We are all well aware that the Indiana Pacers have dealt with injuries all season and are still missing two important players. But even with T.J. Warren and Caris LeVert sidelined, the Pacers have to stop using injuries as an excuse for their poor play over the past few weeks.
This is not to say that the injuries don’t matter or make a difference because they do. However, the guys that are healthy are not playing well right now and other teams are taking advantage. Indiana’s hopeful All-Stars Domantas Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon have not stepped up consistently.
The Indiana Pacers cannot blame injuries anymore
Winners of just four of their last 12 games, the Indiana Pacers are struggling to get over the hump after a strong start to the season. A current three-game losing streak has the Pacers quickly sinking their record and creeping down the Eastern Conference standings.
Sure, having Warren in the lineup would be a huge boost to the offense and would provide the starting group with another creator. It would also allow Jeremy Lamb or Justin Holiday to slide back to the second unit and provide scoring for that group as well. But Warren still has to prove he is a reliable defender, which is the biggest concern with Indiana right now. They cannot defend the perimeter.
As far as LeVert goes, we have no idea what he brings to the team as he recovers from the surgery to remove a mass on his kidney. LeVert is a great scorer and flashed at times for the Nets but without seeing his fit on Indiana, we cannot just assume he is an immediate impact player once he hits the floor.
Again, this is not to say that LeVert won’t be or can’t be good, but rather a pause to the hype in order to be careful of setting the bar too high.
In the meantime, the Pacers need to step up and keep the team afloat without getting obliterated by the better squads in the NBA. Milwaukee thumped the Pacers early in the week and Utah, despite a relatively close score, handled Indiana with ease on Sunday.
The Indiana Pacers need leaders to step up
Indiana could not hit shots against Utah’s dominant defense, connecting on just 39.8 percent of their attempts and just 27.6 percent of their three-point shots. Sabonis and Brogdon combined to shoot just 14/39 from the floor.
As the team’s primary weapons on offense, the two potential All-Stars cannot let that become a trend. Sabonis, who is one of the best post players in the NBA, continued to challenge Rudy Gobert inside and failed almost every time.
The night before the loss to Utah, the Pacers lost to the Pelicans after a similar off-night from the duo. Sabonis shot 3/13 while Brogdon was just 6/15, combining for 21 points. Both players sat for the entire fourth quarter while the bench led an almost-improbable comeback.
Justin Holiday and Jeremy Lamb have both stepped up at times but not consistently enough to get the job done. Holiday, specifically, did his part in the fourth-quarter effort against New Orleans, finishing with 22 points and connecting on seven threes that night.
Myles Turner needs to be more consistent on the offensive end but his defensive presence has been huge in keeping the Pacers in the game lately. Without him, I’m not sure Indiana is even close to hanging with Utah and New Orleans.
There is still time to right the ship and get back into the top of the Eastern Conference but the Pacers have to look beyond their injuries at some point.