Post-Game Grades: Short-handed Indiana Pacers fall to Detroit Pistons

The Indiana Pacers gave most of their regular rotation the night off as they fell short against the Detroit Pistons in a preseason game.

No Glenn Robinson III? No problem. No Thaddeus Young? No, wait… Myles Turner, too? Well, good thing Lance Stephenson… is resting too? At least the new guys… Really? Domantas Sabonis, Bojan Bogdanovic and Victor Oladipo aren’t playing? OK, well at least some of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants like Trey McKinney Jones… OH C’MON, YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?!

That was the situation on Monday night for the Indiana Pacers as they chose to rest many of their players in a preseason matchup with the Detroit Pistons. The final result had the Pistons beating the Pacers 107-97, but that wasn’t what the Pacers were worried about when they put their team on the floor.

Indiana got a chance to see who among the bench and reserves deserve to stay with the team and who should figure out if their next move is to Fort Wayne or somewhere else other than somewhere within the Pacers organization.

The Good: Ike Anigbogu looks like an NBA player. After worrying if his injuries from the past year were still a factor he showed us he can score (3 for 3 from the floor and two free throws equal 8 points). He had 2 blocks and 2 assists but strangely no rebounds. His defense will carry him in the NBA so it is encouraging that he was second on the Pacers in shots altered.

More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds

• 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?

It may be a little too early to get excited about Ike, but his injury concerns came with him to the NBA on draft night were very real. Seeing him on the floor for 22 minutes was a positive sign in itself.

The Bad: Al Jefferson and Joe Young didn’t look like NBA players.

The slimmed-down Jefferson wasn’t going to be a better defender than Big Al, but 12 points from 6 of 14 shooting night isn’t going to cut it offensively.

Young couldn’t find his shot either as he scored 11 points on 4 of 12 shooting. At least he handed out 5 assists to partially make up for it.

MVP: Damien Wilkins look like an NBA player. I’m not so sure about signing a 37-year old to a rebuilding team, but he’s played defense and scored points when he’s on the floor. If he makes the roster he will contribute off the bench — at least if preseason is an indicator of future success.

LVP: Flip a coin on Joe Young and Al Jefferson.

Next: Pacers pick up fourth-year option for Myles Turner

X-Factor: Jarrod Uthoff may very well sneak onto the roster. Uthoff scored 11 points and grabbed 7 rebounds while finding tome for 2 assists, a block, and a steal.