.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
Jokers to the Left, Clowns to Right, Stuck in the Middle with the Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are still losing games they shouldn’t, but their wins have them stuck in the middle of this week’s power rankings.
Well, I don’t know what will happen here tonight.
I got the feeling that something ain’t right.
I’m so scared the Indiana Pacers will fall off their chair.
And I’m wondering if they’ll ever climb up the stairs.
Clowns to the left of them, jokers to the right.
Here we are stuck in the middle with the Pacers.
Indiana always seems in danger of falling into the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings when they lose games to teams like the Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans.
But then they gut out wins against playoff caliber opponents like the Charlotte Hornets, a team that had their number the past few seasons.
That’s why they are stuck in the middle of the power rankings, averaging out at 14.8, or around 15th place.
More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds
There are a few reasons for why this is the case.
In the good column, Glenn Robinson III helped steady the Pacers starting lineup — with the exception of last night’s performance against the Washington Wizards — but he still has plenty to prove if he wants to keep his spot.
Also good: Paul George has never been better in the clutch than this season. His play by itself keeps Indiana afloat when the rest of the team struggles. When the fourth quarter comes, PG flips a switch and goes feral.
Now for the bad.
While injury paved the way for Robinson to start, even if you aren’t a fan of Monta Ellis or Rodney Stuckey you must recognize how their absences can hurt the Pacers’ depth. The more they rely on Lavoy Allen, Aaron Brooks, and Kevin Seraphin in longer stretches, their weaknesses will be exposed.
Getting healthy will help, but then they will have to decide if Monta’s role going forward is with the reserves and where everyone fits in around him.
The Pacers are just weird this season, but here is what the experts had to say about them this week.
Jeremy Woo
@Jeremy_Woo, Sports Illustrated
16No team may benefit more from the new CBA than the Pacers, who will be able to offer Paul George a mega-extension. They still, of course, need to make sure he wants to stick around (Last Week: 16th) — Sports Illustrated
Marc Stein
@ESPNSteinLine, ESPN
13The Pacers won’t want to admit this, but their defensive numbers have improved over the past four games with Monta Ellis (groin) unavailable through injury and Glenn Robinson IIII starting in his place, causing Pacer People to wonder whether Ellis is bound for a reserve role when he returns. Not sure, in the interim, how our man Micah Adams came up with this one, but we couldn’t resist retelling this tale: Thursday night’s home date against Boston is one of the six games this season when Indiana is scheduled to wear its Hickory High alternate jerseys. And in the spirit of that era, Adams says the Pacers have pulled off a league-low two alley-oop dunks this season (tied with Washington and Charlotte). The Celtics, for that matter, have lobbed their way to only three. (Last week: 14) — ESPN
Matt Moore
@MattMooreCBS, CBS Sports
18The Pacers’ last three victories were against current playoff teams and the Pistons, their last two losses were against lottery dregs. The problem at this point is that even when they play well, it’s hard to take them seriously. There’s time to change that, but their inability to build on progress is an issue. (Last week: 18) — CBS Sports
John Schuhmann
@johnschuhmann, NBA
12If the Pacers are a playoff team, this is the part of the season in which they should be securing a top-eight spot in the East. Wednesday’s game in Miami began a stretch where only three of 17 games are against teams (New York and Boston) that are currently over .500. But their offense was anemic (91 points scored per 100 possessions) in losses to the Heat and Pelicans before breaking through in Detroit on Saturday. Their starting lineup has been fine (plus-23 in 73 minutes) with Glenn Robinson III replacing Monta Ellis (out with a groin strain). Robinson and Paul George have still only played 104 minutes together all season.. (Last week: 15) — NBA
Gerald Bourguet
@GeraldBourguet, HoopsHabit
The Pacers got this week started with a win over the Washington Wizards and face the New York Knicks tonight. They’ll face the Boston Celtics on Monday.
