Stampede Blue: All Posts by Daniel Young

Pacers vs. Heat: Highlights/Lowlights

2013-03-11T11:05:00Z

With how sporadic this Pacers team can be, I should've assumed they'd stink it up at American Airlines Arena after they ran Orlando out of their own gym a few nights ago. With the exception of David West and D.J. Augustin, the Pacers played some atrocious basketball. Leading up to this game, I was trying to convince myself the Pacers would somehow pull out a victory against a Miami team on one of the best runs in years, and I saw why I wasn't able to tonight.

Let's get this over with.

Highlights

David West

West was one of the few bright spots in this game, shooting 7-10 and 10-11 from the charity stripe. Snagging five rebounds and dishing out three assists, West seemed to be the only guy who could get anything going, in the paint, against Bosh and LeBron. He was also a nuisance defensively with four steals.

West has been the only player on this team who's played at a consistently high level for an extended stretch of the season. We've seen spurts of brilliance from guys like Hill and George, however those two have dropped off at times (tonight, for example), and West simply can't win games by himself. Especially against the likes of the Miami Heat.

Free Throw Shooting

I almost didn't include this in the highlights, simply because it's such a fundamental part of basketball. However, I'm trying to keep myself from crying, so I'm going to find every little thing the Pacers did well. Sadly, the tears are already falling. Anyways, the Pacers got to the line more than enough (in a normal game), shooting 29-34. Being one of the only successful facets of their game, they'd have had to get to the line somewhere around 60 times to win. Yeah, not likely.

The Pacers have always been a team that's drawn contact and gotten themselves to the line. I particularly that they were soft tonight, however, the stats speak for themselves. Indiana drawing enough contact to get to the line for 34 free throws against a team like Miami definitely bodes well moving forward.

It's also worth noting that the refs were calling damn near everything. Regardless, that's no reason to take any credit away from Indy.

Lowlights

Paul George

I know a lot of you get riled up when anyone talks bad about P.G., but this is absolutely unavoidable. He was awful. Just awful. With the exception of the first quarter, George shot almost nothing but contested three's and jump shots. Even though he's upwards of 6'10", he looked afraid to be physical in any way. If the Pacers are going to want to beat Miami in a potential playoff series, their best player can't be afraid to get a little dirty. George got to the line just twice while shooting 2-11 (2-7 from long range) to go along with six rebounds and five dimes.

He was certainly well-rounded, which is something positive to take from his play. However, you must be physical if you plan on playing Miami.

I will throw George a bone, he defended LeBron exceptionally. Holding him to 13 points on just ten shots. However, LeBron found other ways to be effective (six rebounds, seven assists). Defending LeBron isn't exactly an easy thing to do, and I thought George did a stand-up job.

Defense

With the exception of George on LeBron, the Pacers' defense wasn't anything anyone should want to remember. Going at the Heat, I was expecting the Pacers to let LeBron be LeBron while trying to shut down everyone else. What we saw seemed to be the opposite. LeBron was somewhat subdued, while Bosh, Chalmers and Wade all had over 20 points (Bosh 24, Chalmers 26, Wade 23). I'll admit, a lot of the Pacers defensive struggles came from the fact that Miami has a roster full of extremely gifted shooters. Guys that are going to make shots no matter how well you're guarding them.

The Heat shot 38-68 (55.9%) and 7-14 (50%) from deep. Indy consistently got caught up in the paint, trying to stop the likes of Bosh, Wade and James, leaving way too many wide open looks from beyond the arc for guys like Mario Chalmers (5-6 from deep) and Ray Allen.

A lot of these guys can't multitask on defense. There were a few plays where guys like West and Hibbert would be guarding their man on the perimeter, the ball would be passed down under the basket, and all of their attention would turn to the guy receiving the pass, leaving the passer of the ball (mostly Chalmers) wide open. By the time the ball was thrown back out and Hibbert/West were turned around, the shot was on its way up. Versatility is extremely important in trying to defeat the Heat.

Ball Distribution

The Pacers had 91 points this evening on just 14 assists. Too many times, Paul George, George Hill and company were going iso, trying to create shots for themselves. Against any good team, there must be communication amongst teammates accompanied by fast, precise movement of the basketball. You've got to keep the opposition on their heels and constantly on the move. Tonight, the Pacers were stagnant and complacent with the basketball and simply never tried to get anything going. George Hill had just one assist.

Ball Protection

Indiana turned the ball over 18 times, which translated to 27 points for the Miami Heat. Most of Indy's turnovers came in the paint. Guys were careless with the ball and were turning it over off of offensive rebounds. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy.

Roy Hibbert

Ironically enough, Roy wasn't that bad tonight on offense. he shot 7-14 from the field and even hit both of his free throws. It was on defense that Roy seemed to disappear. He simply couldn't cover Chris Bosh (11-15 from the floor). Not only that, but he was horrible on the boards (four rebounds). To combat a guy like Chris Bosh, you've got to frustrate him. He does poorly when his opposition his consistently aggressive, physical and in his face. Bosh doesn't like contact. The only problem being that Roy doesn't like contact either.

He was having such a tough time guarding Bosh, that Vogel even brought in Mahinmi for a stretch in the first quarter. You're not going to defeat the Heat if your head coach is that unsure about how to cover one of Miami's key players.

Roy is one more performance of that caliber away from winning my Softest Man of the Year Award. It pains me to say that. I like Roy. I really do. However, I'm tired of watching a 7'2" player making over $50M not get nasty under the basket when that's what the game calls for. I don't care if he gets fined, suspended (again) or whatever. I want to see him elbow someone when going for a rebound. I want to see him grit his teeth and growl at someone every once in a while. Roy is missing that competitive fire that is required to be a successful center in the NBA, and I believe he has it. It's just subdued deep down somewhere.

The job of bringing that out belongs to Frank Vogel, and I'm sure we'd all like him to do it sooner than later.

All in all, I'm just glad that game is over. The Pacers now know where they stand as the 2nd/3rd best team in the East, and they know what not to do when you face off against the Heat. As a fan of the Pacers, seeing them get trounced by the Heat this late in the season is a little concerning, however all good teams know how to make adjustments following tough games, and this will be one of the most helpful games yet.

Next up: the Pacers head back to Bankers Life to take on The Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, March 13th. Tip is set for 7pm.

Indiana Pacers @ Orlando Magic: Highlights/Lowlights

2013-03-09T13:00:00Z

After an atrocious night shooting against Boston earlier this week, the Pacers were back to their well-shooting ways against Orlando Friday night.

Writing this piece regarding the Boston game, I had a tough time finding highlights and I had too many lowlights to choose from. Tonight, it's the other way around. Let's get to it.

Highlights

Paul George

It's no secret that Paul has been struggling over the past few games. He's seemed tense and like he isn't enjoying being out on the floor. Tonight, I was ecstatic to see George back to his normal self. He was loose, free-flowing and there were few things the Magic were able to do to slow him down. Ending the night having shot 8-12 and a remarkable 4-5 from long range, the Pacers were 17 points better with him on the floor. George also had just two turnovers, which is something that has been plaguing him as of late.

It's comforting to see him playing well as the teams' showdown with the Heat in South Beath approaches.

Shot Selection

I'll be the first person to tell you how great it is to include recent lowlights in the highlights section of this piece. After a game that saw the Pacers shoot a ridiculous 27 three's (only making six), the Pacers looked much more in control of their shots tonight. They were getting the shots they set out to get. They shot 52% from the floor and a jaw-dropping 58% from beyond the arc.

Against Boston, the Pacers were tense and firing up low percentage shots early in the shot clock at a rate that made me wonder how Boston only won by two.

Tonight, against the Magic, the Pacers were calm, cool, collected and getting high percentage looks when and where they wanted to get them. They didn't let anything the Magic threw at them defensively get in the way of their offensive plans. When the Pacers shoot this well across the board, there isn't a team in the league they can't compete with.

The Bench

No, that isn't a type-o. Yes, I am purposely including the bench of the Indiana Pacers in the highlights section of this piece. No, this is absolutely not a mistake.

The Pacers bench was absolutely phenomenal tonight. Particularly Tyler Hansbrough and D.J. Augustin. T. Hansbrough was 7-10 from the floor and had a handful of rebounds. Tyler has always had a high motor, and he's always been someone who takes full advantage of the opportunities he's given. This was a bit of a coming out party for him. Tonight, we saw what that kid is truly capable of, and man, was it sweet to watch.

I'm going to be honest here and say that I haven't ever really liked Augustin. I think he's overrated and is not currently capable of being a starter in the NBA. However, I will give credit where credit is due, and Augustin was great tonight.

If he could consistently play at the level he played tonight, he could most definitely be the Pacers' sixth man. He's quick, has the ability to make his shot fall and his able to consistently create space for himself against pesky defenses. Consistency has proven to be his biggest enemy. I loved what I saw out of him tonight.

Defense

I feel as though it's almost pointless to include defense in the highlights, because it has been so consistently dominant for so long.

Tonight, the boys in gold held the Magic to 39% shooting from the floor to go along with 33% shooting from 3-point land.

This will be the teams biggest asset entering their contest against the Miami Heat. The Pacers are so good at forcing the opposition to settle for jump shots rather than driving to the basket. They also do a marvelous job when it comes to clogging the passing lanes, which results in a number of steals and points in transition.

Lowlights

Roy Hibbert

Roy, Roy, Roy. Another player plagued by consistency. Roy is always hopping back and forth between the highlights and lowlights section of these pieces. Tonight, Roy was just....bad. Anytime he has less than eight rebounds, that's a failure. When you are 7'2", there is absolutely no reason you should end up with just two rebounds, especially against a team like the Orlando Magic.

I'll throw Hibbert a bone. He's not getting the ball enough. Just five shot attempts for your starting center is absolutely not enough. This contributes to Roy's low rebounding numbers as well. I do believe he's way too soft for his size, but there's nothing Roy can do if he doesn't have the ball in his hands. Feed the beast.

David West

I think West was due for a poor night. He's been great as of late, and you could tell he was tired out there tonight. A 4-13 night shooting is what West needed to get out of his way before the teams' showdown at Miami. West was settling for jump shots when he's long been a player who bullies his way to the rim with no regard for the safety of anyone in his way.

He was passive tonight, which could be a cause for alarm. However, I'm not really worried at all. Again, he's been consistently great for a few weeks now, and he was due for a poor performance. I'd rather it come in a blowout win over the Magic than in a pivotal game against the best team in the NBA.

One thing: tonight, we confirmed the fact that the Pacers bench has the ability to make a positive difference in the game. This has long been the facet of this team people point out when explaining way the Pacers won't seriously contend for a title. As a skeptic, I am leaning towards calling this game a fluke, however, I do have an optimistic side to me, and I truly believe this bench has the wherewithal to consistently play at the level they played this evening. If they can do so against Miami, there is absolutely no reason to believe they can't win.

Pacers to Stephenson: Run Lance Run

2013-03-08T15:42:38Z

Third year player Lance Stephenson had been little more than a role player when the 2012-2013 season began. Then, when news broke that Danny Granger was going to be sidelined with a knee injury, he was thrust into the starting lineup. Being asked to hold down the fort while Granger was recovering, Stephenson was forced to play a role with which he was unfamiliar. Pretty scary, when you consider the expectations surrounding the team this season.

In the NBA, all great role players have a niche. An area in which they specialize, that betters the team significantly. Whether that be three-point shooting, defense, forcing the tempo, passing, etc., all great role players are responsible for an area of the game. Stephenson has long been a role player without a niche. His first few seasons, he was thrust into games that were already decided. People always talked about his potential, but the Pacers never really had a need for him in games. They had everything under control.

Fast-forward to the closing weeks of the 2012-2013 season, and you're looking at an entirely different Lance Stephenson.

Pacers.com's Scott Agness wrote a great piece covering Stephenson's rise to prominence.

Incredibly apparent in the Pacers' loss to the Celtics last Thursday night, Lance has discovered his niche. Off the ball, Lance is an absolute menace. With five steals against the Celtics in that Thursday night loss, Lance was consistently getting his team the ball. Not only that, but Lance has become brilliant when it comes to forcing the tempo on offense following a steal. Especially on the fast break. Stephenson has shown brilliant decision-making regarding whether to take the ball to the rack, or pass it off when flying down the court at top speeds.

Agness eluded to this in his article:

His steals lead to decisions in the open court and often end in points, no matter who's putting points on the board. Best of all, it helps Stephenson get in a zone for all to see. He gets a determined, in-the-zone look to him. Maybe it takes him back to his youth in New York, where he reportedly used to just own the playground. With that 'Don't get in my way' look, Stephenson quickly advances the ball and runs as quickly as Gump.

Agness mentions that zone Stephenson seems to enter when on the break. My friends and I often joke about Lance, referencing him as a player you wouldn't want to run into in a dark alley. In all honestly, I've never met Stephenson, so I have no idea how he is as a person. However, I can assure you, I want nothing to do with him when he's in that zone bringing the ball down the floor.

That excerpt from Agness' Pacers.com piece also references Stephenson running "as quickly as gump". Somebody wrote "Gump" on a piece of tape and posted it on Lance's locker, referencing the fact that when he really gets going, Stephenson runs as fast as Forrest Gump. I love that. The team is embracing Lance's newfound role. The Pacers have found a place where Lance excels, and they can now build around that as they move closer to the playoffs.

The most exciting part, to me, is that Lance doesn't have to be starting to succeed where his strengths lay. Whether he's coming off the bench or in that starting lineup, Lance has the ability to impact the game significantly. So, whether Granger returns to the starting lineup or not, Lance will be effective. That is most certainly, something to be excited about.

Pacers v. Celtics: Highlights/Lowlights

2013-03-07T14:43:29Z

I'm enjoying writing this piece a little later than normal, because I actually had the opportunity to witness the game in person this evening.

Bankers Life Fieldhouse held "College Night" Wednesday night, and being a Ball State student, I was able to get in to see the game for the low price of $10. Sure, we were up in the rafters. However, for a sports fan like myself, as long as I am in the arena, I've got a smile on my face. I also got to meet and chat with my editor, Tom Lewis. So, though the Pacers let this one get away from them, there was a lot of pros that came from the night.

But enough about me, let's get to the highlights and lowlights.

Highlights

Defense

I know what you're thinking. "Daniel, defense is what lost us the game!" I realize that. However, with the exception of Kevin Garnett, the Pacers were fantastic on defense, as we've become accustomed to seeing. Kevin Garnett was 7-10 from the floor tonight, while the rest of the Celtics were a combined 27-73.

With the obvious exception of the final play, the Pacers did a wonderful job of forcing the Celtics to look for guys like Jason Terry, Avery Bradley and Paul Pierce on the perimeter, and for a while, it looked as though anyone not named Kevin Garnett was semi-afraid to take the rock to the hoop. Even Garnett, for a short period of time, was having to settle for 18-footers. Granted, those are a strength of his, but it's better that he be shooting those than having his way driving to the basket.

Distribution

Every Pacers starter scored in double digits Wednesday night. For a team that's been testing out a variety of different lineups, it was surprising, to say the least, to see the Pacers moving the ball around so effectively.

With Granger hovering in and out of the lineup, Indiana has been relying on Paul George and David West to score the majority of the teams points, which means they're taking the majority of the teams shots. Those two players are incredibly good at what they do, however, NBA defenses are going to be able to sniff that out easily. The Pacers have been longing for some mystery to their offense. Something that is going to put opposing defenses on their heels.

Distributing the ball, somewhat evenly, among all five starters, is a great place to begin.

Lance Stephenson

On paper, Lance had an "eh" night. 6-15 shooting to go along with two assists and five steals.

However, watching him play, I thought he was phenomenal. He was an absolute nuisance away from the ball, and he caused the Celtics all kinds of trouble on the defensive side of things (five steals). For someone who was expecting to come off the bench this season, Lance has done wonders for the Pacers. He brings a fire to this team that I don't think it's had since the days of Reggie Miller.

When things are cooking for him on the floor, the entire arena can feel it, and it fuels his squad like none other.

Midway through the third quarter, Lance received a pass from David West while driving to the hoop and slammed in down like it would be the last time he'd ever be able to do it. The entire arena went berserk, and it provided his team with an energy that would have been fantastic, had it lasted just 20 seconds longer. Admittedly, I have been a critic of Lance's for a loooong time. However, I will give credit where credit is due, and Lance played his butt off tonight. He's most definitely a guy I am keeping my eye on in the weeks to come.

Lowlights

Shot Selection

The Pacers, collectively, took 27 three-pointers against Boston, which is, hands down, way too many. I would not call Boston's defense stingy, in any way, and Indy too easily settled for a contested deep two or a three pointer. Whether it was due to the avoidance of a shot-clock violation or a false sense of confidence, the Pacers were often found settling for low percentage shots when Hibbert or West was posting up in the paint with their hands outstretched.

Being a bit more specific, Paul George, George Hill and David West shot a combined 15-43 tonight. Paul George and George hill came together to shoot 5-16 from three point land.

Now, there are a plethora of things we can blame this on. However, the answer is right in front of you. Guys are just settling for shots. Roy Hibbert was 6-13 tonight and, to be honest, he didn't get near as many looks as he should've. Hibbert was cooking in the first quarter. He was the Pacers' primary option on offense. He was snagging rebounds and putting up second chance points like it wasn't something he'd been struggling to do all season long.

Then, the first quarter ended and, for some reason, the entire identity of the offense changed. Hibbert continued to post up down low. However, his teammates weren't hitting him. Instead, they were settling for contested three's and 18-footers. This took a toll on the rebounding as well. Hibbert nearly had a double-double in the first quarter alone, however, when he wasn't getting the rock under the basket, he began to get lazy rebounding the ball. This resulted in a plethora of turnovers, and points in transition for the Celtics.

Mid Range Defense

If Kevin Garnett wasn't one of the older players in the league and played 40-45 minutes tonight, I have no doubt in my mind that this game would not have been close. All night long, Garnett was finding opportunities in the 15-20 foot range off of pick and rolls and screens of all sorts. More times than one would have liked, Hibbert and West were caught in the paint off of a high pick and roll which left a wide open Kevin Garnett, who ended up shooting 7-10. As a team, Boston shot 50% from the midrange/elbow area.

The biggest concern, to me, was how many times the Celtics were able to find success running that same little sequence. You can understand them being able to do it once or twice, then you'd be looking for Hibbert and West to make adjustments. When someone sets a screen on you while you're defending Kevin Garnett, stay on him. Don't relax back into the paint looking for him to drive to the hoop. Garnett scored off of that sequence four times in the first quarter, before he sat on the bench for the majority of the second quarter.

Adjustments. That's what you want to see in those situations, and that's what we didn't see tonight.

A few small things: Paul George has been struggling a bit lately. He seems tense. No doubt, it's getting to the point in the season where every game matters and the Pacers are in a place where they could possibly contend for the Eastern Conference's top seed. Albeit, it's not likely, but it's not impossible. With Granger fluctuating in an out of the lineup, it has probably been hard for George to stay on top of his game, considering he is never 100% sure who he's going to have out on the floor with him.

Naturally, all great players hit skids, and it'd be much more preferable for him to be going through one now than a few months down the road. There are a number of people concerned about whatever is happening with George, however, I'm not one of them. At 22, George is able to show remarkable resiliency, and the ability to adjust extremely fast. Plus, the Pacers have sort of a "practice" game, if you will, against the struggling Magic before taking on the first place Heat.

Roy Hibbert: Offensive Prowess?

2013-03-05T23:47:41Z

Since Roy Hibbert signed his max deal with the Pacers, fans have become overly critical of his play (rightfully so, in my opinion). Most fans don't grasp how great he has played on defensive, and they criticize how he has played on offense.

In roughly four and a half year in the league, Hibbert is averaging 11 points and 6.6 rebounds per game to go along with a 47.1 FG%. All in all, that's not bad at all. However, for a player that's 7'2", a lot of people would like to see him averaging at least a double double.

Over the past six games, Roy has been playing at the level you would expect a 7'2" player making $58M to play. So well, in fact, that I'm not the only person who has noticed.

The Indy Star's Mike Wells has noticed as well, and wrote a great piece on it.

In those six games, Hibbert has averaged 14.5 points on 57% shooting. He had 18 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three blocks in the Pacers' win over the Bulls on Sunday evening.

The biggest facet of Hibbert's game that has been under the most criticism since he was drafted in 2008 is his work ethic. According to Wells' article, that's on the up and up. He's taken that work ethic to an even higher level this season.

It started when he called Vogel to workout after he was held scoreless against Atlanta in late December. Now he doesn't hesitate to call assistant coach Jim Boylen on off days to get in extra work.

Hibbert and the other five big men - David West, Jeff Pendergraph, Ian Mahinmi, Tyler Hansbrough and Miles Plumlee - spend about 45 minutes after practice doing the "pepper drill."

The pepper drill consists of Pacers assistant coach Jim Boylen pelting passes at these guys, who have to hit ten shots in a row before they're done. The catch? The passes are coming fast. Usually, you're looking to receive a pass before your previous shot has hit the floor.

This, no doubt, has widely contributed to Roy's recent success.

For me, I'm concerned about consistency. We've seen spurts like this from Roy in the past, only for him to return to his normal, lackluster self (on offense, at least). However, I'm optimistic. I think he's in a great place for someone who's trying to become more offensively sound. It's not like he needs to be putting up 30 points and 20 rebounds a night, especially since he's playing alongside a guy like David West.

All I want to see him do is continue to shoot at a high level. If Roy could shoot around 50% for the rest of the season, that would be extremely uplifting. He's so dominant around the rim on defense, so there's no reason he can't be the same way on the other end of the floor.

The biggest thing the Pacers can gain from Hibbert being offensively great is a distraction. If Roy is averaging around 20 points a game while shooting 50%, he's drawing attention on the paint, which opens up room on the perimeter for the Paul George's and the George Hill's.

I'll be looking forward to the Pacers matchup, against Boston, on Wednesday night. Let's see what Roy can do.

Pacers v. Bulls: Highlights and Lowlights

2013-03-04T21:20:30Z

Overall, that game was a lot of fun to watch. Of course, I got a bit nervous when the Bulls started charging back late in the 4th quarter, however, the Pacers held on for the win.

While the media might not say so, and though this game ended up being a lot closer than some Pacers fans may have liked, there was a lot of good to take from this game. Quite a bit, actually.

Highlights

Roy Hibbert

This man was an absolute godsend last night. With 10 rebounds, he was playing better than he ever has. He, for the most part, shut down Joakim Noah. So much, in fact, that Thibs had Noah sitting on the bench for nine minutes in the fourth quarter. In 35 minutes, Hibbert made his presence known on offense. He shot 50% from the floor to go along with a 4-6 night from the charity stripe. I really wish there was a way to effectively document defensive dominance. One day....one day soon.

David West

If David West could consistently play at the level he did last night, he would be in the MVP conversation. I don't care how ridiculous that sounds, because it's 100% true. In 36 minutes last night, West went for 31-7-2, shot a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line and even had the guts to take a 3-pointer (no, he didn't make it)! This is another guy who has been defensively dominant for the Pacers, as well. West has games like that every once in a while. If he could string a few together against some tougher opponents, that would be something else.

George Hill

Hill, quietly, had the most efficient night for the Pacers. Shooting a perfect 6-6 from the floor and 3-3 from deep, the Pacers were 13 points better with Hill on the floor. Take away those three turnovers and that 6-10 shooting night from the charity stripe, and Hill had a perfect game. It's worth noting: Hill held Nate Robinson to 2-6 shooting for just six points. I'm really beginning to see the Pacers play consistently good on offense while continuing to remain dominant on defense. Doing something of that nature is a lot harder than you may think.

Frank Vogel

Everyone make sure to congratulate Coach Vogel on his 100th win of his career. Since becoming the Pacers' coach in 2011, Vogel has led this team to a 100-64 record and two playoff berths. Not to mention, the Pacers are currently in prime position to win their first Central Division Title in almost a decade. Coach has provided Indy with a young fire that they'd been missing since Reggie left, and you can just tell he loves what he's doing and where he's doing it. The Pacers are back in NBA prominence, and there isn't anyone better to be leading them than Coach Vogel. Congrats on your 100th win, Coach.

Lowlights

Perimeter Defense

This was something you had to watch the game to see. The box score shows tell us that the Pacers held Chicago to 8-19 shooting from deep. However, that's incredibly misleading. Marco Belinelli shot 4-5 from deep to go along with Jimmy Butler, who shot 3-5 from deep. The worst part? The majority of those threes came when the Pacers were up by one, two or three. They were daggers that kept the Bulls in the game in the 4th quarter. Not to mention, they were not a result of good passing by Chicago, but rather lazy defense by Indy.

The Media

Now, let me cover my tail here before you get mad. Being another facet of the game you had to be watching to notice, I didn't think the media would stop talking about how great Joakim Noah was. I can understand some of the praise, seeing as he's having a breakout season. However, when Noah is on the bench and the Pacers are winning by a good amount, I don't think that's the time to be talking extensively about him. This was more of an annoyance than anything, and Pacers fans have become accustomed to the national media shying away from talking about their team, but I felt it was something to touch on.

Paul George

Let me start off with a positive on this front. The Pacers won the game. There were some questions regarding whether or not the Pacers could win a game with Paul George struggling. They did. It's even more comforting that the win came against a more than capable team in the Bulls. In 45 minutes, George shot 4-14 for 10 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists. The big surprise? He didn't get to the charity stripe once. That's incredibly disappointing for someone who's been gaining prominence when it comes to driving to the hoop and drawing contact. Again, the Pacers won the game, which is a positive, but you'd like these struggles to cease ASAP.

Danny Granger

I'll cut Granger some slack. He's still battling his knee injury, and his trying his best to adapt to a new role coming off of the bench. However, he scored zero points in the first half before being taken out of the game due to his knee being sore. That's a definite lowlight. Coming off the bench, a healthy Danny Granger could supply this Pacers team with that second unit spark they've been missing. The Pacers have what they need to put opponents on their heals, however, they're missing that last nudge that puts the opponents on their butts. A healthy Danny Granger could do just that.

The Pacers have a couple of days to rest before they take on the Boston Celtics at home, Wednesday night.

Indiana Pacers: Nothing More Than Scuffs and Bumps

2013-02-28T01:38:47Z

I've, personally, always loved a good scuffle in an athletic event. Few things give you more of a glimpse into how fired up these athletes can get, and sometimes, you just have to shove things out.

And that's just it.

It wasn't a fight. A fight involves punches.

Nobody should be suspended as a result of yesterday's events. However, what most of us think should happen, and what David Stern does, don't usually coincide.

After a hard shove by David Lee, who was jockeying for rebound position, Roy Hibbert responded with a forearm shimmy of his own. Lee responded with a shoulder to the upper chest/lower chin area of Hibbert. At this point, most of the players on the court had flocked over to the two in an attempt to break up the scuffle.

Then came Stephen Curry.

I'll give Curry the first go at Roy, it did look like he was trying to pull him away from Lee. However, compared to the 7'2" Hibbert, Curry is nothing more than a mouse. Hibbert turned his body and, in one fell swoop, Curry was on the floor.

He should've left it at that.

Curry proceeded to get back up and go at Roy full speed, which I believe was done so in a malicious way. Again, Hibbert embarrassed him by putting him on the hardwood. The altercation moved over towards and sideline and spilled into the first row as David West and Co. tried to pull Hibbert and Curry apart.

In a matter of seconds. Seconds. Everyone was back on the floor.

However, due to the altercation going into the first row of spectators, everyone has to freak out. I mean, you can sort of understand Pacers' fans holding their breath when an altercation goes anywhere near people that aren't playing the game, right?

Indy Star Columnist, Bob Kravitz sums it up perfectly:

Admit it, when you saw Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert swatting away Golden State guard Stephen Curry like baseball's Pedro Martinez dispatching of Don Zimmer, you thought to yourself:

Please, Lord, not another Brawl. Not another Detroit. Not again.

Is that an overreaction? Sure. However, it most certainly isn't unwarranted.

All in all, a suspension for anyone would be an overreaction by Stern and Co. There were no punches thrown, which, in my opinion, should be the threshold between a fine and a suspension. Sadly, we can't say "it's been that way before" due to Stern's wildly inconsistent reactions to these altercations.

Personally, I'm just glad the punishments were relatively even across the board, although I'm still not sure how David West avoided the NBA's long arm of the law.

After the game, Roy talked about how he was solely looking to "talk" to David Lee. Curry didn't need to be getting involved. I think Roy's shove looks a lot more hostile than it really was. Curry is so much smaller than Hibbert, it was like a 16 year old shoving a 7 year old to the floor which, understandably, makes people say "oooohh!"

We Pacers fans know how passive Hibbert can be. He's not an angry guy. In my opinion, it's great Roy finally got fired up about something. I've always thought he was one of the softest big men in the league, and I'm ecstatic to see him get angry about something. Again I'll say, nothing wrong with a little scuffle between two athletes that want to win.

But a fight? Please.

Indiana Pacers Defense: Why So Stingy?

2013-02-26T20:30:04Z

An article was published yesterday by ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz that -- wait for it -- gave some credit to the Pacers. I know, someone from ESPN giving credit to a team from Indiana that doesn't involve a Tebow or a Te'o, crazy huh?

Anyway, the article discusses the conundrum that is this Pacer starting lineup. You see the names Hill-Stephenson-George-West-Hibbert, and you don't think anything special. Maybe a team that can win enough games to get a middle-of-the-pack seed, and maybe they'll even make a push into the second round. Other than that, it's nothing special. However, if you've been watching the games, you know that's absolutely not the case.

I like to call this lineup the underdog lineup. I mean, seriously, since when is a starting five that includes Lance Stephenson going to be good enough to lift a team to second place in the Eastern Conference?

However, we've seen something like this before. Maybe not in basketball, but sports in general. A coach, dealing with an injury to an important player, is left scrambling to find a lineup that is sufficient and can hold down the fort until that important player returns. Every once in a while, that coach will strike gold.

For some reason, this ragtag lineup of bench guys (Stephenson), young stars (George) and aged veterans looking for a ring before they ride off into the sunset (West), has been, well, kicking ass and taking names.

Scoring 107.7 points per 100 possessions, the Pacers are competent on offense. However, what has perplexed most people is how this team has come to have the stingiest, most stifling and difficult defense in all of basketball. What makes them so damn good?

Size. Arnovitz eludes to this in his article:

Exceptionally well, which is an affirmation of some traditional truths about basketball. Even as the NBA undergoes a radical sea change with respect to size and position, being big is still an asset. Virtually every single night they take the floor, the Pacers' starters have an enormous advantage -- literally. With the 6-foot-2 Hill replacing the 6-0 Collison in the first unit, the Pacers have legitimate length at all five positions and tower over opponents. Logically enough, this group works its strength.

It's tough to move downhill against the Pacers in the half court because everywhere an offensive player turns, there are limbs blocking his path. For similar reasons, it's also difficult to shoot over the top, move off the ball and more generally, find open parking spots anywhere on the floor. As a result, defenses have to work hard to get clean looks against the Pacers' first unit.

Arnovitz immediately attributes the Pacers' defensive prowess to the advantage they have in size. The Pacers don't have to rotate on defense, because every player in the starting five is capable enough on defense and away from the ball to contain their man. Not to mention, there's incredible security in knowing that there are two beasts -- West and Hibbert -- waiting in the paint to slam somebody that happens to squirt through.

With how quick Stephenson, George and Hill are, West and especially Hibbert never have to leave the paint. We all know about Roy's struggles offensively, and a lot of people write him off just for that. However, anytime you stick a 7'2" player under the basket and tell him not to let anyone score, it's going to help you out.

Even through Arnovitz's beautiful description of what makes this defense so good, I wasn't buying it. There had to be something else that was attributing to Indy only allowing 93.6 points per 100 possessions. I think I found it.

Passing lanes.

They are the difference between a good defense and a great defense. Most great coaches, in studying film, will be able to find the passing lanes that open up, and more times than not, they're not being defended well. There are holes. Teams like the Heat, Knicks and Thunder crush teams, because they find open passing lanes and pass the ball so efficiently.

Not against the Pacers, though.

Every single player within this starting five has a wingspan that greatly exceeds the average for something their respective heights. Hibbert (7'4") is the only person who has a relatively normal wingspan considering his size. However, let's not act like a 7'4" wingspan is something to scoff at.

After that, you have the 6'8" Paul George with a 6'11" wingspan, the 6'2" George Hill with a 6'9" wingspan, the 6'5" Lance Stephenson with a 6'10" wingspan and the 6'9" David West with a 7'4" wingspan. Also, as a bit of a surprise, the youngster, Orlando Johnson, has a 6'11" wingspan. He's 6'4".

These long arms give the Pacers an unbelievable advantage against opposing players that try passing it over the top or through a small passing lane. Those passing lanes we were talking about? They don't exist. These insane wingspans turn into an insane amount of blocked shots and steals. They're incredibly disruptive to the offense, and it's something a good number of coaches don't realize until the game is taking place. The only teams that have a shot at defeating the Pacers are those who have players that consistently create shots for themselves.

With those teams being the Heat, the Thunder and the Knicks, things are looking good in Naptown.