player, he had shot just 22 percent coming into Monday night. But Mahinmi scored 10 points, including hit all six of his free throws. A nice boost on a night when starting center Roy Hibbert had just three points.
5) It will always be a bit of mystery on how Memphis center Marc Gasol was the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year last year, but not first team all defense. Hibbert is making his case for both in the early season, and that continued as he had five blocks Monday night.
Dislikes
1) I'm not sure what referee Josh Tiven was looking at when he gave Stephenson a technical apparently for taunting with the ball while Stephenson was starting to make a move. Even the Memphis TV announcers questioned the call.
Afterthoughts
Sometimes it can be easy to take the Pacers rebounding prowess for granted. They out-rebounded Memphis 45-32 Monday night. While some of the national league rankers have the Pacers at the top right now, as well they should, you still get the feeling those same people are thinking something like, good for the Pacers, but let's see how they are playing when it comes time to face the Bulls and the Heat in the playoffs. I get the sense that they are seeing it, but not believing it. Maybe the Pacers aren't flashy enough or something like that, it's hard to tell. But the workman like attitude that Vogel brought to the team the day he was installed as head coach has now reached full fruition. It's not the attention getting, "hey look at us" type of thing, but it's a winning thing. And that's something as a sports fan you can't help but believe in.
Next Up
The Pacers are off until Friday when the host the Milwaukee Bucks. The main danger here is that they will face the Bulls on Saturday night, who are 3-0 at home, so maybe there's the danger of peeking ahead to that game. That's not happened yet with this team, but you know the temptation will be there.






Saturday, November 9, 2013

No defeat in Brooklyn

The Pacers remained the NBA's only undefeated team at 7-0 with a 94-91 victory in Brooklyn Saturday night. It's also now the Pacers best start in franchise history.
The Big Picture
When looking at the early season schedule, this was certainly one of the games that both of the teams had to circle. The Nets made a trade that brought them Kevin Garnett, Paul Garnett and Jason Terry from Boston making them instant contenders in the East. The Pacers were one game away from making the NBA Finals last year. So, you know this game mattered on some level to both teams. The Nets are still learning to play together and at times that unfamiliarity showed, leading to six turnovers in the fourth quarter. The Pacers though now have clearly put a stamp on this early part of the season, letting the rest of the league know they are again one of the league's elite teams.
Likes
Paul George had 24 points Saturday night giving him
20 or more points in the Pacers first seven games.
1)This isn't just for this game, but for the season as a whole, but the third quarter has been huge for the Pacers. Once again Saturday night, they started the second half trailing by two, but came out and went on a 16-5 run and never trailed again. And as Nets radio commentator Tim Capstraw pointed out, once the Pacers can forge an 8 to 10 point lead in the second half, coupled with their defense, they are an awful hard to team to beat. That's certainly been part of the winning formula as they have outscored opponents by a total of 60 points in the third quarter in these first seven games.
2) The Nets' bench outscored the Pacers 20-18 and that was actually a good thing. How so? Well, in the Nets first five game this season, their bench had scored 28 points or more in each of those games. The Nets were without Andrei Kirilenko, but still for the Pacers reserves to play one of the deepest teams in the league to a near draw is a win for the Pacers.
3) One of the early season issues for the team has been turnovers and there have been some signs of improvement and Saturday night was one of those nights. They finished the game with 13 turnovers, which is not an unusually low number, but it sure beats the 18 and 20 numbers that we saw early on.
Dislikes
1) I just can't let this go. Once again the Pacers had the final possession of the first half with just over 11 seconds remaining. This time Coach Frank Vogel decided not to call a timeout. The result was a last second 3-point attempt from center Roy Hibbert. With all due respect to Hibbert's hard work and improved shooting abilities, a good team has to get a better look at the basket. The Pacers have had the final possession of the first half in the last four games. In one of those games Vogel called a timeout and they scored. In the other three he did not and they did not score. Possessions are too valuable to be taken for granted in these games, even if it's an early season game in Brooklyn.
2) Kevin Garnett has long been one of the league's top power forwards and real warrior of battles in the paint. But he is shooting under 35 percent this season and the Nets are off to a 2-4 start and he air-balled a 5-footer in the final minute of the game. They Nets will likely turn it around, but Garnett is 37 and has spent 17 seasons in the league and the Nets may not be able to count on that position to be an area of strength every night.
Afterthoughts
Any road win is good one in the NBA, but it's especially good when you can go in and beat one of the expected top contenders in the East.  Pacer guard Lance Stephenson put it out there at the start of the season that he'd like to see the team start 10-0. It's becoming a real possibility now.
Next Up
The Pacers will go for win No. 8 when the Grizzlies visit Bankers Life Fieldhouse Monday night. This also won't be an easy one as you know the Grizzlies' Mike Conley and Zach Randolph will want to play well in their home state. But the Pacers have a habit of making good offensive teams look bad, don't be surprised if that happens again.








Friday, November 8, 2013

No trap game here

The Pacers remained the NBA's only unbeaten team with a 91-84 win over visiting Toronto matching the best start in franchise history from the 1970-71 season at 6-0.

The Big Picture
If there was ever a trap game on the schedule this was it. The Pacers certainly were ready for the Bulls as they won on Wednesday night. The next so-called big game on the schedule is at Brooklyn Saturday night. In between, there was this contest with the Raptors. And while the Pacers did look a little flat early on, they showed their maturity by starting the second half with a 10-0 run and never trailing again.

Likes
Paul George had 17 points in the third quarter
and has scored 20 or more in six games.
1) Paul George rose to the occasion in the second half after Rudy Gay torched George and the Pacers defense for 22 points in the first half. George had trouble with his outside shot in the first half, so he began going to the basket to get himself going in the second half, including a key dunk midway through the third quarter. Then he hit a 3-pointer to end the third that gave the Pacers a 72-59 lead and scored 17 points in the third. George now has scored 20 or more points in all six Pacers games.
2) The Pacers have become an outstanding team defensively since coach Frank Vogel took over a little under four seasons ago. Part of it is having good individual defenders like George and center Roy Hibbert, but a big part of it too is the team's willingness to help on defense when needed. The Raptors have some athleticism and there were a few occasions where a Raptor player would beat his man off the dribble, only to find another Pacer standing in the way.
3) OK, the one issue I have with Vogel is that he doesn't always call a timeout to set up a play if the Pacers have the ball at the end of the first half. In the previous two games, the Pacers had the ball at the end of the half, but there was no timeout and no basket. Friday night they had the ball again with 22.5 seconds left and it was a clearout for George. Even as good as George is, I still hate that play. Luckily, he missed and the Pacers got the ball back with 1.9 seconds left. So Vogel calls the timeout and while a Roy Hibbert 15-footer from the line probably wasn't the first option, he was open and he hit it. So, there.
4) The bench has been a bit inconsistent at times, but give them credit here. It was mostly the second group that helped turn a 10-point deficit in the first quarter into a close game. Hibbert's basket to end the half cut the Raptors lead to two.

Dislikes
1) The passes into the post continue to be an issue. Once in the first half Lance Stephenson didn't wait for the offense to cycle through and when he threw the ball into Hibbert, it was an easy blind side steal for the Raptors. Another time in the second half George Hill threw an errant pass into the post the that got tipped away and led to a fast break for the Raptors. Paul George threw one out of bounds when he was trying to hit David West late in the third quarter and C.J. Watson and West threw errant post passes that resulted in turnovers in the fourth quarter.
2) Yes, this a bit picky here, but the Pacers were up by 16 points early in the fourth quarter and you could feel a slight drop in intensity. Was it the end of the world? No. Was it a little something they can learn from? Yes. Vogel sensed this and called a good timeout midway through the quarter.

Afterthoughts
1) This is not so much a second guess, but rather an affirmation of what looks to be a good decision. The Pacers decided not to bring back Tyler Hansbrough after four seasons. Hansbrough had hoped to start in Toronto and that hasn't happened. And while he was his usual aggressive self when he got in the game Friday night, he was not a big factor in the decision. The player that eventually replaced Hansbrough, Luis Scola, played well again Friday off the bench.

Next up
The second big game of the season happens Saturday night in Brooklyn. The Nets made changes to go for the title this year and feature one of the deepest teams in the league. It will be one of the better big-man match-ups you'll see this year with the Pacers' Roy Hibbert going against Brooke Lopez. It might help that the Nets were on the road Friday night and were taken to overtime by the Wizards before losing 112-108.





Thursday, November 7, 2013

Five down 77 to go

The Pacers moved to 5-0 for the first time since the beginning of the 1971-72 season with Wednesday night's 97-80 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

The Big Picture
It's a little difficult to tell what this means for the long term, but no matter how you slice it, it's good for the Pacers. To come home on the second night of a back-to-back when the Bulls were rested and waiting, and finish them off with a big fourth quarter, when maybe the Pacers should have been the team a little fatigued, was a pretty good early season statement.
Likes
David West had a big third quarter on the way
 to 17 points and 13 rebounds
1) There was no reason to panic over a bit of a slow start to the season by David West, but it was nice to see him join the so-called party Wednesday night. West had a big third quarter and finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds. But maybe the bigger factor is that his counterpart, the Bulls' Carlos Boozer, who came in shooting over 70 percent from the field, the best mark in the league, was just 3 for 10 with six points. West seems to rise to the occasion in big games when he has a direct challenger and it was good to see that again Wednesday night.
2) There were probably many of us thinking in the first half of the game, that well, OK, Lance Stephenson is still a young player and he's going to have bad games. He did not score in the half and had three fouls and given his overall progress as a player, a bad game here or there is understandable. But Stephenson was a key player in the fourth-quarter run that gave the Pacers the lead for good and finished with 15 points. It was nice to see him re-gather himself after a poor first half and pick up his play in the second half. It's a sign of maturity for Stephenson and a big step in the right direction for his personal game and good news for the Pacers.
3) I could mention Paul George in this category for nearly every game. But again, this isn't about a big shot he made, this is one of those little things you like to see from a guy who is a star, but also still a team player. George wasn't having his best shooting night as he finished 6 for 18 from the floor. So in the third quarter, he took a pass at the top of the key and instead of trying to force the action, he immediately whipped the ball over to a wide open C.J. Watson who hit the 3-pointer. Kind of a little thing, but kind of a big thing, too.
Dislikes
1) It's hard to find many of these in this game, but the second quarter again wasn't good. The Pacers saw a six-point first-quarter lead turn into a six-point halftime deficit by the end of the half as they scored just 12 points in the quarter. Part of this is that Pacers coach Frank Vogel stays with his reserves a bit longer here, presumably saving them for the fourth quarter, so you've got the other team's starters going against mostly reserves for the Pacers for a three- or four-minute stretch. We've seen that pay off in the second half in the last two games. However, it would be nice to avoid that second-quarter slump.
2) To beat the Bulls by 17 at any point in the season is nice, but Pacer fans shouldn't go nuts about it yet. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose didn't play last year and while he still has that lightning-quick first step, he's still not in sync yet and he probably won't be until about 20 games into the season. Also, for the Bulls, Joakim Noah missed almost all of the preseason, and he's clearly still finding his timing and getting his legs underneath him as well. So, just saying like it or not, the Bulls will be back to fight another day.
Second guesses
1) First, I will say I liked that Vogel got a technical foul and it's always good for a coach stand up for his team when he thinks there is a highly questionable call. But just like he did at the end of the first half Tuesday in Detroit, the Pacers had the ball to end the first half and he didn't call a timeout to set up a play. Instead it was George going one-on-one, which is not the worst option these days, that resulted in a missed shot. Also, the other reason this is important is that it will help develop the team's confidence in last-second situations at the end of games and also will let the coaches see how a player responds under a bit of pressure. I think Vogel is an outstanding coach, but this is a situation I think he could handle better.
Next up
The Pacers are home against the Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. Friday night. The Raptors are 2-3 to start the season and it will be a return to The Fieldhouse for Tyler Hansbrough and D.J. Augustin. The Raptors have an athletic player in DeMar DeRozan, who can be an exciting player to watch. Hopefully the highlights for Toronto will be at a minimum as the Pacers look to start 6-0 for the first time since the 1970-71 season.


Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Alone at the top

The Pacers remained the NBA's lone undefeated team at 4-0 with a 99-91 victory at Detroit on Tuesday night.
Overall Impression
Any road win is always a good one. While the Pacers had a comfortable margin down the stretch, they had to earn this one. Pistons big men Andre Drummond, Josh Smith and Greg Monroe are athletic and can offer matchup problems with a lot of teams. Drummond is an adept shot blocker and Smith likes to shoot the 3-pointer, sometimes drawing a big man away from the basket. However, the Pacers didn't fall in love with the 3-pointer as much as the Pistons did, and maybe that was one of the differences in this win.
Likes
Roy Hibbert had seven more
blocked shots in Tuesday's win.
1) Sure Paul George continued to put up all-star numbers and make big shots. He had 31 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and four assists. But the play I liked the most came in the second half when on defense, he tipped the ball away, then went to the floor to save it from going out of bounds, tipping  it to Donald Sloan to start a fastbreak, who then passed to Luis Scola who was fouled. Scola missed the two free throws, but that's not the point here. The point is that an all-star player in the fourth game of a long season got on the floor to keep a loose ball alive. He didn't have to do it and no one would have thought less of him if he didn't. But he did and now we can think a little more highly of Mr. George. And yes, the best thing about those 31 points is they came on 12 of 18 shooting.
2) In the fourth quarter, it was nice to see Scola involved in the offensive flow of the game. Sure, he won't have the kind of career numbers he's had in the past partly because of fewer minutes and partly because he's not playing the Suns' run and gun style. But it was good to see him get a couple of key baskets and make a couple of good passes as well. He's going to be important to the team's long-term success.
3) We often measure a center's defensive ability by blocked shots. And if you want to measure Roy Hibbert's defensive prowess simply by that, then, hey, who's to argue? After four games he's got 21 blocks, for an average of just over five per game. But if you watch the games, just look at the number of possessions he changes for the opposing team by either altering shots, or just with his presence keeping the other team from thinking of driving down the lane. Hibbert's offense has been inconsistent early, but the defense is there every night and anyone who watches the game has to love that.
Dislikes
1) Yes, it's understood the bench was a bit short-handed with George Hill  still out forcing normal reserve point guard C.J. Watson into a starting role. But the reserves did not play with confidence or cohesiveness in the second quarter. Solomon Hill came in and made a couple of shots which was the one bright spot, but point guard Donald Sloan had trouble handling the ball and the one starter in during that time, Lance Stephenson, looked like was trying to to do a little too much at times. Maybe this will fix itself when Hill and hopefully someday Danny Granger return, but it was tough to watch a 15-point first quarter lead melt away in the second quarter. And Pacers coach Frank Vogel had to stay with that group probably a little longer than he wanted since the Pacers were on the first night of a back-to-back.
2) If the Pistons continue to launch 3-pointers at such an inaccurate rate, they may be hard to watch this season. They were 5-for-25 from the behind the arc Tuesday night. And furthermore, Smith and Brandon Jennings were a combined 11 of 36 from the field, including 2 for 12 from the 3-point line, while Drummond and Monroe combined to go 8 of 15. Maybe it was because Hibbert was keeping them from throwing the ball down inside, but you'd think the guys who make more shots than they miss should get more opportunities.
Second guesses
1) I didn't like that Vogel didn't call a timeout to set up a final play with 7.1 seconds remaining in the first half. At the time it was three-point deficit and it very well could have been the type of game where scoring on one possession could have been the difference. Former Pacers coach Larry Brown never missed an opportunity to stop and call a play in these situations. He had Reggie Miller and Rik Smits as primary weapons and it often led to a basket. And since Vogel has Paul George as a primary weapon here, and excellent second options like David West and Roy Hibbert, it's a good chance to set up a high percentage shot. As it was Tuesday night, George got to the free-throw line and dished off to Hibbert, who had to pivot away from a double team, causing him to get off a made shot just a tick after the buzzer sounded.
Next up
In their first real marquee matchup of the season, the Pacers play host to the Chicago Bulls at 7 p.m. on ESPN. The Bulls are just 1-2 to start off, but that's not really anything to look at this early in the season. The Bulls, with a healthy Derrick Rose, are one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. The one thing of note is that Rose said in the preseason that he didn't see the Pacers as a serious contender to the make the NBA Finals this year. Just remember that Rose also didn't play any games against the Pacers last year. Also, the Bulls had Tuesday night off, and while it's still early in the season and not a huge factor, there's always a bit of an edge for the rested team on the these second nights of back-to-back games. It will be a good test for the Pacers, but I'd say if the Bulls lose, it will cause a bit more alarm for them then if the Pacers lose.










Saturday, November 2, 2013

And the wins just keep coming

The Pacers moved to 3-0 with a rather methodical 89-74 victory over visiting Cleveland Saturday night.
Overall Impression
There was no absolute defining moment in this victory. And maybe that's a good thing. No one had to play spectacularly, or make a several big plays down the stretch in this one. It was the kind of game that a mature team wins
Likes
1) With George Hill missing the game due to a sore hip, that forced C.J. Watson into a starting role. Watson didn't have a spectacular game in the box score with seven points, six rebounds and four assists. But there was one number in the box score that did stand out for Watson. That was the zero in the turnovers category, always a nice stat from your point guard.
Lance Stephenson had 22 points Saturday. 
2) With Hill out, Lance Stephenson did step up and continued to prove why he should remain a starter if/when Danny Granger returns from calf injury in about two weeks. Stephenson's versatility showed with his ability to run the point guard spot at times when needed. He also has worked on his outside shot and was confident in hitting five of seven 3-pointers on the night. Stephenson has a come a long way and the patience of returned team president Larry Bird has paid off. The only downside to Stephenson's game is that he sometimes likes to make a little bit too fancy of a pass that can result in a turnover
3) There was no doubt that Paul George deserved to be an all-star last year and so far he's proving last season was no fluke. After three games he's averaging just under 26 points per game, but the nice thing is that for the most part his points come in the natural flow of the game. It's not as if he's forcing up a bunch of bad shots to get his points, with Saturday's 8-for-17 performance being a good example of that.
Dislikes
1) The turnover situation continues to be a problem. Sometimes the Pacers throw passes and you wonder what they are looking at. They had 20 more turnovers Saturday night after averaging 18 in their first two games. So far they've been able to survive it because of their defense and rebounding, but 20 is just simply too many.
2) I know Anthony Bennett is on the other team, and it's early, and that rookies, even the best ones, have their ups and downs. But he didn't really look the No. 1 overall pick in last summer's draft did he? He was scoreless in 12 minutes of action.
Next up
The Pacers play at Detroit Tuesday in a 7:30 p.m. game. The Pistons have a 1-1 mark heading into tonight's game against Boston. The Pacers will be trying to start 4-0 for the first since the 2004-05 season, a season that began with so much promise before it all went awry in ... Detroit, of all places.