Indiana Pacers: The Lance Stephenson Effect Cuts Both Ways

The Indiana Pacers took a gamble and brought back Lance Stephenson after a three-year hiatus from the team. The early returns are in and Stephenson is having a huge impact on the team’s attitude and playoff chances.

Larry Bird and the Indiana Pacers thought long and hard before making the call to sign former Pacer Lance Stephenson with only six games remaining in the 2016-17 regular season.

The team needed a guard with size to come off the bench, but what it needed even more was an injection of energy. The Pacers have been playing without a sense of urgency for a while; it was time to shake things up.

Enter Lance Stephenson.

Larry Bird knows better than anyone what a mixed bag Stephenson offers. He’ll make brilliant plays and get his teammates fired up. Then, he’ll do something on or off the court that, well, defies logic.

In 49 states, he's just Lance Stephenson. In Indiana, he's Born Ready.
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) April 5, 2017

Lance Stephenson is an impact player, but that impact can be very positive or very negative at any given moment.

In only two games since being added to Indiana’s active roster, we’ve already seen “Lance being Lance.” Stephenson has provided energy, enthusiasm and timely playmaking, but he has also shown that his maturity remains a work in progress.

The Pacers found themselves down by 19 points at home against the Toronto Raptors on April 4 when Lance Stephenson began to impose his will not only on the opponent, but his teammates as well.

Stephenson led a charge that resulted in a 37-point turnaround as Indiana secured a very important 108-90 victory over the Raptors on Tuesday night. However, “Born Ready” had one last trick up his sleeve as the game clock wound down.

The Pacers grabbed a rebound with 10 seconds left in the game, while holding a 15-point lead. Paul George passed the ball to Stephenson, but instead of dribbling out the clock as is customary, he drove to the other end of the court for a layup.

This perceived act of disrespect incited several of Toronto’s players and a fight nearly broke out on the floor with 3.3 seconds remaining in a game that had been long since decided.

In the end, there was no real harm done by Stephenson’s lack of judgment, but this one game showcased exactly what you get with Lance Stephenson: a roller coaster ride of highs and lows.

After two games, the Lance Stephenson Effect has mostly been positive, and he may in fact be a primary factor if the Indiana Pacers are able to slip into the 2017 NBA Playoffs.

Stephenson is adding excitement to a team that desperately needed it, but one must remember that he is just as capable of tearing down anything he has helped to build up.

Lance Stephenson giveth. Lance Stephenson taketh away. #UTAatMEM
— David J. Smith (@davidjsmith1232) March 5, 2016

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Cautious optimism would seem to be the order of the day regarding Lance Stephenson, but he has certainly made his mark on the Pacers in a very short time.

Lance Stephenson brings toughness and an “edge” to a team that seemed disinterested before his arrival.

Stephenson may pose a risk to any team that employs him, but the Indiana Pacers had nothing to lose by signing the turbulent guard — they were going nowhere fast.

The acquisition of Lance Stephenson could eventually end badly for Indiana, but so far, he has been a breath of fresh air to a team that was virtually lifeless before he was signed.

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For all the good and bad that encompasses Lance Stephenson, he is exactly what the Indiana Pacers need right now. Even if it all goes south, it will have been a fun ride.

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