The Pacers kicked off the preseason with a bang, blowing out the Milwaukee Bucks 104-86.
The Good: The Pacers are officially undefeated, and they played a fairly fast-paced style that was easy on the eyes. 3s were shot, picks were popped, and Damien Wilkins sonned some fools. The new uniforms really popped on the screen as well, and Myles Turner looks primed for a big year.
The Bad: Obviously, it’s preseason, but the defense is going to be an ongoing struggle this season. Turner looked improved as an interior defender, but the perimeter will likely be a weak line of defense with Bogdanovic and Collison playing big minutes.
More from Pacers News
- 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
- Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?
MVP: Myles Turner was a beast when he was on the floor, putting up 17 points and nine rebounds in his 24 minutes, not to mention a steal and three blocks to boot.
LVP: He wasn’t terrible, but Bojan Bogdanovic probably gets the nod here. We knew going in that he’d be a sieve defensively and not much more than a bucket-getter, but even the buckets were hard to find tonight.
X-Factor: There was some undeniable spiciness going on with the Lance/Sabonis pick-and-roll in the second quarter, and I was very much feeling it. It’s too early to tell if the Lithuanian newcomer can fill Kevin Seraphin’s shoes as Stephenson’s full-time PNR co-pilot, but tonight was a hell of a first outing.
The Pacers head to Cleveland next to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Oct. 6 at 7:30 pm ET.
Next: Annual GM survey is kind to Myles Turner
We’ll seeya then.