Saturday, November 15, 2014

Pacers show a little pride in big win over Bulls

The visiting Pacers defeated the Chicago Bulls 99-90 Saturday night. The Pacers are now 4-7 while the Bulls are 7-3.
Forethoughts
Pacers 99, Bulls 90
A.J. Price came off the bench to score 21 points in the Pacers win Saturday night.
After getting embarrassed at home by the Denver Nuggest Friday night it was a given that the Pacers would come out with a better effort against the Bulls. But as has been the case in many of their games this season, the question was if that effort would be rewarded with a win. But the Pacers came out active, led by Luis Scola, from the beginning, and walked out of Chicago with their second road win of the week. Sure the Bulls are without star guard Derrick Rose, but as far as the Bulls are concerned, after missing almost all of the last two seasons, it's almost a surprise to see him on the court. Of course, some of the key players in this Pacers win did not see a lot of major minutes on the court last season. So, yes, mark one up for the underdogs once again.
Key Plays
The Pacers led 77-71 with 9:25 to go and then essentially put this one away with a 10-0 run while holding the Bulls without a point for the next 4:41. A.J. Price hit two 3-pointers in that run to give the Pacers a 3-1 record this week.
The Ups
1) It;s hard to believe that Price was not on an NBA team to begin the season. Price has certainly been worth the price the Pacers paid for him thanks to a roster exemption because of so many injuries. He has been a solid defender, which he always was, but now his offensive game has matured to the point where he has confidence to take and hit 3-pointers, as well as take guards off the dribble when the offense is breaking down. The Pacers have won four games now, and Price has played a major role in two of them. On this night, Price finished with 21 points
1) If the Pacers want to compete they need more games like this from Luis Scola. He was active from the beginning with 8 points and 6 rebounds midway through the first quarter. Scola finished with 21 poiints and 11 rebounds. But it's not just the numbers here. His energy was good throughout the game and maybe that was helped by his ability to hit that little 17-foot jumper from the elbow shot that he was open for during much of the game.
2) Solomon Hill continues to impress. There's no question that when George Hill and Rodney Stuckey return that Hill should remain a starter. He is a versatile offensive player and also a hard worker on defense. And with this current group of Pacers, when Solomon Hill is not on the court it's hard for them to compete at times. He ended up with 21 points and 10 rebounds in this one.
The Downs
1) As far as rookies go from the last two nights, it seems kind of hard to believe the Bulls traded Gary Harris to the Nuggets for Doug McDermott. Harris looked like the real deal in his first NBA game, while McDermott, while looking like a capable shooter for the Bulls, still has more of a work in progress look.
2) Damjan Rudez came to the Pacers as sort of designated shooter, and while he has hit an occasional 3-pointer, so far he's not been one of those "oh, no" guys for opponents when he lets the ball go. While his playing time will likely diminish a bit when Rodney Stuckey returns to health, up to this point, Rudez has missed too many shots during this opportunity to continue see ample playing time when others return to health.
Next Up
The Pacers get a few days off before they host the Charlotte Hornets Wednesday night. The Hornets were 4-5 going into their late game at Golden State Saturday night. They will host Dallas Monday. Of course, the big deal here is that it will be the return ot ex-Pacer Lance Stephenson, who signed with the Hornets as a free agent this offseason. Stephenson is averaging 9.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists. The Hornets have some other firepower to in center Al Jefferson at 21.7 points and 6.9 rebounds, guard Kemba Walker at 15.9 points, guard Gary Neal at 13.1 points and swingman Michael Kidd Gilchrist at 9.8.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Pacers should say "no thanks" to tank talk

Pacers 97, Jazz 86
The Pacers had reason to smile after Monday night's win over the Utah Jazz broke  a six-game losing streak.
The Pacers defeated the visiting Utah Jazz 97-86 Monday night. The Pacers now 2-6, broke a six-game losing streak, while the Jazz are 3-5.
Forethoughts
For the first time since the season opening win over the 76ers, the Pacers finally have a win to show for their effort. Sure, it came against a Jazz team that was on the second night of a back to back while the  Pacers were off Sunday, but the Pacers will take a win any way they can get it right now. Yes, there had been some folks calling for the Pacers to go for a tank season, you know, pretend you are playing to win, but you are really not in order to help your odds at getting a top draft pick. And while there is certainly some logic in it from a numbers standpoiint, the problem is that the Pacers have  a bunch of players who just don't like to lose. And that's still a good thing. Because sometimes, when you go from being good to bad, then go back to trying to be good again, it's not just a numbers thing but an attitude thing. And even with just two wins in their first eight games, you have to appreciate the attiitude of this team. Just how many wins it can translate into when other key players return to health is hard to say. Just remember a team can't win when it has a loser's mentality. It can be just awful to watch and an even more awful thing to change. So when it comes to tanking ... no thanks.
The Big Plays
There were three occasions where this game was tied late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter, and each time new/old Pacer (or is that old/new Pacer?) A.J. Price broke it with a key bucket. Price hit a 3-pointer to break at 67-67 tie, then hit a 19-foot jumper to break a 72-72 tie, then hit another 3-pointer to break a 77-77 tie with 8:45 left to give the Pacers the lead for good.
The Ups
1) When the Pacers picked up Price last week mostly as a desperation move because they were down to one point guard, it was bit interesting to read some comments on Facebook questioning why the Pacers made such a move. It was quite obvious considering they only had one healthy point guard in Donald Sloan. Also, Price, at the very least, is not going to hurt a team when he is on the court. So for those of us who watch the Pacers regularly it seemed like a common sense transaction, That move made a whole lot more sense Monday night when Price scored 22 points (just two points off of his career high) on 8 of 12 shooting from the floor. Price has not all of a sudden become an all-star, but give him credit for being ready not only to play when called upon, but to play well.
2) Roy Hibbert had his best game of the early season with 29 points. It was good to see the Pacers be able to take advantage of the undersized Jazz by using Hibbert as primary option on offense. It was also good to see Hibbert to continue to play with confidence with his second straight 20-point game. The Pacers can only hope he can keep the offensive momentum going.
3) Pacers coach Frank Vogel deserves a little credit for this one, too. Vogel stayed with Price and reserve power forward Lavoy Allen, who had 12 points and 15 rebounds, deep in the  fourth quarter. Vogel stayed basic by rewarding the players who were playing well on this night by allowing them to play more minutes. It may not seem like a big deal, but it's something that a lot of coaches would not do.
4) Former Butler star Gordon Heyward has turned into an NBA star now. The always highly skilled, but skinny kid, has now grown into his body and is the complete package. He showed that by scoring 30 points to go with eight rebounds and five assists Monday night. And in case you've forgotten, the Pacers didn't have a chance to pick Heyward in the NBA Draft as he went ninth, one pick before the Pacers selected  Paul George in 2010.
The Downs
The Pacers so-called shooters, Chris Copeland and Damjan Rudez, combined to shoot  just 3 for 12 in this game, so you'd like to see them do a little better than that. However, all three of their field goals were 3-pointers, including one by Rudez that tied the game, so it wasn't all bad.
Next Up
The Pacers will travel to Miami to play the defending Eastern Conference champion Heat. Last year, this was a big regular season game, but it certainly isn't this year, at least not for the same reasons. The Heat do have Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade back and are off to a 5-2 start. Bosh is leading the way at 23.6 points and 10.3 rebounds, followed by Wade at 19.7, Luol Deng at 15.6, Mario Chalmers at 11, and Shawne Williams (yes, that former Pacer Shawne Williams) at 10.1.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Pacers are climbers, but not conqurers for now

The Pacers lost their sixth straight game Saturday night, a 97-90 loss to  the visiting Washington Wizards. The Pacers are 1-6 on the season with their first six-game losing streak since March of 2011, while the Wizards improved to 5-2.
Forethoughts
Halftime: Pacers 35, Wizards 54
Solomon Hill had a career night with 28 points and six rebounds
but it wasn't enough to lift the Pacers to a win Saturday.
The Pacers had every good reason to give up in this one. They were down by 18 after the quarter and had played miserably. They lost the only true starter they had to begin the game in center Roy Hibbert with a bruised knee. One of their bright spots in this season, Chris Copeland, was having pretty much a disaster game. And yet, this team refused to give in, cutting what had been a 22-point deficit in the first half, to three points late in the fourth quarter. It's a pretty odd thing to say, but this it's probably hard to find a more entertaining 1-6 team in recent NBA seasons. But here is the thing about the NBA, you can play with all the heart in the world, but on most nights, talent takes over. And the Pacers right now, with all five starters missing for most of this one, simply didn't have enough talent on the floor to win. Sure, we all  love Copeland and what he can bring to a team on most nights, but he's got limitations. It's been a pleasure to see the progress of point guard Donald Sloan, showing that he definitely belongs in the NBA after rarely getting into games last year. They would be great guys to bring off the bench, which was the original plan, and their effort maybe would be contagious. But they, Solomon Hill (more on him below) and C.J. Miles simply are not starting players in the NBA. I expect the Pacers will continue to play hard and give us all that they have. And that's a good thing that shouldn't be taken for granted. But now we know why we shouldn't take the talents of starters George Hill, David West, Rodney Stuckey, Paul George and Hibbert for granted either.
Big Plays
The key exhcange here came between the 6:49 and 6:02 mark. The Pacers were down three and Solomon Hill  missed a shot, got his own rebound, and  missed again. Then Wizards point guard John Wall  did what good  players do,  taking the ball  right at Pacers rookie big man shayne  Whittington and drawing a foul. Wall  hit the two free throws to make  it a five point game  and that was that.
The Ups
The biggest up in this one without question was the play of Solomon Hill. He has shown significant growth since the regular season started. He is capable of shooting the 3-pointer, has shown a mid-range jumper, hustled after rebounds, can drive into the lane and create his own shot or opportunities for others and didn't embarrass himself when he was forced into emergency point guard duty in a couple of games. So, while no one is projecting Hill to be a superstar, he certainly has shown he is more than capable of being solid NBA player. And with the minutes he will continue to get because of the injuries, it will be interesting to see just how his game continues to develop in the coming weeks. You have to like what you've seen so far.
The Downs
1) Yes, Copeland has shown he is a capable scorer as expected, but this was simply not his night. He finished with 14 points, but was just 1 for 10 from 3-point range. Sure, he's capable of catching fire at any time, but most of his shots looked off as soon as the ball left his hand. Part of his maturation as a player will be learning not to launch so many of those shots when they are not going in.
2) Turnovers have been a key issue this season and Saturday was no exception. The Pacers finished with 18, and maybe that's not too bad considering they had 10 in the first quarter. But a team that is missing so many key pieces can't continually afford to give away possessions.
3) Free throws are one of those basic things and when you are trying to comeback from a big deficit, they are potential points that are difficult to give away. That also hurt their comeback chances as they hit just 11 of 20 free throws in the first three  quarters. If they had hit, say a realistic 15 of 20, they may have taken the lead late in the game, instead of being down by three, and who knows what would've happened  then.
Next Up 
The Pacers play host to the Utah Jazz Monday night. The Jazz are 2-4 going into Sunday night's game at Detroit. They are led by former Butler star Gordon Heyward at 18 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists, Derrick  Favor at 16.3 points and 7.8 rebounds, guard Alex Burks at 14 points, center Enes Kantner at 11.2 points, forward Trevor Booker at 10.8 points and point guard Trey Burke at 10.2 points and four assists.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Pacers lack of wins not due to lack of effort

The Pacers lost another tough game Friday night in Boston, falling to the Celtics 101-98. The Pacers have lost five straight now after winning their season opener, while the Celtics are 2-3.
Forethoughts
This is one of those teams where the effort has not been rewarded with a good record. Sure, it's true that in high school, and even in college games, that a good effort is almost always a precursor to victory. But the cold mean world of the NBA doesn't work that way. While there have been glimpses of good things from the current group of players, the bottom line is they just don't have enough talent to win. Sure, Donald Sloan has shown he belongs in this league. And yes, Chris Copeland certainly deserves to keep playing significant minutes even after George Hill, C.J. Watson, Rodney Stuckey and David West come back. There's no question that Solomon Hill has shown that he can be at least a useful player for a good team. And maybe in the long run, all of these guys getting a lot of playing time will be helpful once the Pacers can return to some semblance of health. So, maybe these guys getting a lot of playing time can help in a couple of ways. First, they and their now injured teammates can have confidence in them when they are on the floor together. Second, maybe the injured guys will  take note of the effort they are seeing and carry that through to their game. In fact, it would be a surprise if they didn't. But for now, it's on to the next game against the visiting Wizards.
The Big Plays
Halftime: Pacers 52, Celtics 55
Roy Hibbert was a bright spot for the Pacers Friday night
with 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.
As has been the case in  all of the Pacers games so far, there have been key plays late. The two big ones here were when Donald Sloan missed a somewhat challenged layup that would have given the Pacers a one point lead with 29 seconds left. Then the Celtics' Jeff Green grabbed an offensive rebound with 6.1 seconds left after an Avery Bradley miss and the Celtics up one, forcing the Pacers to foul. Those two plays made what had been an uphill battle in the final minutes just a little too steep to climb this time.
The Ups
1)  While it's difficult to count on this group winning any games right now, what you can count on is effort. There are some teams that would look at the situation and realize they are signifiicantly down in personnel, meaning when they are significantly down on the scoreboard in the second quarter, or even in the fourth quarter, and just go through the motions. At least that is not the case with this team. But for everyone involved, a win anytime now sure would be nice.
2) Chris Copeland has certainly proved he can be a significant help to this team if given a chance. Sure, there are some times he gets caught on mismatches on defense that can hurt the team. However, once the regular crew returns, the defensive issues won't happen as often and the Pacers can still get the benefits of his offense from him. OptimusCope, as he is known on Twitter, has proven he can handle the ball good enough to get to the basket, and if he sees an open teammate under the basket he will  make that extra pass. He's not an all-star, but he's proven he's more than just a 3-point shooter.
3) Give Coach Frank Vogel some credit here for keeping a heavily undermanned team close in these early games. It''s part strategy, and it's part attitude and making them believe they can have a chance to win. And they have had their chances. However, he does still need some work on game-ending plays with Roy Hibbert left to take 3-pointer in Wednesday's  loss, and then the inbounds play getting picked  off at the end of Friday night's game.
The Downs
1) This is partly due  to the team's injury situation, but the defense has suffered a lot with mismatches in these early games. These are mismatches where the bigger players get caught on smaller players, causing all sorts of breakdowns on the defensive end. Maybe it will help a little to have A.J. Price around to at least defend the other teams' backup point guard, There were times where the Celtics went small Friday night, sometimes leaving Copeland guarding point guard Rajon  Rondo. It seems the other teams saw what others did against the Pacers in the playoffs last year. Hopefully when George Hill and Watson return that will remedy that problem at least somewhat.
Next Up
The Pacers will try to get their second win of the season against the visiting Wizards Saturday night. Washington lost at Toronto Friday night 103-84. The Wizards are 4-2 and defeated the Pacers 96-94 in overtime in Washington Wednesday night.