The Indiana Pacers stabilized themselves for the first time since losing Victor Oladipo, but the Orlando Magic still came out with the win.
The Indiana Pacers lost the Orlando Magic. There isn’t a way to make that sound better than it is, but it is worth noting the Pacers looked like a normal basketball team for the first time since Victor Oladipo’s injury. It was their fourth loss in a row, but it felt a little different.
It helped the Indiana Pacers turned to a veteran — Cory Joseph — to star over Aaron Holiday or Edmond Sumner, but putting the ball in Myles Turner’s hands more often helped as well.
The Pacers remain in a tough spot with the trade deadline fastly approaching. If the team is so bad it can’t win more than a handful of games the rest of the season, then Kevin Pritchard need to move some of the team’s expiring contracts.
But this team went 7-4 without Victor Oladipo earlier this season. They aren’t this bad, are they? That Oladipo-less record is now a losing one at 7-8, for those keeping track.
Thaddeus Young, the Indiana Pacers’ stabilizer
Thaddeus Young calmed things down with 8 points after the Magic started off the game on an 11-0 run. Ever since Oladipo went down, it is clear Young took over as the team’s leader. His veteran status mixed with the ability to put down a double-double at any given time is a big part of that.
Young needs Myles Turner to continue to get more aggressive offensively, but as always, Young remains the glue holding things together.
Youth in moderation
Everyone wants Aaron Holiday and Edmond Sumner to succeed, but recent games showed us they aren’t quite ready for prime time. The duo combined for four points and 5 rebounds in limited minutes on Thursday.
It’s no need to panic, it’s simply part of the learning curve.
I’m not overly worried about either of them just yet, Holiday in particular, but it serves as a reminder that the two are early on in their development.
The Pacers head down to Miami for a Saturday matchup with the Heat. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.