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5 preseason stats that (sorta) matter for the Indiana Pacers

By Ben Gibson

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 4: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets during a pre-season game on October 4, 2018 at Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 4: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets during a pre-season game on October 4, 2018 at Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Doug McDermott Indiana Pacers Kyle O'Quinn
INDIANAPOLIS – SEPTEMBER 30: Kyle O’Quinn #10 and Doug McDermott #20 of the Indiana Pacers stretch during fan jam at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on September 30, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana.  (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Mid-range scoring is down, points in the paint are up

One surprising part of Indiana’s success last year was their reliance on mid-range shooting. They were 11th in offensive rating despite taking the most mid-range shots in the league. A made shot isn’t a bad one, but we know on average relying on mid-range shooting is a risky proposition, especially when there isn’t a volume of 3-point shots to counter any off nights.

In the preseason, Indiana got significantly less scoring from mid-range while seeing their points in the paint increase. Their 3-point shooting volume remained roughly the same, but they were more efficient elsewhere on the court.

So are the Pacers evolving?

If I had to guess though, this is more of an aberration as preseason defense isn’t all that intense. You get some younger and poorer defenders on the court too and everyone’s got a green light to drive their way to the basket.

But it’s still something to keep an eye on. We saw a more aggressive T.J. Leaf in the preseason and Sabonis showed us more versatility than we’ve seen from him in the past.

Hopefully, for the Pacers, Tyreke Evans and Doug McDermott find their strokes again and Indiana starts launching more 3-pointers, but that’s nothing but hope until Indiana starts letting it fly.

While I’d bet on most the Pacers returning closer to their shot distribution from last season, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the younger players made adjustments to their respective games.

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