3 Important lessons learned after the Pacers' 2024 preseason
By Scott Conrad
2. Turnovers in the NBA are not the sweet kind
During the Pacers' four preseason games, they committed 68 turnovers. That's an average of 17 a contest. The Pacers only had 12 during the game against the Cavaliers. The other three games were 17 or more.
Last year, Indiana was better than most of the league. They only committed 12.3 turnovers a game. Giving the other team another five possessions via turnovers could mean about a 7-to-12-point swing.
Turnovers were an issue during the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics last season. They turned the ball over 21 times in the opening game at Boston. They committed another 41 turnovers in the next three games of the series.
Haliburton, Siakam, and company must do a better job of maintaining possession of the ball. Better passing and limiting mistakes help keep the scoreboard in favor of the Pacers as opposed to their opponents.