3 Biggest Pacers issues this season and 3 potential solutions

The Indiana Pacers have wrapped up the first quarter of the season, and they sit at 13-9 following a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. (A loss that brought lots of drama to social media regarding a certain game ball.)

Indiana has much to celebrate. Tyrese Haliburton has been incredible, they went on a fun run to the finals of the In-Season Tournament, and their offense has been one of the best in the game of basketball.

However, they have some areas they can improve upon, too, so let's take a look at the areas of weakness and offer a solution to each one. How can the Pacers get better where they struggle the mos

Perhaps a trade? A change to the rotation or starting lineup?

1. Defense

While no one player or trade may fix this, head coach Rick Carlisle must get his team to commit to defending better. Though their offense ranks in the top part of multiple stat lines, their defense does not, as it's been one of the worst in the league.

The Pacers allow nearly 125 points a game. That is because the opposing teams' offenses are averaging a field goal percentage of 50.3%, which is tied for second-highest in the league. They also allow the sixth-highest three-point percentage at 38.1%.

If the Pacers can't pry Nikola Vucevic away from the Chicago Bulls, maybe Alex Caruso is available to switch jerseys in the Central Division. Matisse Thybulle, a swingman for Portland, is also an interesting name (averaging 1.5 steals a game). A trade seems like the best path forward to addressing this issue.