Hoops Habit
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Indiana Pacers: 5 Keys To Completing The Upset

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) dribbles past Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) in game one of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Indiana defeated Toronto 100-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) dribbles past Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) in game one of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Indiana defeated Toronto 100-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) fouls Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) in game one of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Indiana defeated Toronto 100-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

3. PG-13 Guarding DeRozan

We’ll get to Paul George’s complete takeover in a bit, but his stifling defense on DeMar DeRozan needs to mentioned as well. Not only did PG-13 have one of his finest offensive displays of the season, but he also put the clamps on Toronto’s leading scorer for all of DeRozan’s 37 minutes.

During the regular season, DeRozan averaged 23.5 points per game on 44.6 percent shooting while getting to the foul line 8.4 times a night and converting 85 percent of those free throw attempts. Against George’s massive wingspan, DeRozan only managed 14 points, going 5-of-19 from the field, 0-for-3 from three-point range and 4-for-6 from the foul line.

Will that trend continue for an entire seven-game series? Probably not. Last year in the playoffs, DeRozan averaged 20.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game and shot 37.5 percent from three-point range, and the season before, he posted a 24-4-4 stat line despite his sub-40 percent shooting.

But historically, DeRozan hasn’t been a particularly efficient shooter, and if Frank Vogel continues to put his best wing defender on the Raptors’ leading scorer, the Pacers can not only limit his offensive production, but keep him off the line as well.

Next: No. 2