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8p9s Roundtable: Is It Time To Panic Yet?

By Ben Gibson

Oct 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Chase Budinger (10) and center Myles Turner (33) try to defend against Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandan Wright (34) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis won the game, 112-103. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Chase Budinger (10) and center Myles Turner (33) try to defend against Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandan Wright (34) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis won the game, 112-103. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Chase Budinger (10) and center Myles Turner (33) try to defend against Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandan Wright (34) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis won the game, 112-103. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Chase Budinger (10) and center Myles Turner (33) try to defend against Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandan Wright (34) in the second half of their game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis won the game, 112-103. Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /

Will the defense be this bad all year?

Comstock: No. It will continue to look different than it did in the past. It will be more deflection based. On the whole i think it will improve but probably never be great.

Ochoa: The defense will not be what it used to be, but it won’t suck as bad as it has in the 0-3 start. Myles Turner can protect the paint as well as anyone, and we’ve known Mahinmi can protect the paint for years now. The Pacers have more solid perimeter defenders than usual, so in theory, this defense should improve from years past. I think the Pacers will finish as a top 12 defensive team, but maybe not quite, elite level.

Furr: The defense will struggle, but when the Pacers clean up the turnover issue, I think the defense will look much better.

LaFollette: Aside from PG and George Hill, no one on the roster is a proven defensive player against starting talent. Don’t know how much those two can do by themselves. Perhaps plugging in Myles Turner for Ian would make things better? The rookie is allowing opponents to shoot 44 percent at the rim on 9 attempts per game.

Washburn: I don’t think so. They’ve shown, in spurts, that they can be very good defensively. However, I’m not sure the same lineups will be the long term solution. Jordan Hill has never been part of a good defensive unit, and it’s unlikely to change this year. Also, Paul George needs to show that he can still be a lockdown defender with his increased offensive role. He hasn’t been bad this season, but he also hasn’t been near the All-NBA Defense level he was at in 2014.

Hughes: I don’t think so, especially if Myles Turner starts. Ian can block shots but his 106.9 defensive rating at the start worries me. Turner is sitting at 102, with a 103.5 rating on the offensive side. Ian is at 91.4 on offense. I have trouble believing a starting lineup consisting of George Hill, Paul George and Myles Turner with Vogel as the head coach is THAT bad on defense.

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