Indiana Pacers

Huge Differences for the Indiana Pacers in Wins vs Losses

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:32 a.m. ET

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The Indiana Pacers are currently 15-17 on the season. In those 17 losses, there’s a dramatic difference in statistics.

If you want to win games, you need consistent play every single night. For the Indiana Pacers, they’ve had exactly the opposite of consistent play this season.

They haven’t been able to string together solid performances consecutively. The difference between this team when they’re winning versus when they’re losing is mind-boggling in every aspect.

While you might expect some differences in the numbers, the Pacers play like a completely different team in the games they lose.

Paul George

When the Pacers win games this season, Paul George is actually averaging the highest scoring numbers of his career. In the 15 games Indiana has won, George has averaged 23.6 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 3.3 assists per game. The big difference is his efficiency. In those wins, George has shot 48.4% from the field and 40.8% from deep.

Now, the losses. George has not played very well when the Pacers lose. He averages 19.3 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game and 3.5 assists per game in losses. Again, the efficiency is what stands out. To go along with those stats, George is shooting just 39.9% from the field and 32.4% from deep. Those numbers are a huge difference compared to his numbers in wins.

Jeff Teague

Much like Paul George, efficiency is the biggest drop off when you compare his numbers in wins and losses. In wins, Teague shoots 47.8% from the field and 42.6% from deep.

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He also averages 17.2 points per game and 7.9 assists per game. Get ready for these next numbers.

In losses, Teague’s percentages plummet. He shoots 37.8% from the field and 18.0% from deep in losses. Teague also averages 14.2 points per game and 6.6 assists per game. The three-point percentage differential is a massive 24.6%.

Monta Ellis

Ellis doesn’t get many touches, but he also has a big drop-off in wins and losses. In wins, Monta averages 10.6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game and 3.8 assists per game. Shooting percentages of 48.5% overall and 34.5% from deep.

In losses, the percentages drop to 38.5% overall and 23.8% from three. His scoring average drops to 8.8 points per game.

Defense

Obviously, when you can’t score the ball, you have to rely on your defense. Let’s face it, the Pacers’ defense isn’t good. In losses, the Pacers are giving up 112.5 points per game. To put that in perspective, if that number was their season average, they’d have the 28th worst defense in the NBA.

When the Pacers win, their defense is much better. They only give up 98.3 points per game. If that was their seasons average, they’d have a top-five defense.

The Pacers are way too inconsistent, though. They can’t put those solid performances together on a consistent basis. For that reason, the Pacers currently give up 19th most points per game in the NBA.

Despite all this mayhem, the Pacers still find themselves only a half a game out of the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference, behind the Milwaukee Bucks. The Chicago Bulls went from the 9th seed to the 7th after defeating Indiana last night.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why there’s this large of a discrepancy in the numbers. It all comes down to fit. The Pacers backcourt is extremely small, so it’s hard for them to get it done on the defensive end. The bench has struggled. A lot of pressure is put on guys like Paul George to deliver. It’s extremely hard to play like an MVP every single night, but it’s possible, as Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat fans know very well.

The roster has always looked better on paper than it has on the court. They have really good nights, and they have really bad nights. The problem is that there hasn’t been 3+ really good nights in a row to date.

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