Indiana Pacers: What We Learned in Week 6

Week 6 was not kind to the traveling and shorthanded Indiana Pacers. The Pacers played three games out west and lost all of them, falling to the Phoenix Suns, at the Portland Trail Blazers, and at the Sacramento Kings. The blue and gold got blown out in Phoenix, but played the Blazers tough, and lost in heartbreaking fashion in overtime against Sacramento.

Donald Sloan’s Place in the Rotation is in Serious Danger

Donald Sloan started but played only 23 minutes against the Phoenix Suns, posting a -20 in the +/- column while putting up 6 points on 9 shots. He recorded 2 DNP-Coach’s Decision in the next two games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Sacramento Kings. Frank Vogel chose to start Rodney Stuckey as the nominal point guard (despite his game being much more suited to the shooting guard role) and gave C.J. Watson all of the backup minutes.

Vogel removing Sloan from the rotation despite there being only two active point guards on the roster doesn’t bode well for him getting future minutes once George Hill is back. It’s likely that Sloan — despite helping to shepherd the team through the early season — will return to his role as an injury replacement/garbage-time player.

The Pacers Will Struggle to Beat Good Teams This Season

Just in case anyone thought the returns of David West, C.J. Watson, C.J. Miles, and Roy Hibbert would revert the Indiana Pacers back to their winning ways of last year, the team went ahead and lost all three games this week against quality opposition. Getting guys back from injury was great to see (especially seeing West and Watson take the court or the first time this year), but the team’s best players have hardly played together through the preseason and season thus far, and don’t know each other on the court to the level necessary to regularly succeed.

It will probably be January before the rotations are shaken out and players are all comfortable with each other. Until then, the Pacers will have the occasional brilliant night but probably many more nights like we saw this week.

If a Shot Needs to be Taken, C.J. Miles Will Take it, Regardless of the Situation

C.J. Miles took 25 shots over the last three games while playing just over 20 minutes per game. Taking 25 shots in 60 minutes isn’t an unconscionable number, but Miles seems to take 2 or 3 shots every game that are head scratchers.

His shooting is starting to show signs of life (40% last week after starting the season in the high 20s), and he was a net positive in +/- for the week. However, while his overall shooting is improving, his 3-point shot has yet to return (18.2% last week, 19.6% on the season), and he’s continuing to put up more than 4 a game.

If this continues, we might see the return of the Chuck ‘Em nickname. Chuck ‘Em from Miles away, maybe?

Ian Mahinmi is Out For The Next 6-8 Weeks

There have been calls (many in this column) for Lavoy Allen to take some of Ian Mahinmi/Luis Scola’s minutes. But to quote Switch from the Matrix: Not like this. Not like this.

It appears likely that Allen will take Mahinmi’s minutes at the backup center position. Allen is slightly small for the 5 spot (6-9, as opposed to Mahinmi’s 6-11) and lacks Mahinmi’s elite rim protection skills, but he is bulky enough to handle the banging and brings multiple offensive dimensions that Mahinmi lacked. The hope will have to be that Allen’s improved shooting and passing make up for what he gives up at the rim, and of course that Mahinmi recovers well and is back to his old self.

Roy Hibbert is Still the Same Roy Hibbert

Roy Hibbert’s last week (11 PPG, 9 RPG, 40% shooting) is a return to Earth from his hot, early-season start. Hibbert isn’t playing terribly by any means, but he’s not getting those soft bounces on his baby hooks at the same rate as he was, and that is hurting his overall line.

Time will tell whether it’s a slump or a return to the norm, but even if this is the permanent version of the big fella, it’s 100% better than the post collapse Pacers of last year.

The Indiana Pacers Week Ahead

Games: vs Atlanta Hawks (Monday), vs Los Angeles Clippers (Wednesday), at Toronto Raptors (Friday), vs Portland Trail Blazers (Saturday)

Prediction: I am relatively optimistic; I think the Pacers go 2-2 this week, beating the Hawks and Blazers at home while losing to the Clippers and at Toronto

Last Week’s Prediction Results: 2-1

Season Long Prediction Results: 9-8

What to Watch For: Rodney Stuckey, the “point guard”, bullying opposing 1’s and making adventurous passes … Lavoy Allen and Luis Scola throwing nifty passes back and forth in the post … A murderer’s row of point guards for Stuckey to cover (Jeff Teague, Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, and Damian Lillard) on D… Damjan Rudez stealing Chris Copeland’s minutes 1 by 1 … C.J. Watson playing heavy minutes at the 1 in reserve of Stuckey and providing a steady hand … David West going up against Blake Griffin in a matchup that often has been heated and physical … Solomon Hill’s 3-point shooting taking a dive (1-9 last week) … Solomon Hill in general! Seriously, he has two or three plays every game that are just incredibly fun to watch) … The Pacers 3-point accuracy looking awful despite the imported shooters (26.3% last week) … Luis Scola, hitting free throws again … The Pacers turning the ball over like it’s 2013 (or 2012, or 2011) …

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What We Learned About The Indiana Pacers: Week 6

By William Furr | Dec 8, 2014