The Indiana Pacers were one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA to begin the season, averaging 46.3 RPG in their first 15 games (eighth-best) and 49.8 RPG in the month of October (second-best). However, they have come back down to earth and are constantly getting outrebounded on a nightly basis.
In the midst of their eight-game losing streak, Indiana is getting outrebounded 390-320, according to StatMuse. This includes their most recent loss against the Houston Rockets (who are averaging a league-best 48.8 rebounds per game), when they were outrebounded 50-29.
For some additional context, per NBA.com, the Pacers' 40 rebounds per game across their eight-game losing streak is the second-worst in the league. Only the Los Angeles Clippers (37.5 RPG) rank below them.
The Pacers haven't been a good rebounding team for a long time, and many believed that their early-season numbers weren't sustainable. Still, this is a big concern that they will likely have to address if they want to re-enter the title picture in the near future.
The Pacers are once again a bad rebounding team
It's not too much of a surprise to see why Indiana is struggling to grab rebounds.
Of all qualified players, Pascal Siakam leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per game. Isaiah Jackson ranks second with 5.9 rebounds per game, and Jay Huff, the Pacers' starting center, is averaging just 4 rebounds per game.
The Pacers rely heavily on spacing the floor and pushing the tempo. Because a lot of their game is perimeter-centric, rebounding is likely always going to be a problem. Even so, it's a much bigger problem than it should be, and it's clear that it's playing a big role in their struggles.
Not being able to grab boards is far from the only reason Indiana is struggling this season, but it certainly doesn't help. Not being able to get rebounds causes the Pacers to lose the possession battle, which is far from ideal given their fast-paced offense.
It's fair to assume that the Pacers don't have their answer currently on the roster. Jackson is likely going to stay in his role as a backup for the foreseeable future, and Huff is never going to be a legitimate rebounder for the team.
So where do they go from here? It's pretty simple: they have to make a trade for a new big man, preferably one that can be an actual presence on the boards.
As it stands, Indiana has been linked to three big men: Walker Kessler, Daniel Gafford, and Ivica Zubac. It remains to be seen if any of these three are attainable, but if they are, any one of them would be a huge help to the Pacers.
Rebounding isn't Indiana's only or even biggest problem this season. But as the team looks to re-establish itself as a title contender, it's going to be important for them to address all their flaws and be as complete of a team as possible.