Did Lance Stephenson Solve the Indiana Pacers Bench Issues?

Lance Stephenson is back, and the Indiana Pacers second unit is reaping the benefits.

Now that the dust has settled from Lance Stephenson’s return, it’s time to discuss what he can do for a Pacers team vying to make a playoff push. His arrival completely brought this team back to life, and seemed to remind them who they are and who they’ve been in the past.

The pride and sense of urgency has been restored in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and that is thanks in large part to Lance Stephenson. Indiana’s  3-1 record since Lance’s return speaks to that, especially after their streak of alternating wins and losses. The lone loss in the past four games came in Cleveland in a double overtime game against the Eastern conference’s number one seed.

The Pacers bench has been one of the biggest contributors to its under performing season, but a talent like Lance adds a major spark, and more importantly, a playmaker.

Lance Stephenson’s Impact on the Bench

Playmaking, playmaking, playmaking.

That is the most significant addition that Lance brings to a Pacers team that finds themselves 26th in bench production. He can do it all. The once great Pacer can score, rebound and set teammates up, and Indy hopeful is praying that he can become the Lance of old. The ball seems to always find Lance, and Nate McMillan and Paul George echoed the importance of that in their post-game comments following a win in Orlando.

He has bolstered the entire bench with his playmaking, and he is already the face of the second unit.

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Playmaking is not all he adds though. There is much more that the Lance effect is comprised of. The fire and passion that Lance plays with has been essential to this recent playoff push, and it is almost tangible in Bankers Life the instant Lance checks into the game. That was evident against Toronto in the near brawl that resulted from Stephenson’s antics in the Pacers comeback win.

Lance’s 3-point shooting has seen an uptick in his reunion with the Pacers. He was 1 of 12 on the season from beyond the arc with New Orleans and Minnesota, but a healthy 5 of 7 from three with Indiana. A continuance of this will make Indiana even more elite from 3-point range. The Pacers are currently 4th in the league in field goal percentage from deep, and with Lance’s recent performance in his home arena, the rich get richer.

The 6’6′ shooting guard also adds height to the guard position, which was desperately needed. He uses that height to his advantage too, as he crashes the glass with reckless abandon.

GR3’s Absence

Another thing to keep in mind in the wake of Lance’s addition is the absence of Glenn Robinson III. GR3 has averaged 6.1 points per game and 3.6 rebounds across 20.7 minutes this season, but he has been sidelined by a left calf injury since March 23rd.

The emergence of the 2017 dunk champ has been vital to the Pacers this season, and Lance has masked his absence completely. This was a perfect time for GR3 to go down, because it has aided Lance in reestablishing his presence in Indiana. The minutes simply wouldn’t have been there to give Lance the time he needs to build chemistry with this team. Also, “Born Ready” may not even had a chance to return had Robinson III stayed healthy.

The Indiana Pacers Playoff Push

The Indiana Pacers needed an edge to themselves, and they got it at the right time. They will be a tough out in the playoffs as they are peaking at the right time. Teams among the top of the conference would definitely rather draw another opponent, because Indy always comes to play in the postseason. Also, it is no secret that Indiana has not lived up to the potential of its roster, and the fact that they are rounding into form is scary for the rest of the league.

Two players remain from the Pacers glory days of the early 2010’s, and one of them has been here for four game this season. Paul George and Lance Stephenson are those two guys, and with the likes of Myles Turner, Jeff Teague and a healthy Thaddeus Young surrounding them, Indiana can definitely play spoiler to the elite of the East.

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This recent optimism and success in Indiana can be attributed to the excitement around Lance’s return. The team seems to have fully embraced him, and the city of Indianapolis has never stopped. Welcome home Lance. The playoffs are a week away, and it’s time to make some noise. Lance is ready. Are you?