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3 key stats for the Indiana Pacers after 2 weeks

By Tony East

SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 24: Members of the Indiana Pacers celebrate after a Domantas Sabonis dunk against the San Antonio Spurs during an NBA game on October 24, 2018 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, 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. (Photo by Edward A. Ornelas/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - OCTOBER 24: Members of the Indiana Pacers celebrate after a Domantas Sabonis dunk against the San Antonio Spurs during an NBA game on October 24, 2018 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, 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. (Photo by Edward A. Ornelas/Getty Images) /
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Doug McDermott Indiana Pacers
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 4: Doug McDermott #20 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. (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Indiana Pacers won’t take many threes

…but they will make the ones they do take.

Before the Pacers game against the Trail Blazers on Monday, Blazers head coach Terry Stotts said something pregame to the effect of “the Pacers don’t take threes unless they are very open. But when they take them they make them”.

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He’s spot on. The Pacers are currently third to last in three-point attempt rate, shooting just 26.1 percent of their shots from long range. The flip side of that is that they lead the league in 3pt%, knocking down 43 percent of shots from long-range.

If you’re on twitter, you’ve probably seen a Pacers fan frustrated by this phenomenon. But it isn’t new. John Schumann of NBA.com wrote about how the Pacers did something similar in 2016-17. In fact, if the current percentages hold (still a ton of basketball to be played) this would be the third consecutive season in which the Indiana Pacers finish top-10 in three-point percentage and bottom-10 in three-point attempt rate.

I don’t think this is as bad as most people do. The Pacers shot selection is actually a part of what makes them so good. When they settle for midrange shots, they look putrid on offense. But when they swing the ball and attack the rim and don’t take the first shot that becomes available to them, they generate good looks from all over the court – some at the basket, some from deep, and some in between. Those are the games they are at their best.

Not taking bad shots is good. The Pacers only take good threes. Yes, running the sets necessary to take a few more shots from the outside wouldn’t hurt. It would probably help. But the Pacers offense is fine despite the fact that they will shoot fewer threes than just about any team this season. They just can’t settle for shots.

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