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Indiana Pacers: 5 Things That Need To Happen To Make Small Ball Work

By Cameron Stewart

Sep 28, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; (left ro right) Indiana Pacers guard Monta Ellis (11), forward Paul George (13), and guard George Hill (3) pose for a photo with coach Frank Vogel during media day at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; (left ro right) Indiana Pacers guard Monta Ellis (11), forward Paul George (13), and guard George Hill (3) pose for a photo with coach Frank Vogel during media day at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Indiana Pacers
Sep 28, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; (left to right) Indiana Pacers guard Monta Ellis (11), forward Paul George (13), and guard George Hill (3) pose for a photo with coach Frank Vogel during media day at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

The days of struggling to score 80 points in a game for the Indiana Pacers seem to be a thing of the past with the team’s new emphasis on playing small-ball.

The Pacers are averaging 103 points per game through six preseason games, up six points per game from last season. The difference in scoring output of last year’s Pacers team and this preseason is the exact same difference there was last year between the Pacers (24th in NBA in points per game) and the Cavaliers (eighth).

The scoring output has mathematically met the expectations of president of basketball operations Larry Bird, who said in a July press conference that he wants his team to score six to eight points more per game than last season.

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The Pacers teams of years past that battled LeBron James‘ Miami Heat teams were the antithesis of the small-ball movement that has been taking over the NBA.

The size and strength of David West and Roy Hibbert made teams pay for going small against the Pacers by protecting the rim, out-rebounding opponents, and posting up West on teams who dared to defend him with an undersized wing.

Hibbert and West are long gone and team management has shifted their philosophy to embrace small ball. The Pacers drafted Texas big man Myles Turner and signed Jordan Hill to help replace West and Hibbert, but neither appear to be joining the starting lineup.

Instead, Paul George will start at the power forward spot for the first time in his career and Ian Mahinmi will be the starting center on opening night.

The transition has been met with resistance from star George, but as Bird has stated, “He (George) don’t make the decisions around here.” George has had his ups and downs in the preseason in his new position, but his new position has shown positive signs for what his and the Pacers potential is with him playing the 4.

George had an impressive 32-point game in only 24 minutes against the Pistons and also a 26-point, 13-rebound outing against the Chicago Bulls. George’s play in preseason has Pacers fans optimistic about his health and productivity going into the season, and rightfully so.

The small-ball trend in the NBA has been one that’s grown exponentially in the past few years. The Golden State Warriors used the small-ball strategy to win 67 games last regular season and put the cherry on top of their historic season with an NBA title. Small ball has shown that it’s more than a gimmick and that you can win big in today’s pace-and-space era.

Here are the five keys for the Indiana Pacers that will be crucial to making their transition to small-ball a successful one.

Next: The Play of Paul George

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