The Indiana Pacers are 6-20 and are just one game ahead of the Washington Wizards, who have the worst record in the NBA. They have a lot of flaws and weaknesses, but arguably their biggest one is their inability to score in the paint.
According to NBA.com, the Pacers are averaging 44.8 points in the paint per game, which is the fourth-fewest in the league. For some context, they were 11th last season and first in 2023-24 (58.4 points in the paint per game).
In Sunday's loss to Washington, the Pacers scored 38 points in the paint. Washington scored 50.
As the Pacers look to navigate through this gap year and work some things out, it's becoming increasingly clear what their biggest problems are. But whether they will be able to fix them is a different story.
Why are the Pacers struggling to score in the paint?
This is happening for a few reasons.
Indiana is without Tyrese Haliburton, the engine that runs the offense and can generate easy looks for his teammates. Haliburton is a scoring threat from all three levels himself, but being without him greatly limits the Pacers' dynamic and versatility.
Additionally, the Pacers don't have a consistent paint threat outside of Pascal Siakam, who is averaging 11.3 points in the paint per game. Obi Toppin is on the shelf because of a foot injury, Isaiah Jackson is now their backup center, and Jay Huff isn't a threat in the paint because of his perimeter-centric game.
Indiana also isn't getting nearly as many fast-break points (17.5 fast-break points per game in 2024-25 to 13.4 this season, according to NBA.com).
At this point, it's safe to assume that this is just how it's going to play out for the Pacers for the rest of the season. They're not getting Haliburton back until next year, their center situation is still (mostly) murky, and there are still plenty of players getting comfortable in their expanded roles this season. Still, the future is bright in Indiana.
Haliburton will be back eventually, and once he returns to form, the Pacers should be able to re-establish themselves as a legitimate title contributor. Plus, the team still consists of talented players who should only develop throughout this season.
Indiana is not likely to make any noise in the East for the rest of the campaign, and its eyes will likely be set on the draft lottery instead of the playoffs. However, this isn't the end of the world, as the Pacers will look to bounce back and remind the basketball world just how dangerous they can be.