The Indiana Pacers are back in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. They weren’t gone for very long, but this Pacers team is very different than the team that almost made it to the Finals two years ago.
It was only two seasons ago when the Pacers topped the Eastern Conference standings, and then lost a hard-fought, six-game series to LeBron James and the Miami Heat, the eventual champions. That Pacers team had a physical and large starting lineup of George Hill, Lance Stephenson, Paul George, David West, and Roy Hibbert. Indiana’s gameplan was to outmuscle opponents on both ends of the court. They were in the bottom third in pace and offense, but they had the best defense in the league. They also shot 35 percent from three. That Pacers team was changed forever when Paul George fractured his leg in a Team USA exhibition, causing him to miss almost the entire next season.
Fast forward to this season, and the Indiana Pacers look very different. Lance Stephenson, David West, and Roy Hibbert are on different teams. Paul George is back, and better than ever, but is now mainly playing as a small-ball power forward. They are still one of the best defenses in the country, but now are in the top 10 for pace and top 12 for offense. Instead of outmuscling opponents, the Pacers new starting five of Hill, Monta Ellis, C.J. Miles, George, and Ian Mahinmi is flying around the court, and the team is converting threes at a very high rate of 40 percent.
The Pacers are off to a hot start, currently holding a record of 11-5 and the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The resurgence of Paul George is by far the biggest reason for their success. Now fully healthy, George wasted no time in reestablishing himself as one of the best players in the league. The Pacers are very balanced offensively, except for their focal point in George, who is averaging 27.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists, all significantly improved from his last full season two years ago. His biggest jump has been in 3-point shooting, going from a 36-percent shooter in 2014 to shooting an absurd 46 percent this year. While he had expressed concerns in the preseason about playing power forward, he has thrived offensively there as more traditional, bigger players are not able to keep up with him on the perimeter. One of the best two-way players, George has also enabled his teammates to thrive.
Fellow forward C.J. Miles has had a breakout year this season, emerging as the second scoring threat behind George while averaging 15 points per contest. He and George have paired up to kill opposing teams from behind the arc, as they both are taking seven from long range per game. Miles is a pure scorer, and he fits perfectly with the multiple playmakers the Pacers have in their backcourt in George, Hill, Ellis, and Rodney Stuckey off the bench.
Having so many playmakers has been another major factor in Indiana’s success from the three-point line, and they are really taking advantage of it. One of only two teams shooting at least 40 percent from three (Golden State, obviously, is the other), the Pacers have five players shooting at least 39 percent from three.
The 2013-14 Pacers were one of the last remaining smashmouth teams from the early 2000’s. Two years later, a rejuvenated Paul George and this new, smaller Pacers team is leading the NBA into the future, and it appears that they are going to be picking up quite a few wins along the way.
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