What are the major storylines for the Indiana Pacers in the second half?
The Indiana Pacers are floating around the middle of the Eastern Conference as they come out of the All-Star break. While the first half was filled with ups and downs, there were several lessons to learn and other major questions that were left unanswered.
This break allowed the Pacers to reflect on their season up to this point and also allowed some guys to get their recognition. Domantas Sabonis was one of the stars of All-Star Weekend, taking home the Skills Challenge crown. Cassius Stanley also had arguably the best dunk of this year’s dunk contest but was shorted of a victory of his own.
What storylines will reign supreme surrounding the Pacers over the final stretch of the season?
Caris LeVert is set to return at some point for the Indiana Pacers.
When the Pacers traded Victor Oladipo for Caris LeVert and some draft picks, there were mixed reactions. Then the news broke that LeVert had a mass on his kidney that required surgery and halted his season.
The Pacers hit a major slump and currently lack that extra option on offense which has put extra pressure on Sabonis and Malcolm Brogdon. But their struggles may be getting some relief in the coming weeks as LeVert is set to make his debut for Indiana.
This is not just good news for the team but joyful news for an already beloved player in the organization. The health scare put a lot of things into perspective and LeVert has every right and reason to take his time before suiting up.
Domantas Sabonis has to remain a star for the Indiana Pacers.
Sabonis was an All-Star replacement in a deep Eastern Conference and the divide among fans was real. Personally, I was fine with his original status as a snub given how talented the field was this season. However, I also agree that he was deserving of consideration and was an excellent choice to be the eventual replacement for Kevin Durant.
Domas is the focal point of Indiana’s offense and he has shown the capability of shouldering the load all season. But his stretch of play to end the first half was definitely a bit concerning, to say the least. He started missing shots that he just doesn’t miss very often and the Pacers went sputtering into the break.
The time off will give him some rest and a clean slate when the season picks back up but Sabonis has to return to his high level of play if the Pacers want any real shot to be a threat this season.
Several teams in the East are fighting for a playoff spot and the Pacers are right in the middle of the cluster. If Sabonis is anything less than stellar, the Pacers will be an afterthought.
The Indiana Pacers need more out of Aaron Holiday.
Prior to the season, I made an ambitious claim that Aaron Holiday could be the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. That was certainly an aggressive prediction given the production we have seen from Holiday up to this point this season.
Holiday will have his name thrown around in trade talks and speculation because he is still young and has the skill set to play as a primary ball-handler off the bench. His season has been disappointing for the Pacers but there is still time to turn it around.
I would even argue that he has played better basketball over the past few weeks than at the beginning of the season. Holiday has looked more comfortable when attacking the basket and using his left hand to finish in traffic.
This is not to suggest that Holiday will reach that Sixth Man status. Instead, Indiana needs him to return to his comfort zone as an initiator and creator on offense. The only problem is that T.J. McConnell is playing some incredible ball at the moment.
There are too many guys that need to be a part of the rotation which makes it difficult to find a consistent spot for the young Holiday in the rotation. A trade could benefit him the most while also allowing Indiana to find help at a more pressing area of need.