On Wednesday evening the Pacers lost to the New York Knicks. And while it may be hard to pull good things out of the loss, there was one. The team had one of the most balanced offensive performances of the season in the loss. Here’s what we mean:
The offense was rolling, scoring 129 points without the majority of their starters. The team looked to have a nice fluid play style, and obviously, it was one that resulted in a lot of points for the team. But even beyond that, the amount of balance across the team was incredible.
- Aaron Nesmith scored 12 points
- Jordan Nwora scored 11 points
- Jalen Smith scored 19 points
- Bennedict Mathurin scored 17 points
- Andrew Nembhard scored 12 points
- Buddy Hield scored 13 points
- Isaiah Jackson scored 10 points
- TJ McConnell scored 18 points
Nobody scored over 20 points, and there were two more players that almost had double digits as well (Gabe York had 9 points and Oshae Brissett had 8 points). For those counting, this means that the Pacers had 8 players score in double digits, an impressive balance. And it’s not only the players, it’s also the positions. Point guards, shooting guards, forwards, and big men were all able to capitalize on the offensive side of the ball.
This shows the tremendous upside Pacers even while losing
While the Pacers are not having the season that they hoped for, to be able to get all of these minutes for young players against a playoff team and for the team to respond with this offensive performance, Carlisle should be pleased even in losing.
The Pacers continue to show struggles in performing on the defensive end with the Pacers allowing the Knicks to score 138 points. Part of this is certain players such as Myles Turner being out of the lineup, the it also points to Carlisle’s defensive system as potentially not being the long-term solution for the franchise.