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Who Should Start for the Indiana Pacers? Glenn Robinson III Vs Monta Ellis

By William Furr

Dec 17, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Glenn Robinson III (40) does an interview with Kristen Keith after the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pacers win 105-90. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Glenn Robinson III (40) does an interview with Kristen Keith after the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pacers win 105-90. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Indiana Pacers recently made a change, starting Glenn Robinson III due to injuries, and leaving him in the lineup while sending Monta Ellis to the bench.

Glenn Robinson III has started 16 games for the Indiana Pacers this season, originally as a fill in when both Paul George and C.J. Miles were injured.

After a successful stint in the starting lineup, Robinson filled in at shooting guard when Monta Ellis went down, and has kept the starting spot with Ellis back from injury. The Pacers appear to be banking on Robinson’s athleticism, size, and ability to play without the ball.

GRIII is not a better player than Monta Ellis, not yet, but he might fit better with the starters as a 5th option than Ellis does.

Glenn Robinson III Splits

  • Starter: 33.1 minutes, 8.4 PPG, 6.2 Rebounds, 1.1 assists, 101 Offensive Rating, 106 Defensive Rating, 40% shooting, 39% 3-Point Shooting, +1 +/-
  • Reserve: 12.1 minutes, 3.6 PPG, 1.6 rebounds, .5 assists, 91 Offensive Rating, 116 Defensive Rating, 41% shooting, 25% 3-Point Shooting, -17.3 +/-

Any look at GRIII’s numbers has to start with his minutes played.

He’s getting almost 3 times the minutes as a starter, so his per game numbers, things like points/rebounds/assists are bound to go up. Both his offensive and defense ratings improved by 10 points, but that is also something to be expected.

Robinson is sharing the court with Jeff Teague, Paul George, Thad Young, and Myles  Turner now. When he comes off the bench, he’s usually with guys like Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey, and Al Jefferson. He has been better from deep, and has a better overall rating when he’s starting.

There’s some value though in comparing what GRIII has done against Ellis’s numbers as a starter, though.

Glenn Robinson III vs Monta Ellis — Starters Edition

  • Glenn Robinson III: 33.1 minutes, 8.4 PPG, 6.2 Rebounds, 1.1 assists, 101 Offensive Rating, 106 Defensive Rating, 40% shooting, 39% 3 Point Shooting, +1 +/-
  • Monta Ellis: 31.2 minutes, 9.3 PPG, 3.2 Rebounds, 3.7 assists, 95 Offensive Rating, 110 Defensive Rating, 44% shooting, 31% 3 Point Shooting, -2.1 +/-

Ellis has only come off the bench for 4 games so far this year, but he’s +4.4 in those in those games. Robinson has a better offensive rating, better defensive rating, and better +/- that Ellis does as a starter. Ellis, though in a very small sample size, has a positive rating off the bench, while GRIII posted a brutal -17.3.

The Pacers are 8-8 when Robinson starts, and 12-11 when Ellis starts (they have started together a few times). The numbers for both guys are similar, but the Pacers need to be better than a .500 ball club.

Next: Why Paul George Isn't Having the Season We Expected

They know exactly what they’ve got in Monta Ellis and that the Jeff Teague/Monta Ellis pairing has struggled mightily. GRIII has earned a shot to continue to show what he can do with the starters.

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