The date was April 27, 2018. The Indiana Pacers had just taken the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the first round of the playoffs. After the Pacers lost the series, it was chalked up to Oladipo’s poor decision-making and the Pacers roster’s lack of postseason experience. It was just a weird series all around for Indiana.
Bogdan Bogdanovic shot 39.5% from the field. Three players averaged exactly 12.4 PPG (Turner, Bogdanovic, and Sabonis). Victor Oladipo was the team’s leading rebounder. Myles Turner was the team’s best 3PT shooter. HC Nate McMillan also got next to nothing from backup PG Cory Joseph – 4.7 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game on .364/.273/1.000 shooting splits (6-6 from the free throw line) – just 33 total points.
Kevin Pritchard recognized the need for bench production and consistency. He went out and acquired Tyreke Evans, Doug McDermott, and Kyle O’Quinn. In-season, he added Wesley Matthews who just had a game-winner against the Thunder after the Pacers were down 19 at one point.
The date is January 23, 2019. The Indiana Pacers are 32-15 and have just defeated the Toronto Raptors. Under normal circumstances, the victory would be celebrated. The Raptors were playing without star forward Kawhi Leonard, but the Pacers likely had just lost their star guard Victor Oladipo. The next day, the fears were
Just like that, the Indiana Pacers went from being a dark horse in the Eastern Conference to a dead horse.
Or, so NBA pundits thought.
Since it was announced Victor Oladipo would be out for the season, the Pacers have gone 12-7 and are third in the East. Their 44-25 record is fifth-best in the NBA and better than the Philadelphia, Houston, Portland, Oklahoma City, Utah, and Boston.
The Indiana Pacers are currently holding opponents to 103.9 PPG, which is best in the league. They also boast the second-best defensive rating (105.6).
Some will point to the Pacers’ average of 108.2 PPG as a weakness (21st in the league), but they also play at the eighth-slowest pace. As already mentioned, they hold opponents to the fewest points per game in the league. It evens out.
Despite their offensive shortcomings, the Pacers have multiple players that rank well in multiple statistical categories.
- Myles Turner leads the league in blocks per game (2.82) and total blocks (175, 21 more than second-place Rudy Gobert).
- The Pacers have two players that rank in the top-20 in 3P% – Bogdan Bogdanovic (42.7%) and Darren Collison (41.1%).
- Two Pacers rank in the top-25 for FG% and four in the top-50. Domantas Sabonis (son of HOFer Arvydas Sabonis) has the seventh-best FG% league-wide (59.8%). Starting PF Thaddeus Young ranks 23rd (52.4%). Bogdanovic ranks 40th in FG% league-wide (49.7%). Myles Turner ranks 49th (48.7%).
- Bogdanovic ranks ninth in scoring among small forwards (17.8 PPG).
- Darren Collison is tied for sixth with Kyrie Irving in 3P% among all point guards.
- Domantas Sabonis is tied for ninth with LaMarcus Aldridge in double-doubles (24).
- Thaddeus Young is t-11th with PJ Tucker in steals per game league-wide (1.62).
- Darren Collison is t-19th with Kent Bazemore (??) in steals per game league-wide (1.45) and ranks 18th league-wide in assists per game (6.0).
As a team the Pacers rank:
- Third in the NBA in steals per game (8.9)
- Seventh in assists per game (26.0)
- 15th in blocks per game (5.1)
- Fifth-best in fouls committed per game (19.6)
On paper, sans Oladipo, the Indiana Pacers don’t have a star, so many are naturally wary of their chances in the postseason despite their strong record and play as of late. The Indiana Pacers could lose in the first round and this could be all for naught.
Just don’t sleep on one of the NBA’s most consistent franchises.
All stats, unless otherwise listed, are accurate through 3/15/19.