May 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Indiana Pacers power forward David West (21) shoots a free throw against the New York Knicks during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks win 105-79. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
Frank Vogel and the Indiana Pacers have probably sat down and looked long and hard and game tape, analysis and statistics. Statistics rarely tell the whole story, but that doesn’t mean that we should completely ignore them. There are a lot of things that we can learn from looking at the numbers. Let’s look at some of the numbers when it comes to the Indiana Pacers wins versus their losses.
The playoffs are considered by most to be a new season. Each team starts fresh and that’s how we’re going to look at these numbers.
During these playoffs the Indiana Pacers have won five games and lost three. One very important statistic to point out here is that all of the losses in this playoffs have been on the road. If the Pacers can keep that up during this series then they should have no problem beating the New York Knicks.
When you compare the wins and the losses there are two main things that stick out. First of all is the three point shooting. When the Pacers win they’re hitting about 6 three pointers a game. When they lose they’re hitting about 6 three pointers a game. You may be thinking that’s not much of a difference and you’d be right. The difference is not in how many they’re hitting. It’s in how many they’re shooting. When they win they’re attempting about 19 a game and when they lose they’re attempting about 25 a game. So when the Indiana Pacers try to win with the three point shot, they end up losing. That’s a very important number to know.
Another important number to know has to do with the the free throw. When the Pacers win they shoot from the line about 30 times a game. When they lose they shoot from the line about 24 times a game. That’s a difference of six shots and it also turns out to be an average of 6 points difference too. You may be thinking that 6 points is no big deal, but that’s 6 points more than you have in the games that you lose. More points is always a good thing. Also those points may come at the end of a made basket. It also may come at a crucial point in the game.
All the other major statistics are virtually the same for the team regardless of whether they win or lose. These seem to be the main differences. This probably means that they’re the numbers that we need to be giving the most attention.
These are important numbers, but they’re more than just numbers. These numbers paint a picture for us. They show us that when the Pacers are playing an outside game they lose. The Indiana Pacers are a big physical team. No one has ever accused this years team of being a finesse team. It’s not what they do. They pound the ball inside and get it to the rim. The beat the boards and get the rebounds. They are fundamentally sound and they play and Indiana style of ball. When they abandon their game for something else, they lose.
The free throw statistics tell a similar story. If Roy Hibbert, Paul George, David West and the others aren’t making it to the foul line that shows us that they aren’t playing a tough inside game. They aren’t challenging the other team at the rim. They aren’t using their size and their strength to their advantage. It also tells us that they aren’t threatening the other team as much when in comes to fouling out. If the Pacers are challenging the other team and forcing them to foul often it changes the way the other team plays. If Carmelo Anthony is in risk of fouling out near the end of the game, he’s more likely to play more conservative which could allow the Pacers to get better inside or even outside shots.
These two statistics tell a bigger story of how the Indiana Pacers need to play to win. They are built a certain way and play a specific style. When they control the game and play it their way they are capable of beating any team in the playoffs.