Friday, February 28, 2014

Pacers feed Hibbert to topple Bucks

The Pacers defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 101-96 Thursday night. The Pacers are now an NBA best 44-13 on the season while the Bucks are a league worst 11-46. The Pacers also improved to an NBA best 28-3 at home.
The Big Plays
The Bucks simply wouldn't go away in this one. The Pacers built the lead to 32-15 early in the second quarter, but the Bucks closed the half with a 12-0 to tie it. The Pacers took the lead for good with an 11-0 run to end the third quarter to make it 73-66.  The Pacers led just 88-85 with 2:02 to go after the Bucks' Brandon Knight had as steal and a layup. But the Pacers scored the next six points on a jumper by Paul George, a jumper by center Roy Hibbert and two free throws by Hibbert to put this one away for good.
The Ups
Roy Hibbert had 24 points and 12 rebounds in Thursday's win.
1) The Bucks have been with center and key shot blocker Larry Sanders, so for once the Pacers took advantage of Hibbert inside as he finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds. It was an overall efficient game for Hibbert as he hit 10 of 16 shots and he also had two blocked shots. It was good to see them continually feed the big guy and it will be interesting to see how things play out down the stretch in the Pacers offense this season. Last year in the later stages, it was clear the Pacers wanted to establish Hibbert as a legitimate offensive threat in the low post and it paid big dividends in the playoffs. That might have even cost them a win or two last year, but it wasn't a big deal as they were basically locked into their seeding. That's not the case this year though, as the Pacers have made it clear since training camp started that they wanted to have the best record in the East so they can get a seventh game at home in the playoffs if needed. So, yes, the Pacers need to make sure Hibbert is confident on offense heading into the playoffs, but they won't be able to do it by sacrificing a win or two along the way.
2) This was not a spectacular game for Paul George, but was certainly one of his more efficient games of the season. George finished with 18 points on 7 of 15 shooting, but his game Thursday was about more than scoring. He also finished with eight rebounds and six assists and maybe the best stat of all just one turnover. There are some games where the Pacers will need George to take over on offense, but there are others where it does the team more good for him to spread the wealth and that was the case Thursday.
The Downs
1) The Pacers have generally defended the three-point line well this season holding opponents to 33 percent shooting, but the Bucks used the long shot to keep themselves in this game and had  themselves within striking distance with two minutes to go. The Bucks hit 12 of 24 from behind the arc, and while a couple of them came in the final minute when the game was decided, the Pacers could have done a better job defending that shot in the game.
2) Another disturbing part of this game was that the Pacers seemingly were in a control two or three times only to allow the Bucks back into. To lose a 17-point lead in one quarter is not really the path to success. And to allow the Bucks to score the final 12 points of the half to tie it was not want you really want to see either. It would have been nice to the see Pacers keep the foot on the gas pedal in the second quarter and push the lead up to 30. Instead, it was the Bucks who did the pushing to keep themselves in the game all night.
Afterthoughts
If there is such a thing as an underwhelming win, this might have been it. When playing the Bucks at home you would hope this would be enough of a blowout game to allow the regulars to rest in the fourth quarter, but instead the Pacers needed a good effort to pull this one out. It's just been a bit of trend lately of building these big leads and watching them slip away. The killer instinct is something the Pacers need to work on in the final quarter of the regular season.
And just in case you're wondering, the Pacers magic number to clinch a playoff spot is four, meaning any combination of Pacers wins and Pistons losses to reach four puts them in. It shouldn't take too much longer for that to happen.
Next Up
The Pacers begin a four-games in five day stretch when the visit the Boston Celtics in an 8 p.m. Saturday game. The Celtics, led by former Butler coach Brad Stevens are 20-39.  The Celtics broke a six-game losing streak with a 115-104 win over Atlanta Wednesday night. The Pacers defeated the Celtics at Boston 97-82 on Nov. 22, then at home 106-79 on Dec. 22. The Celtics are led by Jeff Green at 16.8 points, Avery Bradley at 14.3 points, Jared Sullinger at 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds, Rajon Rondo at 11.6 points and 8.3 assists and Brandon Bass at 11.1 points. This will be the first game this season that the Pacers will face the Celtics with Rondo expected to be in the lineup.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Turner gets off to fast start in Pacers win

The Pacers defeated the visiting Los Angles Lakers Tuesday night 118-98. The Pacers are now an NBA best 43-13 while the Lakers are 19-38. The Pacers are now 27-3 at home, also an NBA best mark.
The Big Plays
This game was still a bit interesting midway through the third quarter with the Pacers up just 68-61 when Paul George made one of his circus shots that ended up being a lefthanded reverse layup as he got fouled at the 5:44 mark. The made free throw put the Pacers up 10, and while the Lakers countered with a 3-pointer on their next possession, George countered with his own 3-pointer on the Pacers next possession and it was never closer than eight points after that.
The Ups
1) Maybe it was coincidence and maybe not. But in the debut of newly acquired Evan Turner, the Pacers bench scored a season-high 50 points. Turner finished with 13 points on 6 of 12 shooting. And while the numbers are nice, the more important thing is that Turner seemed to fit right in with the Pacers first and second units. He instantly gives them a more athletic player off the bench and it also takes a lot of pressure off of Lance Stephenson, you usually is in with the second group, to be the primary offensive creator when he's out there. So the early grade in this trade is big thumbs up.
Evan Turner scored 13 points in his debut for the Pacers.
2) The third quarter has been one of the Pacers' best this season, but not so much recently. But that returned in this game as they shot nearly 55 percent in the quarter while outscoring the Lakers 34-16. And another common theme in that quarter has been George scoring in double figures, and he did it again Tuesday night, with 12 points and leading that key run that put the Pacers in control of this one for good.
3) I liked that point guard George Hill put some pressure on the Lakers defense early in the game, scoring nine points in the opening minutes. It put them on alert that if the Lakers wanted to ignore him they would have to pay a price. Hill's offensive production has been sporadic this season, so it was good to see him assert himself on that end.
The Downs
The one thing that was a bit of an issue in this game were the fast break points allowed by the Pacers with 17. Yes, a couple of those baskets did come after the outcome was decided and yes, the with Lakers being led by coach Mike D'Antoni, who always wants his team to push the pace, that's not unexpected. But the point here is that the Pacers need to establish the habit of stopping the fast breaks because assuming they play the Heat in the playoffs, they love to get out and run whenever possible.
Afterthoughts
In the midst of this stretch of seven games against sub-.500 opponents, the Pacers are now 3-1. They pretty much have to finish this stretch at 6-1 and it was good to see them win this game in easy fashion. Just how much Turner will help remains to be seen, but one of my favorite plays he made was when he was at the top of the key, drew the defense to him and hit C.J. Watson in the corner for a wide open 3-pointer. That's the kind of plays they will need him to make coming down the stretch.
Next Up
The Pacers play host to the Milwaukee Bucks, who they just defeated on Saturday in Milwaukee 110-100. The Pacers also defeated the Bucks 104-77 back on Nov. 14. The Bucks did win their last game at Philadelphia Monday night, 130-110 and are now an NBA worst 11-45 on the season. Milwaukee is led by guard Brandon Knight at 17 points and five assists per game, O.J. Mayo at 12 points, John Henson at 12 points and eight rebounds, Khris Middleton at 11.5 points and forwards Caron Butler and Ersan Illyasova and guard Gary Neal each at 10 points. The Bucks also have exciting 19-year-old rookie forward Giannis Antetokunmpo at seven points a game. The Bucks are scoring 93.3 points per game, while allowed just over 102.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Pacers trio enough to trip Bucks

The visiting Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 110-100 Saturday night. The Pacers are now 42-13 while the Bucks are 10-45.
The Big Plays
The Pacers used a 17-2 run midway through the second quarter to take control of this one, eventually building the lead to 22 points. The Bucks did not go easy though. Another big play in this one was at the end of the third quarter, with Bucks rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo apparently going in for a dunk, only to have it blocked on a hustle play by Pacers backup center Ian Mahinmi to keep the Pacers lead at seven going into the fourth quarter. And just so you know, when Andrew Bynum starts playing, no way he comes close to making that play.
The Ups
1) The Pacers needed a little boost to start the fourth quarter with Paul George and David West on the bench, so who better to provide that than Lance Stephenson. The player known as Born Ready scored the first seven points of the quarter to extend the Pacers lead to 14 points. Stephenson eventually finished just short of a triple double with 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
Paul George had 32 points to help the Pacers
to a victory against the Bucks.
2) Paul George carried the Pacers in the third scoring 13 points in the quarter. And while George finished with 32 points, the good thing about it is that he seems to have regained some confidence, which showed by him going 5 of 7 from 3-point territory and also being more patient in the offense. He had just one turnover, much better than the seven turnover debacle against Minnesota. George also shot as if he was going to make shots in this one, instead of shooting not to miss. Even on his misses he looked more like the George we saw in the first month and a half of the season. That's what this team needs.
3) The Pacers did have a decided advantage inside and they took advantage of it by going to David West regularly. West responded by scoring 30 points, with seven rebounds and five assists. When West wasn't scoring he was looking and waiting for the cutter on offense to make the good pass too. And in the halfcourt offense, West is very good at finding the open man.
The Downs
1) The Pacers built the big lead but then let the team with the worst record in the league back in the game. Sure, you are on the road and the home team usually does make a run, but it would have been nice to see the Pacers build that 22 point lead up to 30, and really put doubt in the minds of the Bucks.
2) For the second straight game, the Pacers allowed the other team's best player to have his way. It was Kevin Love in Minnesota on Wednesday night, and then it was the Bucks' Brandon Knight in this one. Knight had 30 points and eight assists and almost single-handedly brought them back and did keep them in the game. Sometimes it was just way too easy for him.
Afterthoughts
This one was a lot more difficult than it probably should have been. The Pacers got that big lead in the second quarter and you could see the defense let up just a little. That, combined with the Bucks making a push to get back into it, made this a game again. But at least the Pacers didn't let this one get away and maybe that is something to build on going forward. And luckily with George, West and Stephenson combining for 86 points, that was enough for this win.
Next Up
The Pacers play host to the Los Angeles Lakers in a 7 p.m. game Tuesday. The Lakers have struggled mightily this season with a 19-36 record heading into Sunday night's game against Brooklyn. The Lakers have been hurt by the injury to Kobe Bryant as he has played in only six games due to injury. The Lakers are led by power forward Pau Gasol at 17 points and 10 rebounds, guard Nick Young at 16.9 points, guard Jodie Meeks at 14.5 points, guard Kendall Marshall at 10.5 points and 9.7 assists, center Chris Kaman at 10 points and six rebounds and Xavier Henry at 10.1 points. The Pacers won the first meeting in Los Angeles 104-92 back on Jan. 28.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Pacers continue to go for it with Turner deal

Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. The Pacers are on the brink this season of not only competing for a title, but winning a title.
So, when they got Danny Granger back two months ago, it was thought that the former all-star forward would give the Pacers bench a much needed boost. Since he had missed nearly a season and a half with a knee injury, everybody knew there would be rust in his game. And while Pacers coach Frank Vogel was preaching patience in Granger's case, with Thursday's trade deadline here, the Pacers could not afford to be patient any longer, trading Granger to the Philadelphia 76ers for Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen.
So the big question now is will this work? The big answer is nobody knows for sure.
The Pacers were not getting the type of offense they thought had hoped for from Granger, and while he seemed to be trying on defense, it was clear he was not moving the same as he did before his knee surgeries. But that part of the game might have been OK to live with if Granger could have provided significant offensive punch off the bench. Granger, however, had shot 50 percent or better from the field in just nine of the 29 games he had played in this season. Also, he is shooting just 33 percent from 3-point range.
Turner's statistic have not been off the charts either, shooting just 43 percent from the field and 28 percent from 3-point range. But he does give the Pacers is a more athletic player on defense to guard a team's top scorer off the bench. The more athletic Turner could also help the second unit play a little more pressure defense and up-tempo style to create some offense.
Evan Turner was averaging 17 points for the 76ers this season.
One of the big questions here is  what type of team chemistry this will create, or maybe uncreate. With this trade leaving the Pacers at one over the roster limit with 16 players, they had to release one player and it turned out to be guard Orlando Johnson. The Pacers by all accounts have been a pretty tight bunch. Turner, you would hope, will be excited to come a title-contending team and helping them at least reach the NBA Finals, instead of playing for a team that is clearly looking for the best draft pick possible. It also might help Turner to return to the Midwest, since he played at Ohio State and is originally from the Chicago area.
But this is a risk Pacers President Larry Bird pretty much had to take. Sure, it's emotional to see Granger go, who had only played for the Pacers in his nine-plus seasons. He carried the Pacers when they were not a good team under coach Jim O'Brien, rebuilding in the post-brawl years. And it was a shame that Granger's best years coincided with the team's worst years. There were many games where the primary reason to watch the team was just to see how Granger would do.
When Vogel took over as the Pacers coach, Granger did struggle a bit as Vogel's and O'Brien's philosophies were essentially polar opposites. Granger went from being the man to being part of the team.
And there is the question too that if the Pacers can't sign Lance Stephenson after this season, that maybe having Turner, who is a restricted free agent, could be a fall back plan. That may or may not be true. But what is definitely true is that Bird and General Manager Kevin Pritchard believe the deal will help the team now.
But if you are skeptical about this deal working for this year, there is one statistic to take into consideration. With some help from my crack research team (that would be me), not since 1950 has a team won an NBA championship without at least one player on the team being picked ninth or higher. Before this trade, the Pacers highest drafted players were Paul George and Andrew Bynum each at No. 10. So, they were in the midst of trying to make a bit history here. Well, now they've got Turner, who was an overall No. 2 pick in the draft, so, hey, maybe this deal really will push the Pacers over the top.


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Pacers Lovesick after this loss

The visiting Pacers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-91 Wednesday night. The Pacers are now 41-13 while the Timberwolves are 26-28.
The Big Plays
In one sense you could say it was the first points of the game because after Kevin Love hit a 3-pointer for the first points of the game, the Timberwolves led the entire way. The Timberwolves eventually built the lead to 42-22 by midway through the second quarter and the Pacers were playing catch up all night. One other key possession did come early in the fourth quarter. The Pacers had cut the Timberwolves' lead to five, and Minnesota scored to get it back to seven. Then the Pacers' Paul George made a completely careless turnover when trying to flip the ball behind his back to a wide open Chris Copeland for what would have been a 3-point attempt that could have cut it back to four. But the ball went out of bounds and that was pretty much the game.
The Ups
Paul George had 35 points in Wednesday loss.
1) Well George did have a good shooting game scoring 35 points on 11 of 22 from field, so that was important. As I've said before, the Pacers needs him to be a significant offensive player in order for them to win. But for one of the few times this season, this will be the only up in this game.
The Downs
1) The Timberwolves were without their second and third best players in center Nicola Pekovic and guard Kevin Martin. So, basically the defensive mission here was just to not let Kevin Love, Minnesota's best player, beat you. So, the Pacers went out and allowed Love to score 42 points on 14 of 22 shooting, including 5 of 10 from three point range. Love also grabbed 16 rebounds in this one. Love is a deserving all-star player, but when he's without two other significant offensively skilled teammates, it makes the defensive plan here fairly simple. Yes, Love did hit some difficult shots, but he had way too many open looks, too.
2) One of the Pacers trademarks this year has been to not allow fast break points. That was a big issue in this game as the Timberwolves had 18 fast break points in this one. They were partly fueled by the Pacers having 21 turnovers, but sometimes it was simply a matter of just getting outhustled on the break. Yes, it's true the Pacers were on the second night of a back to back and the Timberwolves were not, but you still can't allow that many fast breaks happen in a game.
3) With Pekovic out, one of the Pacers big advantages in this game, you would think, would be to go center Roy Hibbert on offense. Instead, Hibbert finished with four points and five rebounds and got just five shots on the night. Yes, the Pacers like to talk about and sometimes play a smash mouth style. But lately they haven't always executed it and Wednesday night was one of those nights that they did not.
4) And finally, while George did have a big scoring game, he also had seven turnovers. Maybe it's part of his evolution as a player, learning how to play when he gets more attention from defenses. But it's a bit discouraging too when he makes a turnover like the careless flip pass intended for Copeland. Yes, there are a lot of reasons to like George as a player. But this is a reminder that he is still young and developing, too.
Afterthoughts
This wasn't a game that the Pacers should have won from the sense that they had a lead and let it slip away. But it was certainly a game they could have won. When the opponent has guys like Dante Cunningham, Ronny Turiaf and Luc Mbah A Moute each play more than 24 minutes in a game, you need to take advantage of that, second night of a back to back or not. Yes, the Timberwolves do have some talent, but it was disappointing that this game didn't at least go down to the wire.
Next Up
The Pacers are off until Saturday when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks in an 8:30 p.m. game. The Bucks have struggled mightily this season, and have an NBA-worst 10-43 mark heading into Thursday's game against Denver. The Bucks are led by guard Brandon Knight at 16 points and five assists a game, O.J. Mayo at 12 points, John Henson at 11.8 points and eight rebounds, Khris Middleton at 11.5 points and forwards Caron Butler and Ersan Illyasova and guard Gary Neal each at 10 points. However, they're most exciting player is rookie small forward Giannis Antetokunmpo, who is averaging seven points and is just 19 years old. He's one of those guys who is still learning and not getting a ton of minutes yet, but that you can clearly see has talent to be an outstanding player in the league. The Bucks are averaging just 92.5 points a game while allowing just over 101 a game. The Pacers defeated the Bucks 104-77 back on Nov. 15 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

George returns to form and so do Pacers

The Pacers defeated the visiting Atlanta Hawks 108-98 Tuesday night in their first game back from the All-Star break. The Pacers are now 41-12 overall and 26-3 at home while the Hawks are 25-27.
The Big Plays
There were a couple of key stretches in this game. In the first quarter the Pacers went on a 16-0 run to turn a 6-5 lead into a 22-5 advantage, and eventually led 31-9. Then after the Hawks fought back and cut the Pacers lead to 52-49 with a minute left in the half, the Pacers finished the half with five straight points and kept it going in the third quarter to extend that run to 19-5 by midway through the third quarter, capped by a Paul George 3-pointer. The Hawks were never closer than seven points the rest of the way.
The Ups
 Paul George hit his first six shots and finished with 26 points Tuesday night.
1) It's too early yet to say that George has completely emerged from what has been a month long shooting slump, but he did take a significant step in the right direction. George hit his first six shots of the game, so that was good. And he did finish with 26 points in the game to lead the Pacers, and that too was good. But after that hot beginning, where he scored 14 points in the first quarter, he hit just 2 of 12 shots the rest of the way, forcing some of them, and that was not good. Playing in the All-Star game may have done George some good on the offensive end, helping him remember how to relax when he shoots the ball. The Pacerx will still need him to be their biggest threat later in the season, so hopefully the overall performance Tuesday is a sign of better things to come.
2) Hawks forward Paul Millsap definitely deserved to be an all-star, but when he faces the Pacers he looks like anything but one. It's a credit to Pacers power forward David West here, too, in that Millsap has scored four, seven and seven points on 6 of 31 shooting from the floor in three games against the Pacers this year. This may have been as big a reason as any as to why the Pacers won this game. If Millsap has his normal 17 to 20-point game, this could have been a nail-biter.
3) It was good and appropriate the the Pacers took time out in the second quarter to recognize former Pacers coach and current radio analyst Bobby Slick Leonard for being named as an inductee into the National Basketball Hall of Fame. Leonard, in the last 20 years or so, has been known more for his "Boom Baby" calls when a Pacer hits a 3-pointer. But he should also be remembered for being an outstanding coach in his heyday. And maybe the best thing about his style is he wanted his teams to play fearless. He understood the value of being a good 3-point shooting team long before it was in vogue. Slick will always have a special place in the hearts of Pacers fans, and it was great to see that he will have a special place that will be duly noted in professional basketball history as well.
The Downs
1) While the start of the game was nice and all, the Pacers didn't really assert themselves in portions of this game. After being up by 22 in the first quarter, the Hawks had cut that lead to three points with a minute left in the first half. Yes, the NBA is a game of runs, where the other team will mostly likely make a big effort to comeback from a deficit, but the Pacers have had a habit of letting big leads slip away. That's something they need to fix in the last third of the season.
Afterthoughts
This was not an earth shattering win, but since the Pacers had lost two of three games heading into the all-star break, and they were both games they should have won, it was important for them to start the post-break schedule with a victory, too. The Pacers have a chance here to add to their victory total and possibly regain that best record in the league status as Atlanta was the first of seven straight opponents they face with a record of below .500. So, a good first step, but still a lot of work to do, too.
Next Up
The Pacers turn right around and play at Minnesota at 8 p.m. Wednesday in an ESPN game. The Timberwolves are 25-28 and had Tuesday night off. They are led by power forward Kevin Love at 25.8 and 13 rebounds per game, Kevin Martin at 19 points, center Nikola Peckovic at 18 points and nine rebounds, guard Corey Brewer at 11.6 points, point guard Ricky Rubio at 8.7 points and 8.3 assists and reserve guard J.J. Barea at 8.7 points. The Timberwolves are averaging just over 105 points this season while allowing 101, so it would seem they should be in line for more wins. However, they allow opponents to shoot nearly 47 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range, while shooting just 43.6 percent overall and 34 percent from 3-point range. They had lost four in a row before defeating Denver 117-90 in their final game before the break last Wednesday.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Pacers look a little broken going into break

The Pacers ended their pre-All-Star Break season with an 80-73 loss to the visiting Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night. The Pacers go into the break with a 40-12 record while the Mavericks are 32-22. The Pacers also fell to 25-3 at home.
The Big Plays
This game was tied at 66-66 with 5:45 left and the Mavericks went on an 8-0 run to take a lead they would never relinquish. The Pacers had built a 60-55 lead on two free throws by Danny Granger at the 3:07 mark of the third quarter, but two Monta Ellis free throws and a Dirk Nowitzki 3-pointer got the Mavericks right back into it, even though the Pacers were up 62-60 at the end of the quarter. Paul George did hit a 3-pointer to bring it to 76-73 with 37.5 seconds to go, but the Mavericks hit their free throws late for the final score.
The Ups
Danny Granger hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 points Wednesday night.
1) In most Pacers games this season, it's been pretty easy to find who did something good. But that was not the case in this one. The Pacers did get a boost off the bench from Danny Granger who had 13 points on 4 of 9 shooting, including making three 3-pointers. In a game where the Pacers were desperate for some kind of offense, that was good to see. It just wasn't a situation where Granger could carry the team either, though.
2) Former Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has had success at Dallas, including winning a title there in 2011. But what has also been impressive in Carlisle's tenor there is that he has changed the whole mindset of the team. It went from being an all offense, outscore the opponent organization, to a defense first organization. Wednesday night's game was ugly, to put it kindly, and these are the types of games that Dallas would not have won in the pre-Carlisle years. Now the Mavericks not only can win these types of games, they can create them. Carlisle even has Monta Ellis playing defense these days.
The Downs
1) It was really a Jekyll and Hyde type performance for the Pacers from Monday night's win over Denver to the Wednesday loss. The Pacers shot a season-low 32 percent from the floor on the way to a season low in points. Back about 20 years ago or so, when Bobby Knight was coaching at Indiana University, he called a team doing something like this a "cerebral reversal." It's as if they forgot how to play the game at times. So maybe it's a good thing the all-star break is coming along this week. The Pacers have lost two of three, so it could be just the right time to take a few days off.
2) I'm a fan of Pacers coach Frank Vogel and similar to Carlisle, he's played a major role in turning the franchise's identity into a defensive mindset. However, it was reported that before this game that he reminded the team that the all-star break had not yet begun and to not play as if it was a night off. And in retrospect, maybe that was little bit like telling a kid that there are some homemade cookies up in the cabinet and you can't have them until tomorrow. It's just impossible not to at least think about and it's likely the kid is going to sneak up there and get one before the day is out. Maybe Vogel should have said, hey, let's go out and keep playing like we did with Denver. Overall, Vogel's done a great job and deserves to be in the Coach of the Year discussion. But maybe he might choose his words a little differently in a similar situation next time.
Afterthoughts
No question, this game was a paint dryer, grass grower, however you want to put it. It was partly due to the fact that both teams do play defense. It was a disturbing though, to see the Pacers lose their second game in three outings because both of those games are ones they absolutely should have won. Sure, there are ups and downs during the season, but this on-off-on-off button style just won't work come playoff time and it's not a good habit to get into now. Hopefully the break will allow the Pacers to relax, and start what is the rest of the season the way they started the regular season.
Next Up
The Pacers don't play until Tuesday when they play host to Atlanta, but you can catch Roy Hibbert and George in the all-star star game at 8 p.m. Sunday night. There is also a possibility that Lance Stephenson might be added to the roster as the Heat's Dwyane Wade did not play Wednesday night due to a foot injury. So, if it happens it would be great to see Born Ready in the all-star game. It's the kind of showcase that would fit him well.


Monday, February 10, 2014

West carries weight of his words in easy win

The Pacers defeated the visiting Denver Nuggets 119-80 Monday night. The Pacers are now 40-11, including 25-2 at home, while the Nuggets are 24-26. It was the Pacers largest margin of victory this season.
The Big Plays
The key moments in this game happened early. The Pacers were up 18-17 with 3:58 left in the first quarter and then went on a 20-3 run that lasted until the 9:09 mark of the second quarter. Pacers power forward David West had seven points in the run. The Pacers kept it going too and were up 61-40 at halftime.
The Ups
Pacers power forward David West backed his words
by scoring 25 points Monday, including 21 in the first half.
1) David West voiced his displeasure about how the Pacers let one get away in Orlando Sunday night when they lost a 17-point second half lead and the game. But what makes West a special player is that he backs up his words with his play. He responded in this one by scoring his number in the first half (that would be 21) on 10 of 12 shooting from the field. West scored in a variety ways, too, driving and using his left hand as well as shooting that 15-to-17 foot jumper from around the free-throw line area while scoring 17 points in the first quarter. West eventually finished with 25 points on 11 of 13 shooting.
2) This was one of those not in the box score type of plays, but even with the Pacers having a large lead at the time, it was great to see Pacers center Roy Hibbert get on the floor to go after a loose ball and hit it off of a Nuggets player and have it go out of bounds at the 5:39 mark of the second quarter.  It was just a nice little reminder of what this team should be about and what Hibbert is all about. And Hibbert finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, too.
3) When Fox Sports Indiana's Brooke Olzendam has Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke on right before the second half starts, it's often entertaining because Burke tells it like it is. He didn't have much bad to say about the first half, but you had to like his comment that the Pacers don't need to "act like the Harlem Globetrotters" when they make a pass. And really, it's hard to argue with that.
The Downs
1) After Burke's comments, Paul George then went out and made a completely unnecessary behind the back pass to George Hill on a fast break that was just a little off and allowed the Nuggets to get back and stop the break. Then on the next possession, George drove the lane and took a contested shot over the defense with the red-hot West standing about eight feet away wide open. It's understood that George is a scorer and not a pass first guy, but he also is generally not considered a selfish player. But that's still no reason to not pass the ball to West in that situation.
Afterthoughts
The Pacers have lost two in a row only once this season and it was apparent early on that it wasn't going to happen in this game. The Pacers caught a bit of break with Nuggets point guard and leader Ty Lawson out with broken ribs, and guard Nate Robinson out with a torn ACL. But the Pacers made sure this was never a game and that was a good thing for once.
Next Up
The Pacers finish their pre-All-Star break schedule with a 7 p.m. game against the visiting Dallas Mavericks Wednesday, who are led by former Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. The Mavericks have been a bit of surprise this season and are 31-21 and on a five-game winning streak heading into their game Tuesday night at Charlotte. They are led by as usual by forward Dirk Nowitzki at 21.9 points and 6.1 rebounds, guard Monta Ellis at 19.1 points and 5.7 assists, point guard Jose Calderon at 11.8 points and 4.9 assists, Vince Carter at 11.4 points and forward Shawn Marion at 10.9 points and 6.8 rebounds.

No Magic finish in Orlando for Pacers

The visiting Pacers fell to the Orlando Magic 93-92 Sunday night. The Pacers are now 39-11 on the season while the Magic improved to 16-37.
The Big Plays
There were some key ones down the stretch in this one, but first things first. The Pacers were up 71-54 with 3:55 left in the third quarter, then the Magic outscored the Pacers 26-8 to take the lead on a Victor Oladipo shot with 7:48 left in the game. Orlando took the lead for good on another Oladipo shot at the 7:14 mark. The Pacers were down 92-86 with 1:21 to go, but still had two good chances to win. After cutting the lead to two on a Paul George 3-pointer with 37.7 seconds left, the Pacers got the ball right back after an Oladipo offensive foul. But George missed an open 3-pointer. Then as the final seconds were ticking down, Lance Stephenson picked off a Magic inbounds pass and got it to George, who missed from about 18 feet and the Magic got the ball and ran out the clock.
The Ups
1) It was good to see George get back to form for the Pacers. He finished with 27 points on 10 of 19 shooting. Sure, it would have been better to see him make either that 3-pointer or the final shot of the game. But it was good to see him want to take those shots. The final shot was maybe a bit in question as the Pacers could have called a timeout to set up a play. However, with George loose on a fast break, that's not necessarily a bad option for the Pacers, even though it didn't work this time.
Former Indiana University star Victor Oladipo
torched the Pacers with 23 points off the bench.
2) It was good too to have Lance Stephenson back after he missed a game due to a back injury. Stephenson made two huge plays late in this one, drawing the offensive foul on Oladipo and then coming up with the deflection on the final out of bounds play by the Magic. Stephenson finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and three assists, but also had five turnovers.
3) Indiana University basketball fans are certainly familiar with how good Victor Oladipo was for them before being drafted by the Magic last summer. While Oladipo has had the usual ups and downs almost all rookies go through, he showed he was a legitimate NBA player in this one. He was the primary reason the Magic won this game, scoring 17 of his 23 points in the second half, including 13 in the fourth quarter. Oladipo basically put the team on his back early and midway through the fourth quarter to help Orlando build a seven-point lead by the 5:21 mark of the quarter.
The Downs
1) It's tough to be up by 17 in the second half and lose a game. The Pacers clearly were in control of this one and maybe like the rest of us, they thought the Magic would just float along and play out this game and that the Pacers would go home with a win. But it proves once again that there is no room for letdown, no matter who you play. The Magic were feeling good about themselves having won their last two games, including a comeback win over the Thunder. So hopefully the Pacers can learn from this by not letting off the gas pedal too early the next time they are in that situation.
2) For the game, the Pacers defensive stats don't look that bad. They held the Magic to 41 percent shooting overall, but the fourth quarter was where it fell apart. Led by Oladipo going 5 of 8 from the field, the Magic hit 11 of 21 shots in the quarter for 52 percent. The Magic also handled the Pacers on the boards, outrebounding them 14-8 in the quarter. The Pacers just picked a really bad time to have a bad quarter, mainly losing track of Oladipo way too often.
Afterthoughts
Yes, this should be considered a bad loss, so to speak. When you have the best record in the league and are up 17 in the second half to a team with just 15 wins, it's pretty much a game you should win. It was the Pacers first loss this season on the first night of a back to back games situation. So, now, they come home to face the Nuggets Monday night and must find a way to win in what has been one of their weakest situations of the season, the second night of back to backs.
Next Up
The Nuggets, coached by former Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, come into this game with a 24-25 record, having last played Saturday and losing to Detroit 126-109. The Pacers may receive a big break in this one as Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson suffered a fractured rib Saturday and is doubtful for tonight. Lawson has been averaging 18 points and nearly nine assists this season. The Nuggets are also led by Wilson Chandler at 14.4 points, Randy Foye at 11.8 points, J.J. Hickson at 11.7 points and 9.4 rebounds and Kenneth Faried at 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds. The Pacers lost to the Nuggets 109-96 at Denver back on Jan. 25. That game also was a second night of a back to back for the Pacers when the Nuggets had not played the night before.



Friday, February 7, 2014

Hill pushes Pacers up hill in OT win over Blazers

The Pacers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night 118-113 in overtime. The Pacers are now 39-10, including 24-2 at home and 3-0 in overtime this year, while the Blazers are 35-15.
The Big Plays
There were several of them in this game. First, there was George Hill's 3-pointer to tie the game in regulation with 8.3 seconds left after Roy Hibbert got an offensive rebound and passed the ball back out to him. Then there was the overtime where Hill put the Pacers ahead for good with a driving layup to make it 109-108 with 2:25 to go. Then with the Pacers still up by one, Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge ran down a defensive rebound in the corner. While falling out of bounds Aldridge tried to get the ball to teammate Robin Lopez. But the pass was a little low and the Pacers' David West picked it off and dunked it to the give Pacers a 111-108 lead with 1:32 to go.
The Ups
George Hill had his best offensive game of the
year Friday with 37 points in a win over Portland.
1) On a night where the Pacers needed George Hill to be an offensive force, he had what was the best offensive game of his career. He finished with 37 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Hill has been anything but aggressive on the offensive for big chunks of this season, so it was a bit of a surprise to see him go at the basket and take shots so often in this one. He, or the Pacers coaches, recognized that Blazers all-star point guard Damian Lillard couldn't guard him, so Hill just kept going in the second half until somebody stopped him, but no one ever did. The most points Hill had scored in the any of the last 19 games was 17. And Hill had topped the 20-point mark just three times this season with a high of 26 before Friday.
2) David West had played well of late, scoring in double figures in eight of his last nine games, including two 22-point games. He might have saved what was his best game of the year for Friday night though, hitting 13 of 16 shots from the floor for 30 points, to go with 10 rebounds. It was West's first 30-point game of the season and all of the shots he took and in the fourth quarter and overtime were big ones.
3) Back in early January the Pacers had to make a decision on whether to keep Rasual Butler, or release him before the date when contracts are guaranteed for the rest of the season. Thankfully, they did keep him and thankfully Butler was ready to go on a night the team needed him. That's because Lance Stephenson was out due to a back injury suffered in Wednesday's win over Atlanta. That forced Danny Granger into a starting role, and then pushed Butler into some key minutes off the bench. Butler responded by hitting 3 of 4 shots from the floor, including both of his 3-point attempts, for 10 points. It's safe to say the Pacers don't win without Butler's contributions in this one. It was a good example of what a true professional does when he's called on.
The Downs
1) It was kind of amazing that the Pacers won this game when you consider that their all-stars, Paul George and Roy Hibbert combined to shoot 7 of 31 from the floor. That's a lot of iron there. Hibbert just didn't seem like he was interested in taking the ball at the basket in this one, and George, well, I don't have a big problem with him shooting a lot because the Pacers need him to be a major player on offense. But whatever he is doing on his shot, whether he's hurrying some of them, or a little off balance, or maybe trying to do a little too much before he puts one up, he and the coaching staff need to figure that out. While it was obviously good to see Hill and West have big games in this win, the Pacers still need George to be their go-to guy more often than not.
2) It's not often that a player makes the Ups and Downs in the same game, but that was certainly the case for Hill in this one. While he was brilliant offensively, he couldn't slow Lillard down on the defensive end. And then when the Pacers put George on Lillard and put Hill on Wesley Matthews in the fourth quarter, the Blazers started going to Matthews who was quite effective with 13 points in the quarter.
Afterthoughts
I thought this may well be one of the best games of the year and it certainly turned out that way. I didn't think the Pacers would be without Stephenson though, so that made this a fairly impressive win. It was a good test of character for the Pacers to beat a good team without a top player like Stephenson. It was also good to see them stay with this game and get it to overtime after trailing for much of the time. I also liked that the offensive philosophy in this game seemed to be to take the ball at Lillard and Aldridge, the Blazers top two players, to force them to play defense, resulting in big games for Hill and West and making Lillard and Aldridge play while in foul trouble late in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Next Up
The Pacers play at Orlando in a 6 p.m. game Sunday. The Pacers played the Magic on Monday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and pulled away in the fourth quarter to win 98-79. The Magic have been led by guard Arron Afflalo at 20 points per game, former Indiana University star Victor Oladipo and forward Tobias Harris at each at 14 points per game, point guard Jameer Nelson at 13 points, center Nic Vucevic at 13 points and almost 11 rebounds and Glen Davis at 12 points per game. After going just 3-14 in January, the Magic are 15-37 after a 2-3 start in February, including a 103-102 win over Oklahoma City Friday night. And if the Pacers win, it will give them their fourth winning streak of five games or more this year, which is pretty impressive in itself.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Pacers go West for this win

The visiting Pacers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 89-85 Tuesday night. The Pacers are now 38-10 while the Hawks are 25-22.
The Big Plays
The Pacers were in control of this one until it started getting close late in the game. The Hawks had cut the gap to 78-74 when Pacers Coach Frank Vogel called a timeout. The Pacers went to one of their clutch players in David West who delivered with a basket in the low post. Then Paul George had a steal and dunk on the next Hawks possession to put the Pacers back up by eight. The Hawks didn't go away easily and cut the lead to two points in the waning seconds. But Danny Granger hit two free throws to account for the final score.
The Ups
David West had 22 points and 10 rebounds to lift
the Pacers to their first win in Atlanta since 2006.
1) David West seemed to get his game back over the last couple of weeks and they needed him on this night. West responded with 22 points on 10 of 19 shooting and also had 10 rebounds. Another big play in this one was when West hit a 3-pointer to end the half to cut the Hawks lead to one. West is certainly one of the leaders on the team and that's the kind of thing that can't be really measured. But he's still also a skilled and effective basketball player and we shouldn't forget about that either.
2) The Pacers seemed to get back to their defensive ways in Monday night's win over the Magic and it continued Tuesday night. In something you won't see very often, none of the Hawks starters scored in double figures for the game. And that includes a deserving all-star in Paul Millsap who had scored 20 or more points in seven of the Hawks last 10 games. Millsap finished with just seven points in this one on 3 of 11 shooting. In all, the Hawks starters were just 16 of 43 from the floor for 37 percent for the game.
3) Sure, backup center Ian Mahinmi has struggled much of the season, causing the Pacers to sign Andrew Bynum. But even as a lame duck backup center (Bynum probably won't start playing until next week at the earliest), Mahinmi continues to hustle back on defense and give the supreme effort we are used to seeing. He is averaging just three points and three rebounds while shooting just under 42 percent. It's just a shame that effort couldn't have translated into him being a more effective player. Mahinmi is a guy you like rooting for. I've never said that about Bynum, but that will change once he steps onto the court in a Pacers uniform. Hopefully it will stay that way through the rest of the season, too, which as you all know, is no guarantee.
The Downs
1) There was some big concern after Pacers guard Lance Stephenson hit a somewhat remarkable shot, falling backward, throwing it up and having the ball come through the basket. Stephenson took a hard fall on the play and while he's usually slow to get up when he falls to the court, this time it looked more serious. And while he was able to get up hit the free throw, he didn't return after leaving the game with four minutes to go in the third quarter. The downside is the Pacers can't afford to lose Stephenson for any length of time and he didn't play in the fourth quarter because of back soreness. But the good news is it sounded like the injury was not serious and the Pacers don't play again until Friday, so he will have a couple of days to get treatment and rest.
2) The turnover bug returned to the Pacers in this one, too. They had 18 turnovers through the first three quarters, including six by Stephenson and five by George. But they had just one turnover in the fourth quarter, so maybe that's a sign of better things to come there.
Afterthoughts
For whatever the reason, the Pacers have had a tough time winning in Atlanta in recent years, not having won there since Dec. 22, 2006 before Tuesday night. Combine that with their issue of having difficulty winning on the second night of back-to-back games this season, you would think this wouldn't be a good spot for them. But they were good enough to win on this night. These are the kind of games where you're not really looking for style points, just the win, and the Pacers delivered in this one.
Next Up
The Pacers are off until Friday when they host the Portland Trail Blazers in a 7 p.m. game on ESPN. The Pacers lost the first meeting between these two teams 106-102 back on Dec. 2. In that game, the Pacers' Paul George had 43 points, and the Blazers improved to 15-3. The Blazers still continue to be one of the league's top teams with a 34-14 mark heading into their Wednesday night game in New York against the Knicks. The Blazers have been a bit more vulnerable lately, going just 5-5 in their last 10 games, including a 100-90 loss at Washington Monday night. They are still led by power forward LaMarcus Alridge at 24.3 points and 11.6 rebounds per game and point guard Damian Lillard at 20.7 points and 5.7 assists. They've become one of the best 1-2 punches in the league. The Blazers also have Wesley Matthews at 16.7 points, Nicholas Batum at 12.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists, center Robin Lopez at 10.6 points and 8.2 rebounds and top reserve guard Mo Williams at 9 points and 4.7 assists. This could very well be one of the best games of the season and if you're a Pacers, Blazers or even an NBA fan, it's a game you won't want to miss.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Granger returns to former self in Pacers win

The Pacers defeated the visiting Orlando Magic Monday night 98-79. The Pacers are now 37-10, including 23-2 at home, while the Magic fell to 13-37.
The Big Plays
Lance Stephenson hit one of his circus shots when it was most needed with 5:39 left in the third quarter. The player known as Born Ready hit about a 12-foot scoop shot halfway down the right side of the lane. He was also fouled on the play and hit the free throw to give the Pacers a five-point lead. Before that, the Pacers had missed their first nine shots of the second half, scoring a lone point on a Roy Hibbert free throw. After Stephenson's 3-point play, Paul George followed with a 3-pointer and the Magic were never closer than five points the rest of the way.
The Ups
Lance Stephenson had one of his typical nights for the Pacers, finishing
with 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and providing his usual spark.
1) The Pacers got some much needed production from the bench, something that had been missing as of late. C.J. Watson, Danny Granger, Luis Scola and Ian Mahinmi combined for 23 points in the first half and they finished with 45 for the game. The bench had scored just 23 points combined in the previous two games. The bench built the lead to 16 points in the second quarter before the Pacers eventually settled for a nine point lead at the half. The bench then came in and continued to play well at the start of the fourth quarter, extending the 12-point lead to 20 points by midway through the quarter. Granger looked especially comfortable in the offense, maybe the best he's looked since returning from his knee surgery. He finished with 16 points and also had a couple of nice finds and finished with three assists too. If the Pacers can get some consistent play like that from Granger, it will be a significant step in their goal to defeat the Heat and reach the NBA Finals.
2) Pacers fans know that Stephenson has a motor that won't stop, and for most part that's been a good thing this season. And it was good thing in this game. Stephenson didn't play a perfect game, but he finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and five assists and gave the Pacers that much needed boost in the third quarter when the game was in danger of being a close one.
3) I liked that Pacers coach Frank Vogel compared his team to the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Monday. The Pacers had strayed a bit from their defensive identity and it was a reminder to the team to not forget the style of play that is needed to win a championship. And also, too, it was a good reminder by Vogel that he still believes in his team. And that's important because the Pacers in general just haven't displayed the kind of confidence they had early in the season. And while Orlando has had its struggles this season, it's always good when you hold an opponent under 80 points, something the Pacers have now done nine times this season.
The Downs
1) After staring out so well and shooting over 50 percent for much of the first half, the Pacers offense decided to take a hiatus in the final three minutes of the second quarter and for most of the third quarter. They went from moving the ball and cutting to get open to standing around and watching Stephenson, George Hill and Paul George launch and mostly miss 3-pointers. It's probably lucky they were playing Orlando or the nine-point halftime lead would have likely been completely gone. The Pacers and Magic combined to score 29 points in the third quarter, and that was with a late surge by the Pacers. Not the most fun 12 minutes of basketball I've ever watched.
Afterthoughts
It was good that the Pacers finally beat a team they way they should have. The Pacers still had some moments where you wondered what they were doing out there, but it was important for them to have an easy game before they head to Atlanta. And maybe this will give them at least a little confidence boost too.
Next Up
The Pacers will try to do something they have struggled with a bit this year and that's win the second night of a back-to-back on the road when they play the Hawks in a 7:30 p.m. game Tuesday. The Pacers were without Stephenson when they went to Atlanta on Jan. 8 and lost 97-87. The Hawks were hit hard with injury when they lost center Al Horford for the season, but others have picked up their game. That includes forward Paul Millsap, who was deservedly named to the All-Star team, who is averaging 17.7 points and 8.2 rebounds. The Hawks also have point guard Jeff Teague at 16.2 points and 7.3 assists. That could be a problem area for the Pacers who have been letting point guards run crazy on them lately (the Suns' Goran Dragic would be exhibit A). Atlanta also has sharpshooter Kyle Korver at 12.2 points, DeMarre Carroll at 10.2 points and super sub Lou Williams at 9.6 points. This is the kind of game where the Pacers should be able to take advantage of their size with Hibbert and West inside. In their last meeting Hibbert and West combined to score 10 points on 5 of 19 shooting from the field. The Pacers can't have that happen again if they want to win on the road against the Hawks, who at 25-21 were sitting in the third spot in the East heading into Monday night's games. The Hawks also had Monday night off, so they'll be rested and ready for the Pacers.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

An ugly win and the Bynum factor

The Pacers defeated the visiting Brooklyn Nets 97-96 Saturday night. The Pacers are now 36-10 while the Nets are 20-25.
The Big Plays
The Nets hung around in this game and the score was 76-76 when Pacers center Roy Hibbert made a nice up an under move, where he made the basket and also was fouled and made the free throw to give the Pacers the lead for good with 6:50 remaining. Another key play came with 57 seconds left when the Pacers were up by three and David West banked in a 10-footer. George Hill also made a key free throw with the Pacers up three in the final 30 seconds to keep it a two possession game and West made two free throws to put the lead at three points with 7.6 seconds left. West also hit another free throw with 4.2 seconds left to give the Pacers a four-point lead, which was key, since the Nets' Deron Williams hit a 3-pointer for what turned out to be the final score.
The Ups
1) For the second straight game the Pacers took advantage of center Roy Hibbert inside. After scoring 26 points in a loss against the Suns Thursday, he came back with 20 points Saturday night. Hibbert may have also had the most entertaining move of the night in the third quarter, when with the shot clock running down and standing at the edge of the free-throw line, he took two dribbles, made a ball fake pass to the middle, and then went in for the layup and was fouled. Roy the point guard, at least for a moment, also made that free throw to complete the three-point play. It brought a smile from Hibbert and some key points to the Pacers to put them up by 10 at the moment. Hibbert also added five rebounds and three blocked shots and as usual, just his presence in the paint keeps opponents outside the lane, making them take lower percentage shots.
Pacers power forward David West finished with
17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists Saturday.
2) When it comes to triple-double watches, Pacers fans usually think of Lance Stephenson. But the guy who got sort of close to that Saturday night was power forward David West. He finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. He also hit those key free throws in the final seconds. And while all those things were important for this game, West's presence and leadership on the team has to be one the reasons that Pacers President Larry Bird felt the team could take the risk of signing Andrew Bynum.
3) One of the reasons the Pacers were able to win this one was because they easily won the rebound battle. They outrebounded the Nets 46-27, including getting eight rebounds from Paul George, along with seven each from West, Stephenson and Luis Scola. This game wasn't pretty to watch by any stretch, but the rebounding helped cover many of the Pacers mistakes.
The Downs
1) A lot of those mistakes were turnovers. The Pacers finished 23 for the game, and they had six of them in the third quarter. The disturbing thing about many of them is that they came on passes that really weren't necessary and were sometimes forced. The Pacers were fortunate to be catching the Nets on a second night of a back-to-back on this one, or the final result could have been different.
2) The Pacers bench continued its recent inefficiencies. Against the Nets they hit just 4 of 18 shots from the field, bringing their shooting total in the last four games to 36 of 113. Hopefully this is a midseason slump, but it's one of the reasons the Pacers have to give Andrew Bynum try (more on that below).
Afterthoughts
This may have been one of the Pacers ugliest wins of the season. It was as if they were still getting used to being home after coming home from their West Coast trip. That was understandable for Thursday, but not really for Saturday, especially with the Nets on the second night of a back-to- back. But nonetheless, a win is a win, and every team is glad to get them and nobody gives them back. These ups and downs are somewhat typical in a long NBA season, it's just good that the Pacers can win on at least a good number of these nights when they aren't at their best. The Pacers are 22-2 at home and now have beat the Nets all four times they have played them this season, so however you want to slice it, those are good things.
The Signing
The Pacers hope they get something
close the Lakers' version of Andrew Bynum.
The big news off the court came early Saturday morning when the Pacers announced they had signed free agent center Andrew Bynum for the rest of the season. One of big questions here is how will Bynum fit in with a team that has chemistry as one of its strengths. Bynum had signed a two-year deal with Cleveland before the season and averaged just over eight points and five rebounds before the Cavaliers essentially kicked him off the team, even though it officially came in a trade with the Bulls for Luol Deng. It's become apparent in the last couple of weeks that the Pacers' bench needed a boost, especially with little offensive output from backup center Ian Mahinmi. The fact that Bynum lasted longer than a month is obviously not a good sign either. But in an odd sort of way, that may actually work in the Pacers favor.
The fact he went unsigned for so long may have sent a bit of message to Bynum that he's not the hot commodity that he thought he was. He knows he needs to make a good impression with his attitude as well as be an effective player on the court to try and impress a potential suitor for next year. And the fact that the Pacers are likely to make a deep run into the playoffs, can also only help him. If Bynum can play a positive role in that run, he knows that will only help his value. So, this might not be as risky of a move as it appears. You also have to look down the road here a bit too, in that if Hibbert gets in foul trouble in a key playoff game, Bynum certainly has the potential to give the Pacers quality minutes off the bench. And finally, too, if the Pacers fall to the Heat again in the Eastern Conference finals, and they had not signed Bynum, they would have been left asking the "what if?" question. At least the front office can know it did all it could to make this a championship team. That's all you can really ask of them. Signing Bynum is not a slam dunk to work, but the decision to at least give it a try was a slam dunk.
Next Up
The Pacers play host to the Orlando Magic in a 7 p.m. game Monday. The Pacers opened the season with a 97-87 win against the Magic. Orlando has struggled as expected for much of this season with a 13-35 record going into their Sunday afternoon game at Boston. The Magic have been led by guard Arron Afflalo at 20 points per game. They also have rookie and former Indiana University star Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris each at 13.9 points a game, Jameer Nelson at 13.4 points, Nic Vucevic at 13.1 points and 10.8 rebounds and Glen Davis at 12.6 points. The Magic had particularly rough January where they went 3-14 for the month.