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Indiana Pacers Love/Hate Series: Cory Joseph

By Tony East

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 29: Cory Joseph #6 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against the San Antonio Spurs 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: Cory Joseph #6 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against the San Antonio Spurs 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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Cory Joseph Indiana Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 05: Cory Joseph #6 of the Indiana Pacers defends during a game against the Washington Wizards at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on February 5, 2018, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Wizards won 111-102. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

What we love about Cory Joseph

Cory Joseph’s biggest asset to the Indiana Pacers is his ability to effectively play defense on the perimeter.

When CoJo is in the game, the Pacers team defense is just better. He gets up in the grill of his matchup, he scraps for loose balls, he forces opponents away from the middle of the court, and he has a terrific closeout that rarely gets blown by.

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He racked up his career-best defensive win shares this past season, showing that he put in work on that end of the floor over the course of the year. Being one of the teams most consistent defenders across 82 games and 2200+ minutes was probably Joseph’s biggest contribution.

Another terrific thing about Cory Joseph is that he compliments other players well with his skillset. The Pacers had a positive net rating when CoJo shared the court with:

  • Victor Oladipo
  • Domantas Sabonis
  • Thaddeus Young
  • Bojan Bogdanovic
  • Myles Turner
  • Darren Collison
  • Trevor Booker

Basically, every guy in the Pacers rotation was a  positive playing alongside CoJo besides Lance Stephenson. His scrappy playstyle and ability to function within the offense makes him a great player to plug-and-play with any lineup.

The last thing to love about Cory Joseph? He’s an awesome guy. He’s always smiling, cheering on his teammates, and pumping up the young guys. He was a perfect fit in the Pacers locker room this past season, and he will continue to be a great influence this coming year.

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