The Indiana Pacers are off to a slow start this season. After falling to 0-3 the Pacers face another difficult opponent on Wednesday as they take on the Brooklyn Nets in search of the team’s first win.
What to Watch For
Even though the season hasn’t started well, the Indiana Pacers will have another tough test on Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets had a busy offseason with signing all-stars Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and DeAndre Jordan after initiating a sign-and-trade deal to send D’Angelo Russell to the Golden State Warriors.
The Nets revamped their roster for immediate success even as they wait for the services of Kevin Durant.
The Nets are a team that will be scary next season but have already deemed themselves as a difficult matchup in 2019-2020.
Kyrie Irving has had a great start to the season. In his first three games, he’s averaging 37.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Irving is a player that is always hard to guard. His ball-handling and ability to score at will are what make him an all-star.
Irving is also surrounded by good players. Brooklyn also has rising stars Jarrett Allen, Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, and Joe Harris. The Nets starting lineup is:
- PG: Kyrie Irving
- SG: Caris LeVert
- SF: Joe Harris
- PF: Taurean Prince
- C: DeAndre Jordan
How Can Indiana Match-Up?
The Pacers do not have a bad lineup considering their start to the season. Here are some lineups that you could see being used throughout the season.
However, Indiana will need to be careful about how they manage their lineups. Here is how I would match up against Brooklyn:
- Malcolm Brogdon against Irving
- T.J. Warren against LeVert
- Edmond Sumner against Harris (assuming Jeremy Lamb still isn’t available to play due to injury)
- Myles Turner against Prince
- Domantas Sabonis against Jordan
Here’s Why
I would put Brogdon against Irving because Brogdon is the quickest player in the starting lineup and has a size advantage over Irving.
I would like to see Warren on LeVert because of similarities in their gameplay.
Then, I like Sumner against Harris because Harris is a moving three-point shooter. Sumner also has the speed to follow Harris around the court.
The battle in the post can be switched, but I would prefer Turner to be on Prince so Sabonis can use his size and strength against Jordan.
These matchups can work, but once rotations begin and players wear out, it could be hard for the Pacers to contain all of Brooklyn’s scorers.
The Nets, in three games, are averaging 124 PPG, 49 RPG, and 22.7 PPG, according to NBA.com. These are numbers that the Pacers could have issues with.
The Pacers are in desperate need of a win and defeating the Nets presents a wonderful opportunity to take a step in the right direction.
Coach McMillan and his staff will look to get off to a strong start and initiate a sense of urgency to close out the current three-game road trip.
With a win, the Pacers will look to return to Banker’s Life Fieldhouse with some momentum.