Indiana Pacers: 5 keys to series vs. Cavaliers

4. Move the ball

Anyone who’s watched the Cavs this year knows that they’re not about to be confused with the 1996 Bulls. Hell, they’re not about to be confused with the 2018 Bulls either.

Cleveland ended the year ranked 29th in defensive rating, one spot ahead of the Phoenix Suns, who played most of the year as if they were trying out to be the Harlem Globetrotters’ next opponent. That the Cavs managed such a feat in a league where nearly a third of the teams were actively trying to lose games by the beginning of March is perhaps their greatest accomplishment on the season.

They were at their worst when opposing teams moved the ball and moved themselves. Cleveland’s execution was the opposite of moving on a string, and it didn’t get much better after the trade deadline, when they improved from 29th in defense before the deadline to 19th after. That was better than only two teams that made the postseason – the seventh-seeded Milwaukee Bucks and the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

Here’s the problem: The Pacers are one of the worst passing teams in the league, at least when you’re talking about passes that lead to baskets. They’re third-to-last in assist percentage on the year, and their leading assist man is Darren Collison, who averages just 5.3 dimes per game.

There is some good news: When Collison gets eight or more assists in a game this year, Indiana is 13-2. If there were ever a time to put the ball in his hands and let him run the show, it’s now.