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Stats Behind The Indiana Pacers Amazing Turnaround

By Mark Vandeusen

Mar 10, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Rodney Stuckey (2) after scoring and getting fouled is congratulated by forward Luis Scola (4) during a game against the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Rodney Stuckey (2) after scoring and getting fouled is congratulated by forward Luis Scola (4) during a game against the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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On Jan. 23, the Indiana Pacers fell to the Miami Heat 89-87.  It was the seventh straight loss for Indiana, dropping the team’s record to 15-30.  At the time, the Pacers’ winning percentage was the sixth-worst in the NBA.

Since that day, Indiana has undergone a dramatic change of fortune.  On Tuesday night the Pacers beat the Orlando Magic 118-86, marking their 12th victory in 14 tries.

Indiana is 14-4 in its last 18 games, the best record in the league over that stretch.  A club that appeared destined for a top lottery pick is now firmly in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.  At 29-34, the Pacers are in the seventh position and rising fast.

How does a squad playing .333 ball suddenly start winning games at a .778 clip?  This is Stat Central, so here are some of the numbers involved in Indiana’s impressive resurgence.

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Beginning with the basics, the Pacers are scoring a lot more points than they were before.  After the loss in Miami, Indiana’s scoring total stood at 94.7 points per game.  At the time they were being outscored by an average margin of 2.7 points.  From Jan. 24 on, the Pacers have posted 100.8 points a game and outscored their opponents by an average of 7.6.

What’s causing the scoring increase?  For starters, the Pacers are shooting the ball much, much better.  Through their first 45 games they had a field goal percentage of 42.7, which at the time was worse than all but 26 other NBA teams.  Over its last 18 contests Indiana is shooting 46.4 percent from the floor, the most accurate rate in the league.

The Pacers’ three-point shooting has also undergone an abrupt spike in accuracy.  On Jan. 24 Indiana was shooting 32.3 percent from long range, 25th-best out of 30 ballclubs.  But in the last six weeks the Pacers have morphed that number to 38 percent, the fourth-best league-wide. Like its shooting, Indiana’s ball movement has greatly improved as well.  

Through 45 contests the Pacers averaged 20.6 assists per game, 21st in the NBA.  Over the 18 games since Indiana is dishing out 23.8 assists a night, ranking them No. 4 in the league.  In addition, the Pacers are taking much better care of the ball, reducing their turnovers per game from 14.7 to 12.8.

Combining those two stats, Indiana’s assist-to-turnover ratio has made a huge jump, from 1.40 on January 24 to 1.86 ever since, the third-highest in the NBA in that time. The Pacers have also significantly improved their defense.  Over its first 45 games Indiana’s opponents shot 44 percent from the floor.  

But in the last 18 contests, the Pacers are allowing the opposition to shoot just 41.5 percent, the second-lowest number in the league. No player sums up Indiana’s hot streak better than Rodney Stuckey, who had his best game of the year in the win over the Magic:

Stuckey’s statistical output mirrors the team’s as a whole over the last six weeks.  On January 24, Stuckey was averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 41.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from downtown.  Over the last 18 games Stuckey is Indiana’s leading scorer, averaging 16.4 PPG on 51.6 percent shooting, 47.9 percent on three-pointers.

With the impending return of Paul George looming in the near future, the surging Pacers may have a legitimate chance to make something out of their once very bleak season.

Next: Stat Central: Which NBA Franchise is the Worst Ever?

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