Indiana Pacers At Charlotte Bobcats: Game Grades
After the second game of the season we look at how the Pacers performed in different areas of the game with our Game Grades.
The categories are Offense, Defense, Starters, Bench and Overall. The scale is a five point Star Rating with five being the best, obviously…
Tough loss for the team against the Charlotte Bobcats. Let us know how you think they did in these areas.
Offense
2 Stars
The Pacers had 17 turnovers in game, picking up right where they left off after their game in Canada Wednesday night. They managed to score only 11 points in the first 9 and a half minutes of the game and missing shots around the rim. The offense picked up early in the second half though, but fell off again in the slow fourth quarter. The three pointers where not falling for the team, but that’s something that will be on and off throughout the year. One area that will need to see improvement is the free throw percentage. Indiana shot below 60% from the charity stripe. When your team loses by 1 point in really makes you want to cringe to think about 11 missed opportunities.
Defense
3.5 Stars
The Pacers managed to hold the Bobcats to 37% shooting. More often than not this will result in a win, but unfortunately this game was the exception. They gave up 35 points in the third quarter which is where the game was really lost by the Pacers. The Pacers managed to outrebound Charlotte 52-41 which is certainly a bright spot. Former Uconn star Kemba Walker had a fantastic game, piling up 30 points in the Bobcats first game of season.
Starters
1 Star
The starters, who were once again without Team Captain Danny Granger, struggled to be productive throughout the game. Going into halftime they barely managed to hold on to a lead that the bench built, and quickly relinquished it in the beginning of the second half. Gerald Green has been inserted into the starting lineup for Granger but has not found the offensive production he had in the preseason. Hibbert got into some foul trouble and only managed to log 24 minutes in Charlotte. The Pacers will need to find a way to get their All-Star more time on the hardwood.
Bench
4 Stars
Tyler Hansbrough really gave the team a first quarter spark offensively, scoring 8 consecutive Pacers points. The bench really carried the team in the first half, enabling them to go into the locker room with the lead at intermission. Lance Stephenson had a great game off the pine. Lance and Tyler led the team in scoring with 15 a piece and Ian Mahinmi finished with a team high 8 rebounds. All of the substitutes finished with a positive +/- rating, which is the exact opposite of what we saw with the starters.
Overall
2 Stars
The Pacers had opportunities but just could not capitalize on them. It’s hard to imagine them losing this game if they had a healthy Granger on the floor. Even with that being said, the “Cats” are a team that the Indiana should be able to pull out a win against even with one or two contributing players out with injuries. Seeing as how it’s early in the season it’s natural to see some rust, and the starters really showed it in this one. The Pacers were in the game for the full 48 minutes, bringing it to a heart stopping final shot so there’s something to be said for that… I suppose.