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The Pacers at the Quarterpole: What we’ve learned so far

By Jonathan Matthes

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 29: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball as Danny Green #14 of the San Antonio Spurs defends from behind at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 29, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 29: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball as Danny Green #14 of the San Antonio Spurs defends from behind at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 29, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Thaddeus Young of the Indiana Pacers
Thaddeus Young of the Indiana Pacers /

With 21 games down and 61 still to go, the Indiana Pacers have completed the first quarter of the season. Here are some observations and lessons learned thus far.

On October 17, the Indiana Pacers were winless and some didn’t expect the Pacers to do much better than that. There were two bozos that were forced upon Indiana in a pilfering for Paul George. There was a Croatian cast-off, the offense looked like a mess, and the only player on the roster you felt good about was Myles Turner.

My how things have changed.

You’re now feeling pretty good about everyone. That Croatian cast-off (his Mom calls him Bojan) is the team’s second-leading scorer. Those two bozos (Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis) have garnered rave reviews. The offense is one of the premier ones in the entire Association: second in points (108.9), third in field-goal percentage (.480), fifth in effective field-goal percentage (.539), third in turnover percentage (13.2) and first in three-point shooting (.409). Oh, and I’m guessing few of you are shedding many tears over Oklahoma City’s dysfunctional 8-11 start.

A lot of good things happened in the season’s first quarter. These are a few of our favorite ones.

Thaddeus Young: Super Glue

Far too few liters of digital ink have been spilled on Thaddeus Young’s behalf.

Despite not leading the Pacers in — or even being second — in many statistical categories, Young just might be the most valuable Pacer this season. Now there are other contenders, Oladipo has been stunning — we’ll talk more about him in a few paragraphs — and Sabonis’ passing has been nearly sublime, but it’s Young’s utility that has held this team together.

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If you peruse the list of the Pacers’ best two-man lineups on the NBA’s limitless database, you’ll find Thad Young’s name in each of the top three. Young’s plus/minus rating trails just Collison’s and Oladipo’s.  Then the gulf between how Young plays in wins (+15) and losses (-12.8) is a near seismic 27.8 points, just 4.3 less than Oladipo’s 32.1.

That Young’s performance has nearly as much impact as a potential All-Star’s, speaks volumes to his contributions to the team.

But traditional stats don’t properly. The NBA’s hustle stats come closest: where Young is second in the league with 3.8 deflections per game, 16th in loose ball recovers and tied for 26th in contested shots. Young is just one of the better players in the league in the difficult-to-quantify, being at the right place at the right time.

Young is a key cog in the Pacers’ prolific offense, keeping the ball moving and proving that he might be a value asset for the Pacers going forward.

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