All season long, the Indiana Pacers have been defined by the following: historically good offense, and historically bad defense. Because of that, it’s been a team that can beat anybody on any given day, and can also lose to anybody on any given day. It’s a team that can excite you one night, and frustrate you the next. Here’s the good news: the defense has been improving, and the results have followed.
This season, the Pacers are an incredible 16-5 when they hold their opponents to 126 or less points in a game. Yes, the game has evolved with a lot more shooting and scoring. But that’s still a crazy number to find success with. Some of you are old enough to remember those Pacers/Pistons battles where teams were lucky to score 90 points. This year, the Pacers lead the NBA at 126.4 points per game. Up until recently, they ranked last or second to last in defensive rating. Which means: If the Pacers even had an AVERAGE defense, they could be an elite team.
Lately, they’ve been doing just that.
Over the last seven games, the Pacers are 15th in the NBA in Defensive Rating (115.6). Over the last five games, they’ve been even better at 13th in the NBA. Coming into Wednesday’s game, they have only given up 115.1 points per game over the last seven. That may still sound like a high number, but consider what we’ve already established: The Pacers average 126 per night. Continue holding teams to the 115-125 range, and good things will continue happening for this team.
I recently asked Tyrese Haliburton why he thought the defense had improved of late. Here’s what he said:
“I think just attention to detail. I feel like we’re spending the majority of our time talking about the defensive side of the ball. Me and my teammates, offensively, we know how to play. We’re obviously putting up one of the best offensive seasons in NBA history right now. Lately, the main focus has been on defense. Our shoot-arounds have been a lot more intense on that side of the ball. Just paying attention to detail and a big emphasis on holding guys accountable. I feel like that’s helping us a lot.”
The lineup changes have undoubtedly played a role in the improvement. Head Coach Rick Carlisle has inserted Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith into the starting lineup, and it has given the Pacers a better defensive presence against opposing starters. It will be interesting to see how long he sticks with the starting five, or if it will depend on match-ups. The reality is, the Pacers have a lot of depth with a lot of good players, but they’re still trying to see how it all fits around their one star point guard.
Schedule wise, the toughest month of the season for the Pacers is January. Playing Milwaukee and Boston four times in eight days is quite odd, and a tough six-game road trip will follow. If the Pacers can hold their own in January, and continue to hold their own defensively, we could be in for a fun ride in the second half of the season.
Tyler Smith covers the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Hoosiers for IndySportsLegends and is a frequent contributor to the Journal Review. He is also the youth and sports pastor at New Hope Christian Church.
