The final month of the season is going to be critical for the Indiana Pacers. They are fighting for seeding in a very bunched-up Eastern Conference. Their main goal right now is to get themselves to at least the 6th seed so they don't have to play in a play-in game,
In order for them to achieve that goal, the Pacers need to play better on defense as a team. They showed signs of that against the Magic and the Thunder but reverted to poor defense again against the Bulls. That effort has to be high all of the time down the stretch.
A few Pacers are taking the challenge head-on and have elevated their play. They know that this is winning time and the team needs them to be at their absolute best. Two guys come to mind when I think of that because they have impacted winning more than other guys on the roster as of late.
Some other Indiana Pacers have struggled to rise to the occasion and have either not played well or not played at all. If the Pacers want to make the playoffs and actually succeed, they're going to need these guys to pick it up. One guy really sticks out in that category.
First, we're going to start with the positives. Here are two guys whose stock has risen lately.
1. Myles Turner
Myles Turner has really elevated his play as of late, especially since the All-Star break. Over his last ten games, he's averaging almost 19 points, 7 rebounds, and over 2 blocks per game. He's doing all that while shooting 52% from the field and almost 41% from three.
Turner's shot-blocking has been a huge key for them as of late. In the last four games, he's had 15 blocks. Teams are afraid to go to the rim now when Turner is lurking. His timing is impeccable and he lures players into thinking they can get a shot up over him. Nope! He swats it right back in their face.
The midrange shooting is actually what I've been most impressed with lately. He's been running a pick-and-pop with Tyrese Haliburton and he's been rolling to the foul line. That shot is automatic for him. Teams have started forcing him further back to the three-point line. No problem. He'll make that too.
Turner's net rating is the best of his career. He also has the highest usage rate of his career. Those two things are related. Turner makes good decisions with the ball and good things happen when he's on the floor defensively. Obtaining Pascal Siakam has been good for him.
The next player whose stock is up might be the most underrated player on the roster.
2. Aaron Nesmith
When Aaron Nesmith got hurt right before the All-Star break, it didn't look that serious. Then he missed the first few games after the break and the Pacers' defense fell apart. They looked lost without not only his defense but his three-point shooting.
Now that he's back healthy and back in rhythm, he looks like he did before the injury. He's by far the best perimeter defender on this Indiana Pacers team. He guards the best guy on the other team every night. He shut down SGA, only allowing him to shoot 23% while he was guarding him.
Nesmith is also a top-five three-point shooter in the NBA. He's shooting over 44% from deep on almost five attempts per game. His efficiency opens up the floor for Pascal Siakam to do work in the post and for Tyrese Haliburton to drive-and-kick to him in the corner.
If the Pacers are going to do anything in the playoffs, Nesmith has to be at his best. When he's playing well, the Pacers typically win the game. His effort is also contagious on the defensive end. He's always working hard and doesn't take a single play off.
Indiana signed him to a three-year extension over the Summer. I'd say that was money well spent. He's found a really nice niche with the team and is a deserving starter for a good team. Personally, I think he needs to play more minutes with Bennedict Mathurin out for the year.
The last person we'll talk about has been struggling for quite a while.
3. Tyrese Haliburton
It's something we've been talking about for a while now. Tyrese Haliburton just isn't the same player he was before the hamstring injury. His efficiency is down, his defense is worse, and the team results have followed. The Pacers are up-and-down with Haliburton's yo-yo play.
While Haliburton is finally starting to go to the rim more often to score some points, his outside scoring is abysmal. For whatever reason, he's lost the ability to shoot. Since the All-Star break, he's shooting just 21% from deep on 7.6 attempts per game. He's almost shooting the Pacers out of games.
When Haliburton has the threat of the three-point shot, including the deep threes he used to hit, this team is incredibly dangerous. When he hits those shots, it opens up more drive-and-kick opportunities for open shooters around him. It also opens up more layup opportunities for himself.
At least his assist numbers are back up to normal. He's had 11+ assists in four of his last five games. Still, his scoring is trending in the wrong direction at the wrong time of year. His scoring average has gone down every month and now it's down to just 15 points per game in the month of March.
The Pacers need their best player to play like their best player. They can still win some games with everyone chipping in and having some balanced scoring. Yet, the team won't reach their potential unless Haliburton gets his shot back. That's the single most important thing the Pacers need.