Key For Indiana Pacers: Consistent Play
For the Indiana Pacers to reach their ceiling, a little more consistency is needed.
The Indiana Pacers are one of the NBA’s most inconsistent teams. Every time they get a win, the game that follows usually results in a loss. If they want to do some damage and be considered a legitimate contender in the tough Eastern Conference, the rest of the season will have to be a lot more stable.
Lets not be too hard on the Pacers though. Sitting at 22-17 on the year, that record is good enough for fifth in the Eastern standings. Fifth still might seem to be low for a team that was considered a challenger coming into the season, but they are only two games back in the loss column from the No. 2 ranked Toronto Raptors.
However, team consistency starts from players being solid night in and night out. Paul George has done exactly that, averaging 24.1 points per game and grabbing 7.6 rebounds per game as well. Many will even say that these numbers are good enough to put George in the MVP (Most Valuable Player) discussion.
What needs to be done moving forward?
As well as PG-13 has been playing, good teams have at least one, if not two, other role players that can contribute on a daily basis, to take some of the pressure off of the team’s star player. This is an area of weakness for the Pacers. Second leading scorer and lead assist man, Monta Ellis, has been doing a good job at adjusting to his new role, but must do more if the Pacers want to do any damage in the playoffs.
Although George may be the face of the franchise, that doesn’t mean Ellis has to give the ball to him every trip down the court, but it does give a new role, as discussed briefly earlier.
Going from sharp shooter and a pure scorer on the Dallas Mavericks, to a Pacers team that already has a first option and prides themselves on stout defense can be tough, but not impossible. Actually, this could benefit Ellis tremendously. With all of the opposing teams’ defensive attention going to George, Ellis will get open looks and better scoring opportunities that he will need to capitalize on.
Another player that must step up his game is George Hill. Hill is currently averaging 12.6 points per game and 3.2 assists per game, which ranks him 61st in the league. That low average of assists per game from your starting 1-guard is terrible. If Hill is going to continue to be gun-shy when it comes to shooting, than he will need to pick up the slack in the passing game. He has the perfect set of weapons in George and Ellis to distribute to.
Does this mean another mediocre season?
Are the Pacers headed in a bad direction? Not necessarily, but if they can correct the areas of weakness they have, than they can be a very scary team heading into the post season.
More hoops habit: Every NBA Team's Best Bargain Contract
If they continue to get no support from the role players and play a lack luster defense, this could turn into a very long season for Pacers fans.