Indiana Pacers: 3 stats that must improve in the 2021-22 season

Indiana Pacers stats that must improve: Opponent Points in the Paint

The boldest manifestation of the Indiana Pacers’ drastic decline on defense last season was their general lack of acuity in preventing points in the paint. In the 2020-21 campaign, the team finished dead last in this defensive department, allowing a whopping 53.8 points in the paint per game.

In the preceding two seasons, Indy was rock-solid on this department, peaking at fourth in the league in 2018-19 while remaining respectable at 14th in 2019-20. However, despite having a menacing rim protector in Turner, their help defense and coverage has been virtually non-existent last season.

With Turner missing a lot of time due to injury, the Pacers were coerced into forcing Sabonis into the rim protecting role, which he evidently struggled at. Since Bjorkgren’s ultra-aggressive defensive schemes and up-tempo offense prompted a lot of distance travelled, the team was usually sapped of its energy, and rotating over to alter shots in the paint has been expectedly difficult. Poor rebounding also exacerbated things.

As coach Rick Carlisle pivots to simpler defensive coverages, the Pacers should be fundamentally better and sounder on defense this season, especially in the paint. If Myles manages to avoid the relentless injury bug, Indiana should be able to prove that last season’s mediocre defense was an aberration.