5. Fix their defensive struggles
Sine Nate McMillan’s staff left the Pacers, the team has struggled on defense. Hopes were that Carlisle, who is traditionally seen as an offensive minded coach, could bring in other coaches that could elevate the team’s defensive performance, similar to what Dan Burke did for the team for years.
However, the team continues to struggle on the defensive side of the ball. Some of this could be a function of pace and something that we are willing to accept. This season the Pacers had a better pace early in the season than the majority of teams in the NBA, which can lead to some defensive lapses.
But the Pacers finished the season with the 28th defensive rating, a number that is wholly unacceptable if we are going to compete near the top of the league. As long as the Pacers are unable to stop people of scoring, they will continue to lose games. It’s really as simple as that.