Indiana Pacers: 3 takeaways from the loss to the Toronto Raptors

Déjà vu, anyone? Just a couple of days after their defeat on the road to the Toronto Raptors, the Indiana Pacers were once again dispatched by the same team, losing at home in yet another close contest on the second night of a back-to-back, sinking them at 1-6 on the season, tied for the worst record not only in the East, but also in the entire league.

Fatigued by their prior close loss to the Brooklyn Nets, the Pacers simply lacked the scoring juice to hang with the springy Raptors, which are also playing on the second leg of a back-to-back. While Indiana managed to show a great defensive performance, limiting Toronto to 42.4 percent shooting overall, their offense was too measly and turnover-prone as they were thwarted late in the fourth quarter.

Save for a last minute run that was well too late to trump their adversaries, the Pacers simply couldn’t get it going offensively, succumbing to Toronto’s pressure D and committing a staggering 19 turnovers. Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner both registered double-doubles of their own, but Scottie Barnes and Fred VanVleet delivered the goods in the fourth quarter for the Raptors.

As the Indiana Pacers get an off day before another matinee at home against the San Antonio Spurs, here are three takeaways from their disappointing finish against Toronto.

Caris LeVert looked great in his season debut for the Indiana Pacers

Making his season debut after missing the first six games due to injury, starting shooting guard Caris LeVert looked like a much improved player even in limited minutes, nearly leading the team in scoring with 15 markers despite only seeing 16 minutes of court time.

LeVert showed no considerable rust at all to kick off his sixth year in the league, sinking six of his 10 attempts overall while tallying a couple of dimes and steals in his first game back before being shelved by the coaching staff in the second half as he eases his way to his full allotment of minutes. The starting wing combination of him and Chris Duarte looked solid and encouraging.

With Malcolm Brogdon and TJ Warren still nursing injuries, LeVert will be a massive aid to the reeling Indiana Pacers. Even on the heels of an injury, he can serve as a primary scoring option while assuming pseudo point guard duties in the interim. Also, his defense should return to form eventually and instill some moxie on that end, where the team is still struggling at.

The Indiana Pacers badly need help at the point guard position

We’ve already anticipated the doom that Brogdon’s injury brings, but at this rate, saying that the Indiana Pacers can still get by with compromises may be a tad too generous for the objective eye. For the second consecutive game, the team’s remaining floor generals struggled and failed to move the needle much, if at all.

TJ McConnell registered seven assists, but at the cost of three turnovers. His complete lack of a three-point game essentially allowed the Raptors to aggressively defend the lane without much risk of conceding points. It’s becoming clearer that he is much better off playing loosely with the second unit where the ball is mostly in his hands.

Brad Wanamaker, on the other hand, in almost 10 minutes of court time, was hardly felt. Aside from a block, he was MIA in his short run, missing both of his shots, committing a turnover, and failing to even tally an assist. It seems like my premonition was right all along.

The easy fix, of course, is to have Brogdon back. However, with his intermittent injuries, expecting him back at full throttle over the course of the season is not viable. The Pacers simply have an unerring need for help in the point guard position.

As injuries and inconsistent play pile up, the Indiana Pacers are at the bottom of the league

The Indiana Pacers’ loss to the Raptors effectively sent them to the bottom of the league, even below some of the projected cellar dwellers in the season to begin their campaign. With a 1-6 win-loss card, it’s difficult to envision the team turning that around anytime soon, especially with the string of injuries and on-court inconsistencies that have plagued them on the nightly.

The upcoming schedule won’t make things easier for them either. Six of their next eight games will be against playoff teams from last season. The other two, San Antonio and Sacramento, boast improved clubs despite their middling records, with the former even scoring a decisive upset against the defending champs last night before their meeting with the Pacers tomorrow.

To avoid bottoming out further, the Indiana Pacers need to play with a sense of urgency. Screw the early season excuses. Given the more competitive nature of the East, every win matters. Falling too far behind the crowd will only force them to play catch-up, a bold challenge considering the utmost uncertainty on whether the team can even banner a fully healthy roster and build off of their supposed talent this season.