Breaking down the Indiana Pacers early season success by the numbers
By Jacob Breece
Cory Joseph: 43% from 3-point range
CoJo is another name in the “most underrated” category. Joseph seems to do a little bit of everything including shoot a high percentage from deep. This is by far his best year from distance thus far as he continues to look comfortable from behind the arc.
Joseph has the size and defensive capability to play either guard slot. This allows him to play off the ball on both ends and provides more spot-up opportunities on offense. CoJo has a nice form and good balance on his jumper and when his feet are set the ball seems to find the net more often than not.
Joseph has been somewhat of a surprise offensively since he has never been known to provide much on that end. While his ball handling and crafting floaters keep defenders honest, his shooting has improved drastically. If he can continue to expand his offensive game, Joseph may have found himself a home with the Pacers.
Lance Stephenson: 5.2 rebounds per game
Although the start of the season was one to forget, Lance has come on strong of late and become a key cog in the Pacers second unit. Stephenson provides this young Indy team with high energy and a high motor that every team needs, especially in an 82 game season.
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A do-it-all guard, Lance provides numbers in just about every category. But, his most important skill and perhaps most overlooked is his rebounding. Stephenson is second in the league in rebounding percentage among guards, just behind the tenacious Russell Westbrook. Lance is big for a guard at 230 pounds and he wants every rebound.
Even with teammate Domantas Sabonis usually sharing the floor with him, Lance skies for rebounds with grit and elite athleticism. His high rebound rate also allows Stephenson to rip down a rebound and take the ball to the other end, setting up the offense or getting all the way to the rim.
Domantas Sabonis: 12 points, 8.2 rebounds per game, 54% shooting
Domas has been so good in the first portion of the season that I couldn’t just pick one category. It would be an injustice to focus on his second unit leading 12 ppg or his team-leading 54% from the field. And, how could I leave out his 8.2 rebounds per game which also leads the Pacers.
Sabonis has been better than advertised and at just 21 years old the ceiling is the roof (sorry MJ). Domantas has a polished post game with ball fakes, hook shots and up and under just to name a few. His jumper could use some work but still looks good when he shoots it. Where he really excels though, is his passing and court vision. When Domas is in the game, the ball rarely sticks.
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Sabonis has a strong foundation on both ends of the court which allows him to rebound at an extremely high clip. While it remains to be seen if both he and Myles can share the court in the starting lineup, Sabonis looks to be in line for a long productive career and hopefully all of it is in a Pacers jersey.