Writing the phrase “Guess who’s back?” has been as common as “without Lance Stephenson or Paul George” this season for us here at 8 Points, 9 Seconds, but with the return of George Hill, the Pacers are again adjusting to an addition to the line up. The good news is it has been very positive through three games as Indiana is 2-1 since the starting point guards returned.
In those three games the Pacers offensive rating has jumped up to 108.8 while the defensive rating has improved to 97.3, better than their season averages. Yes, yes, this is only three games and they were against the New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets and none of those teams have net ratings in the positive. With those teams being inferior competition compared to their opponents this season as a whole, you’d have to expect those numbers to come back down closer to neutral than the +11.5 the Pacers have sported since George Hill’s return. Even if you compare it to the games before most of the lineup got healthy in December, the numbers are still encouraging. In the 11 games before George Hill’s return Indiana was still running in the negative with their tough schedule, but with the easier upcoming slate of games, the Pacers have a chance to get a few more wins instead of just keeping it close and getting fans’ hopes up. Again, small sample size, but Indiana is playing better with George Hill in the lineup thanks to his shooting ability that spreads the floor and he can also challenge teams by driving to the rim. With the exception of the non-restricted area of the paint, he’s shooting better than league average from the floor.
More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds
- 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
- Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?
Perhaps that is why tonight will be a good test of what the current line up for Indiana is capable of. You can throw out the results of the Pacers win in November over the Bulls as neither George Hill or Derrick Rose played in that game. In fact, even the results from the past few years aren’t worth much as Rose missed so much time. George Hill is usually on the wrong end of this matchup when Rose is healthy, but you have to go back to 2011 to find a game where Rose truly gave the Pacers the business. It will be a test of both George Hill and the entire Pacers team, but it is a chance to see if they can play anywhere near the level they’ve shown since Hill’s return. So far George Hill has shown a more aggressive nature than he had shown in pervious seasons and isn’t hesitating to fire up 3-pointers either. Right now he’s shooting 51.7% from the field and 46.7% from beyond the arc. He only started in the game against Brooklyn, but he’s been averaging close to 10 shots a game and that would be the second highest average per a game for his career if he keeps it up. In that win in November, the Pacers moved the ball well offensively while out rebounding Chicago by a 46-34 margin without either point guard playing in the game. The rebounding won’t change with George Hill back, but it will be a little different for Indiana’s offense with the defense of Rose coming back as well.
George Hill needs to maintain this more aggressive version of his offensive self if the Pacers are going to make up for the absence of Stephenson and George. It is still way too early to know if this is something he can maintain, but so far, so good.
Betting line
The Bulls are a -5 road favorite with a 194 over/under. I believe the Pacers will keep it close and score more than Vegas expects. Take the Pacers and the over.
One Random Thing
Happy Holidays, folks.