Indiana Pacers: Good, Better, and Best of 8-0
It’s one thing to nit pick and see what is good, bad, and ugly about the Indiana Pacers are they are off on this fast start. That’s why I went a different route with this article. I know there are a few areas where the team will get better. But I didn’t find those areas bad or ugly enough. Let’s go positive with the Pacers as they’re enjoying a successful start.
Good: Undefeated Streak
8-0 is a nice mark for the team. Even winning eight games in a row is a great mark. This Pacers team has never been one of those win streak teams, so 8 wins in a row is great. I like the way each game presents its own circumstances for how the Pacers have come out with the win. I do know that this streak will come to a close soon enough, but in the meantime, let’s each the wins while we can.
Better: Win Margin of 10 points
This margin of victory to me really impresses. It shows what the Pacers can do based upon my “best” topic of how they’re able to finish a game. The Pacers defense has been impressive enough, but at the same time, the offense can do enough to pull out a good lead. To win by 17 against the Chicago Bulls was impressive after a back to back set. Just this past Monday to handle a tough Memphis Grizzlies team, and win going away was nice too. At the same time, you can look at those wins against Cleveland and Detroit as quality wins in that those divisional games can help in the long run. With this type of stingy defense, who knows if this margin of victory can stay right around that 10 point margin?
Best: Second Half Impressions
Coming out strong and finishing the game is a good mark for a champion. This Pacers team is showing that through the first eight games. Just a year or two ago, the Pacers would go into a fourth quarter, and not necessarily come out with the win. But now they’re starting to string together those strong fourth quarter efforts. Just the second game into the season, the Pacers put up 36 points in the fourth quarter on a back to back. To me, that’s mighty impressive. Over 30 points in any quarter is a strong one, but to do it in the final one, even better. It’s like they’ve turned on that switch in the second half even after some bad second quarters. I’ll still say that we’ve not seen the best game out of the Pacers yet, so just imagine if they can string together some great first through fourth quarters, that other team might want to run off the court afterwards.
Overall, I just love that this team is coming out so strong at the start. We’ve seen some slow starts, but strong finishes with this team. I think if the Pacers can start strong and finish strong, even better. Sure, there will be some bumps in the road, just as all teams experience. But for now, the ride is smooth, and the Pacers are the better because of it.