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Pacers Mythbusting: A tale of three blowouts
🕑 Added 2023-12-23 15:18:00 +0000 UTCRecapping the lopsided week for the Pacers, with key takeaways about some prevailing myths
By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper
It was a lopsided week for the Pacers - both in terms of record and scoring margin. After giving up 151 points to the Los Angeles Clippers, marking the fourth 150-point game in the NBA this season (all of which the Pacers have been involved in, for better or worse), the Pacers did what they were supposed to do (and then some) against the Charlotte Hornets, tallying 144 points in a 31-point victory. Then, to keep the pendulum swinging, Indiana trailed by as many as 23 points to the Memphis Grizzlies and managed to get it all back, briefly taking the lead in the third quarter, only to lose by double figures, falling 116-103 in what was Ja Morant's first home game of the season.
Meanwhile, just as the team ebbed-and-flowed, so too has Tyrese Haliburton's production against increased defensive attention, as his scoring average and efficiency have dipped since his lights out performance throughout the NBA's In-Season Tournament.
For context on what to take away from the highs and lows, let's return to the film room, shall we?
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:13 - Examining what's changed for Haliburton amid his current slide
6:45 - Is there anything the Pacers can do to help him navigate the extra traffic?
9:50 - Bruce Brown and T.J. McConnell being defended by centers
15:05 - Pushing back on "stats merchant" as a concept
17:00 - The Pacers are making tweaks defensively, which is why the defense is more concerning
23:35 - Highlighting some signs of life from Bennedict Mathurin as a team defender
25:30 - What the current slump has revealed about the team's roster construction
26:41 - Why not start Aaron Nesmith at small forward?
28:00 - Goodbye and Happy Holidays!
Comments
James McGuffey
We use screenpal at my University as a tool to record lectures. It automatically tracks the cursor and it provides tools for drawing. Not sure what the licensing costs are though.
Rafa
Great analysis. Do you feel the team playing more typical help defense might be taking away from the teams ability to push off makes? Maybe everybody staying home at the 3 point and the other team scoring in the paint constantly put them in position to successfully push off makes. I am not seeing the same speed transitioning to offense. Unfortunately I feel it might be intentional. Personally, I had started to see this team as a great experiment. I think they maybe moving away from some of the characteristics that made it particularly interesting/unique imo
Caitlin Cooper
I'll have to look into this and see if there is a tool I can find.
rug
Awesome thank you Caitlin. Perfect homework before the Magic game. P.S. Have you ever tried using some kind of on-screen pen software to show 'routes', John Madden style? I think it would be a vibe lol! Happy holidays!
Caitlin Cooper
Andrew Nembhard was definitely an outlier.
Caitlin Cooper
They and he might get there eventually. I anticipated that he would spend at least some time with the Mad Ants before the season started.
Caitlin Cooper
Aaron has been a real bright spot this season
Caitlin Cooper
Good to interact with you in a comments section, again. Indy Cornrows forever.
Caitlin Cooper
Thanks, Keith
Jeff Hasser
Also I would love to be proven wrong and Jarace become a difference maker to this team this season, I am just not optimistic that happens this year.
Jeff Hasser
I get this point, but I think people underrate how much the G League can be an opportunity for young guys to develop, especially rookies. Rookies historically aren't great on defense either, so I think banking on him to be that rare exception is setting him up for failure. I also think most of us agree on taking the long term approach with Jarace, just a difference in where that is. I'm optimistic that he can have real minutes on this team next year.
Dwain Kitchel
merry ho ho Caitlin, yet another great breakdown thx
Keith Correll
This format with you speaking directly to the film is really good. Easy to follow, understandable and enjoyable. Merry Christmas!!!
maninthebooth
Really like the videos. They're much easier to follow with your narration. I'm sure they also take more time to prepare. I've been hoping to see Aaron at the 3 in the starting lineup. Your explanation about it depending on Jarace's growth makes sense. I hope he does. He is such a great all around player, he would be a big asset as would Aaron as a complementary scorer to Ty.
Pinder
Great post! I agree Rick is reluctant to put Walker out there given he has some development to do. But I'm with the fanbase here; he can get some of these reps in real games by now, and he doesn't need to be in the G-League until All-Star break or something. Especially given how bad the team is on defense, I think his mistakes would be worth the short-medium term pain. Like what the Warriors have done with TJD, now he is starting to contribute at a higher level. He fit a real need for the Warriors, like Walker would for Indy.
