Currently, the Indiana Pacers have a 7-5 record and are coming off the worst loss of the young season to the Orlando Magic.
While the Pacers have lost far worse than this, losing by a staggering 51 points to the Boston Celtics on November 1, that was without Tyrese Haliburton, and they had the misfortune of playing the best team in the NBA that is currently 11-3 and headed for an NBA title run.
In my opinion, the Memphis loss was far worse, as not only did the Pacers get shut down by Orlando's number-one-ranked defense, but they also couldn't manage to stop Orlando's 25th-ranked offense, no matter how hard they tried.
While they did make it somewhat of a game in the fourth quarter, the Pacers eventually lost 128-116 and are now the seventh seed in the East after being as high as number two a short while ago.
A loss like this has many reasons. Teams don't just fall behind by as much as 40 on accident. The same problems that plagued the Magic game were the same problems that have plagued the Pacers all season long and will probably plague the Pacers for the rest of the season as they try to go for their first playoff spot in four years.
These issues have been talked about individually before but never as a whole, which is why they should all be addressed at once now, in case Indiana improves on their flaws or keeps them up.
1. Lack of defensive ability and height
This has been the main issue for Indiana, and it's something that I discussed in painful detail not too long ago, but it's something that cannot be overstated. Indiana's defense has been downright terrible this season, not being able to stop a fly and routinely letting players have career nights.
Who could forget a few games ago when the Pacers had players score 50 points on them two nights in a row in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyrese Maxey? Or when they let seven players score 15 or more points against Boston?
The Pacers' complete lack of defensive ability was on full display against Orlando, where they let the sixth-worst offense in the league score 128 points while being the subject of trashtalk all the way through.
I said this during the game, and I think it is even more evident now that it is much easier for a bad offense to score on a bad defense than it is for a good offense to score on a good defense, especially when that bad offense is bad beyond belief.
The Pacers currently have the fourth-worst defensive rating in the league at 118.4, and despite having such a potent offense, they only have a net rating of 2.3, showing that their lack of defense is slowly catching up to them.
There are many reasons for this lack of defense, such as low effort, laziness, and just plain bad defenders, but one of the biggest reasons that does not get talked about enough is the sheer lack of height on this Pacers team.
After buying out Daniel Theis and his signing with the Clippers, the Pacers have eight players over 6-foot-7. Of these eight players, only four get consistent rotation minutes: Myles Turner, Jalen Smith, Obi Toppin, and Isaiah Jackson, with Jackson only having played in five games so far this season.
The Pacers' lack of height has helped them in plenty of facets, the biggest of which allows them to play fast and hard on offense, with Tyrese Haliburton having as many shooters as possible on the wings to kick out to.
However, this has done a number on everything else, as they are the fifth-worst rebounding team in the league, and have the fifth-worst opponent field goal percentage in the league, at an even 49%.
While the Pacers do not exactly play small ball, as they still have 6-foot-11 Myles Turner in the starting lineup, they don't have much to back him up outside of Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson, both of whom are primary centers.
On top of that, instead of playing the 6-foot-8 Jarace Walker who has shown plenty of flashes as a defender, Indiana insists on playing the 6-foot-5 Aaron Nesmith at the four, who, while impressing so far, is simply not tall enough to contest some shots, regardless of his hustle.
To help their defense and, most importantly, get them some more rebounds, Indiana needs to either get their players more focused on the glass and defensive end or look to find someone who can help out in those aspects.
While G-League rookie Oscar Tshiebwe would provide rebounding help, he is most likely not the answer this team is looking for, and they might have to look to pick someone up via trade or free agency signing.
2. Over-reliance on historic offense
This may be a controversial take, but I don't think the Indiana Pacers' historical offensive pace is going to sustain itself throughout the entire season.
While I do think the Pacers could very well finish as a top-five offensive team by season's end, I don't think they will be on top by the end. In fact, they're not even at the top right now, as the loss to Orlando bumped them down to the third-best offensive team in the league.
It goes without saying that the Pacers are a fantastic offensive team. This makes sense when you look at their rotation. Everyone in the rotation can make a three, with the exception of TJ McConnell, and with the exception of McConnell, everyone is a good to great athlete.
This allows for plenty of on and off-ball screens and movement in Indiana's offense, which can lead to beautiful sequences and incredible in-game runs. However, when that offensive well eventually dries out, what is there to save them? The answer is nothing.
As I have stated before, the Pacers are not a good defensive or rebounding team and are currently relying on their offense and the brilliance of Tyrese Haliburton a bit too much.
It is no coincidence that three of their five losses this year have come on nights where Haliburton either played poorly or didn't play at all. While it is perfectly acceptable to play around the engine of your offense, as Haliburton clearly is for the Pacers, it becomes a bit concerning when you are unable to get anything going without him and rely on that player to keep you above water.
While Tyrese Haliburton is a great player who is completely capable of leading an offense, the entire load should not be put on him and the other players should step up.
To his credit, Myles Turner has stepped up and continued his offensive play from last season, averaging close to 18 points per game on almost 50/40/80 shooting splits. No other Pacer has really come out and had a good scoring season.
Bennedict Mathurin notably has regressed quite a bit from his rookie campaign, as his shooting splits have taken a nosedive, and he has been playing with much less confidence as compared to last season, despite being promoted to the starting lineup.
It's not just Mathurin who has failed to meet expectations, as Buddy Hield has fully left his hot start to the season and has been in a slump the past few games as well, giving the Pacers less and less reasons to re-sign him as his contract year moves on.
If the Pacers want to make some noise this year, they are going to have to learn to generate some offense without Tyrese Haliburton carrying them through all the time. In addition to this, their defense must improve before it gets too late.
This may be as easy as telling the players to buck down on that end, or they may have to pick up some guys who can provide immediate help. However, changes are needed, and they are needed sooner rather than later because April will be here sooner than people think.