January has plenty of road games against Western Conference Teams, should we expect a similarly difficult month?
Furr: The Pacers *should* have a better month. They do have some West Coast road games, but the competition (outside of Golden State) is not quite as brutal as it was in December. They’re not going to wind up 15-1, but they should have a winning month.
Barth: This appears more and more to be a slightly above average team. I’d wager they go .500 through January despite their inconsistencies lately on the road. Having Myles Turner back and Paul George playing much better as of late should give them a boost.
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Wade: No. The results will be a bit better but more so the team is just looking good again. Their only failing thus far has been blowing big leads, which while not great at least means they are hitting their stride for long stretches in every game. This won’t be the 11-2 November Pacers either, but we will start to see what this team really is this month.
Donahue: While January is road heavy, it does feature some winnable WC games at New Orleans, Denver, Phoenix, and Sacramento. The home schedule isn’t particularly daunting, either. The overall SoSHR is .520, which is 13th toughest in January, but the Pacers need to target 8 or 9 wins this month. If they struggle here, it’s going to be more about their flaws than the toughness of their opponents. They’ve already let one win get away in Miami.
Next: Righteous Indignation or Whiney?