The Indiana Pacers continue to tinker with the lineup, but the latest change is producing results as C.J. Miles opens up the floor for Paul George.
Four games ago, the Indiana Pacers made another change to the starting lineup, trying to find a shooting guard who helps unlock the starter’s potential. Since C.J. Miles entered the lineup, Paul George has been on fire.
In the very small sample size (4 games) since C.J. Miles moved into the starting lineup, he’s been fine. 9.3 points, shooting 40.7% from deep, 30.6 minutes per game. Miles has been OK, and that’s probably good enough to be the 5th starter. However, something more important has happened since Miles moved to the starting lineup; Paul George has rediscovered the “Playoffs Paul George” form he had last year against the Toronto Raptors.
In those four straight games where Miles has started at shooting guard next to him, PG has 32.3 points on 50.6% shooting, and put up 38.5% from beyond the arc. He’s also getting to the line 8.5 times per game, and hitting 91.2% of those.
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The team is 3-1 since the move, with their only loss being a terrible game against the New York Knicks that was a Myles Turner bobbled pass away from being a possible comeback win.
Pacers.com’s Mark Monteith compared Miles, Glenn Robinson, and Monta Ellis’ numbers as the fifth starter, noting that fit wise, Miles is the best 3-point threat for Indiana.
"Each one offers something unique. Ellis is by far the best playmaker of the three and most experienced, but is turnover prone and doesn’t shoot well from the perimeter. Robinson is the best rebounder, best defender, and a solid 3-point shooter, but lacks the experience of the other two. Miles is the best 3-point shooter and, more importantly, the best 3-point shooting threat. His 3-point percentage over the course of the season, .413, leads the team.McMillan considers Paul George to be the current “two” in his starting lineup, but that’s splitting hairs. The difference between the shooting guard and small forward position in the Pacers’ offense is negligible, little more than lining up on opposite sides of the court. Regardless of whether George is a two or three, he’s going to get most of the shots and be assigned to the opponents’ best wing scorer most of the game while point guard Jeff Teague handles the ball most of the time."
As per normal, making judgments based on small sample sizes is a bad idea. PG probably will not average 32 per game for the rest of the year, and Miles might not stay in the starting lineup.
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However, it’s working now, and Paul George is punishing the Pacers opponents regularly.