The 2015-16 NBA season has concluded for the Indiana Pacers. Sad as that may be, there are a number of reasons for optimism in Indiana.
One of the most competitive first-round series of the 2016 NBA Playoffs came to a close on Sunday, May 1, when the Toronto Raptors overcame the Indiana Pacers in a high-stakes Game 7. With its win, Toronto advanced to the second round for the first time since 2001.
Unfortunately for Indiana, its postseason run ended there.
2015-16 was a somewhat triumphant season for a Pacers team that underwent significant changes during the preceding offseason. Defensive anchor Roy Hibbert was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, backup point guard C.J. Watson signed with the Orlando Magic, and veteran leader—and clutch maestro—David West joined the San Antonio Spurs.
Coupled with the uncertainty surrounding Paul George’s recovery from a compound fracture in his right leg, Indiana exceeded expectations by going 45-37 and taking the No. 2 seed to seven games.
With the season coming to a close, however, the Pacers face an offseason of relative uncertainty. The roster structure did well, but fans are hungry for more, and the franchise player will likely be asking the front office to help him contend.
Before facing the uncertainty, Pacers fans must embrace the five reasons for optimism from the 2015-16 NBA season.
Next: We Must Protect This House
5. Home Court Advantage
No team becomes a championship contender without establishing a legitimate home court advantage. No team made the playoffs with a losing record at home in 2015-16, and only one team did so in 2014-15—a Brooklyn Nets team that lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Despite losing much of its identity during the preceding offseason, the Indiana Pacers still managed to go 26-15 at home in 2015-16.
Indiana has a wonderful home crowd that shows up and unleashes a deafening level of support for the Pacers. That can’t be said for all NBA teams, no matter how passionate fans claim to be.
More importantly, it helps make the Pacers a perennial postseason contender.
Going into Indiana is already hard enough with an opposing player, Paul George, who can destroy your gameplan on both ends of the floor. Having to deal with a raucous crowd, which will not go silent, only magnifies the struggle.
It may not seem like much, but teams that protect their home court tend to make the playoffs.
Next: Embracing Change
4. 3-Point Shooting
Indiana Pacers team president Larry Bird has begun to embrace the direction of the NBA. The Pacers experienced a respectable measure of success as a defensive-minded team that placed a small emphasis on offensive execution, but Bird made serious changes during the summer of 2015.
The result: Indiana prioritized 3-point shooting more than ever before.
In 2012-13, the Pacers ranked No. 22 in 3-point field goal percentage and No. 16 in 3-point field goals made. In 2013-14, Indiana was No. 17 in 3-point field goal percentage and No. 22 in 3-point field goals made.
With 2014-15 serving as an outlier due to Paul George’s absence, Indiana had its breakthrough in 2015-16.
Indiana converted 8.1 3-point field goals per game in 2015-16—far more than the 6.7 it converted in 2012-13, and the 6.9 it hit in 2013-14. It still hasn’t fully accepted the need to operate from beyond the arc, but Bird has made moves in free agency and the NBA Draft that suggest he’s finally embracing the need to space the floor.
For as successful as the 2013 and 2014 seasons were, the Pacers are shifting towards an offensive system that better suits the modern era. That’s something to be excited about.
Next: Still Got It, Part I
3. Top 5 Defense
Entering the 2015-16 NBA regular season, there was a genuine fear that the Indiana Pacers would lose their defensive edge. Say what you will about Roy Hibbert, but the one thing that he never lost in Indiana was his elite status as a rim protector.
Despite gutting the roster of the big men who made it so imposing, Indiana maintained its Top 5 status as a defensive team.
Indiana finished the 2015-16 regular season at No. 8 in scoring defense and No. 6 in opponent field goal percentage. That may fall outside of the Top 5, but both Top 10 rankings are more about what’s on the surface than what the Pacers truly were.
The proof: Indiana ranked No. 3 in the NBA in both points allowed per 100 possessions and opponent 3-point field goal percentage.
In other words, Frank Vogel overcame the loss of his rim protector by building one of the best defensive perimeters in the NBA. Indiana needs to do a better job of preventing penetration and protecting the rim, but Paul George having a full offseason to train should help.
The player on the following slide is already making his presence known.
Next: The Future
2. Myles Turner’s Potential
The Indiana Pacers made a serious gamble with the No. 11 overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft. It was less of a risk given the position of the pick, but Texas Longhorns big man Myles Turner was one of the most polarizing prospects in his class.
Turner has gone a long way towards silencing his critics after putting forth a very solid rookie season.
The knock on Turner coming out of college was that he routinely disappeared against the highest level of competition. That was true throughout his freshman season at Texas, and it was a sign, to many, that he wouldn’t live up to his All-NBA potential.
Turner may never reach the height of his upside, but 2015-16 was a strong step in the right direction.
Turner had a quality regular season, but during the playoffs, he showed just how good he could become. The 7’0″ big man with a 7’4″ wingspan was a block machine, averaging 3.3 per contest over the course of the Pacers’ seven-game series against the Toronto Raptors.
Turner may or may not become a genuine star, but he clearly belongs in the NBA.
Next: Still Got It, Part II
1. Paul George Is Back
On August 1, 2014, Paul George suffered what many believed was a career-threatening injury. A compound fracture isn’t exactly the sign of the end for an NBA player, but the traumatic nature of it was certain to shake George at his very core.
Less than two years later, George has established, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is back to being one of the best players in the NBA.
George excelled during the regular season—so much so that he’s expected to be selected to an All-NBA Team. He averaged 23.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.6 3-point field goals made per game, and led the Indiana Pacers to an unexpected postseason appearance.
In his first full season back from the gruesome injury, he set or matched career-best averages in points, assists, steals, and 3-point field goals made.
In the playoffs, George silenced his critics by averaging 27.3 points on a tremendously efficient slash line of .455/.419/.953. Beyond the numbers, he took over games for extended periods of time, and played lockdown defense on All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan.
That’s right in line with his holding opponents to a field goal percentage that was 4.0 percentage points lower than their cumulative average during the 2015-16 regular season.
More hoops habit: Who will the Indiana Pacers target in the 2016 NBA Draft?
The season is over, and the offseason creates many doubts, but with the franchise player back and better than ever, the Pacers have a shining reason for optimism.