Indiana Pacers: Does the team Lack Passion? AMA Mailbag

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Jeff L: Where is the passion that the Indiana Pacers used to show with Reggie Miller? I feel like lacking a leader is inadvertently causing a lackadaisical approach to a winning team/attitude.

I don’t think the Pacers are lacking passion necessarily. Paul George and Monta Ellis (and most every other NBA player, really) may show their passion differently than Reggie Miller, but Reggie was truly, legitimately one of a kind. No one’s ever going to show passion quite like he did.

The bigger difference is just in wins, though.

Reggie’s Pacers were competing for finals births every year, and the PG/David West/Roy Hibbert Pacers showed a similar fire in those Eastern Conference Finals matchups with the Heat (and in a first round out against the Bulls PG’s rookie year, for that matter).

Recency bias is strong though, and what we’ve seen in the last two years is the 2013-14 Pacers fall apart, last year’s injury-ravaged team, and this year’s team in transition. You will see that fire back from a few guys in different ways as the team regains some confidence that it has lost since a hot November. Myles Turner and C.J. Miles will be demonstrative with it, while Paul George and Monta Ellis will be a bit quieter, but I expect the passion to be there.

In the meantime, here’s some fire from Paul George to tide you over.

Colin M: What happened to the Pacers defense? They’ve been one of the best defensive teams the last few years, it’s now non existent. Is it maybe an extent of the lackadaisical effort?

The Pacers defense, until very recently, had been improbably top five yet again. The Pacers took on Monta Ellis (a below-average defender for his career) into the starting lineup, and spent a good bit of time starting C.J. Miles at the power forward spot, where he fought valiantly, but was overmatched against any power forward who could post up.

Despite those things, and despite losing Roy Hibbert’s league-leading rim defense, the Pacers had been a top defensive team all season. This recent stretch has dropped them down to 7th (as of writing this), but they’re still top 10, and they’re allowing just under 100 points per game at 99.9. This is a very good defensive team overall, but they’ve absolutely had issues of late as they’ve suffered a few injuries.

I expect the Pacers, with Ian Mahinmi and Myles Turner protecting the rim, to return to the top five. The unit of George Hill, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Myles Turner, and Ian Mahinmi is going to ruin a lot of nights for opposing offenses.

Matt H: With Myles Turner starting recently, do you think this will create more energy to open the game and encourage us to return to bully-ball over the small-ball we’ve been trying to play?

Myles Turner starting at power forward is a complete wild card. Frank Vogel said to start the year that he would only play center, and Larry Bird seemed to make it clear this team was going to be a small ball team.

Both of those things are out the window before the All-Star break.

Starting Turner changes everything. Paul George and George Hill are certainly more accustomed to playing “bully-ball,” and probably more comfortable with it.

To your point though, Turner does seem to be a ball of energy whenever he touches the floor. The team desperately needed an infusion of energy, and Turner seems to be providing that, along with the tangible benefits that a 6’11, jump-shooting, dunking shot blocker provides.

Starting Turner puts Bird’s vision out the window entirely, however. Bird repeatedly said he wanted “pace and space,” and a front line of Ian Mahinmi/Myles Turner can give you that. Mahinmi can get up and down the floor (certainly worlds more than Roy Hibbert was capable of), and Turner already has a beautiful midrange jumper with the theoretical promise of being able to shoot the long ball too.

Pace and space, indeed.

Next: Starting Myles Turner May Help Fix Pacers Problems

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8p9s AMA Mailbag: Do the Indiana Pacers Lack Passion?

By William Furr | Feb 2, 2016

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