8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

Pacers Rank: Lance Stephenson and Bojan Bogdanovic on the rise

By Ben Gibson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 27: Lance Stephenson #1 of the Indiana Pacers stares down the defense of the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 27, 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 - NOVEMBER 27: Lance Stephenson #1 of the Indiana Pacers stares down the defense of the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 27, 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) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Victor Oladipo is leading the charge still for the Indiana Pacers, but the players behind him are jostling for position.

The Indiana Pacers are 6-2 since the last time we visited the Pacers players power rankings, also known as Pacers Rank. Unlike the last time, the mood and perception of the team are much more optimistic.

One thing that hasn’t changed is Victor Oladipo’s consistency and efficiency. His 21.7 points lead the team and he does that while shooting 45.1% from the field and 42.1% from 3-point range. We keep waiting for Victor Oladipo to fall back to earth, but so far this season his play says he deserves your All-Star votes.

Oladipo is the tip of the spear, but the rest of spearhead changes behind him week to week.

While Domantas Sabonis still holds down the bench with his play at center, but we’ve seen Bojan Bogdanovic and Lance Stephenson are making their cases for the top five in our Pacers Rank. Myles Turner’s play improved and his effect on the Pacers goes beyond the box score, but he still is behind his averages from last season.

And of course, Thaddeus Young keeps consistently being consistent and providing the connective tissues for Indiana on both sides of the ball.

So where do they all fall this week? Let’s take a look.

SG. Indiana Pacers. VICTOR OLADIPO. 1st. December typically is a rough month for Victor Oladipo, but he never looked as good as he did this season. If he keeps this up, he may never lose his top spot on our list. (Last Week: 1st)

Lance Stephenson is seventh in scoring (11.1 points), but no player on the Pacers shot better than his 61.4% over the last eight games. He is only taking two 3-pointers a game, but he makes 62.5% of them. He isn’t just scoring either as he is averaging 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in that stretch. This is the Good Lance and it isn’t just fun to watch. The pair of 18 point games he put up in the past week pushed Indiana to wins over the Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors. (Last Week: 7th). SG. Indiana Pacers. LANCE STEPHENSON. 2nd

3rd. Bojan Bogdanovic’s 18.6 points are coming on 54.4 shooting. It helps that he drops in a trio of 3-pointers a game while shooting 49% from deep. Despite his deserved reputation as a poor defender, <a href=. SF. Indiana Pacers. BOJAN BOGDANOVIC

4th. If Thaddeus Young’s game was flashier, he would get the respect he deserves. Instead, he quietly posts <a href=. PF. Indiana Pacers. THADDEUS YOUNG

5th. Darren Collison is <a href=. PG. Indiana Pacers. DARREN COLLISON

6th. Putting Myles Turner down here isn’t to say he is playing badly, see Collison above, but because he isn’t reaching his potential right now, it’s hard to put him up higher. The 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks don’t fully illustrate his impact on the game. He still defends the rim at an elite level, but we know he is more than just a defender.  (Last Week: 4th). C. Indiana Pacers. MYLES TURNER

The calls for Domantas Sabonis to start are quieting despite the fact his play remains steady. His 12 points and 7.3 rebounds give the bench the help it needs in the frontcourt even if as a group the results aren’t perfect. As with Lance, we’ve seen Domas play some of his best games recently when he shares the floor with some of the starters. His 19 points and 8 rebounds in extended minutes during the win over the Magic are an example of that. (Last Week: 2). PF/C. Indiana Pacers. DOMANTAS SABONIS. 7th

8th. Cory Joseph stats are down as he acquiesces the floor to Lance Stephenson. But in his 3 of 5 (all 3-pointers) performance against the Orlando Magic, he shows he can pop back up and take control at any time. He had 7 rebounds and 3 assists in that win as well. He is average 5.9 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.5 rebounds over the last eight games. (Last Week: 7th). PG. Indiana Pacers. CORY JOSEPH

The Pacers are playing an eight-man rotation right now that relegates T.J. Leaf, Joe Young, and Damien Wilkins to garbage minutes, so they’re off the board for now.

Next: Lance Stephenson's most absurd moments

The Pacers face the Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, and Chicago Bulls over their next three games. Beating the Raptors on the road won’t be easy, but they come home to face the Knicks and Bulls to start a six-game homestand.

Home/Pacers News