The Indiana Pacers lost to the San Antonio Spurs 140-110 in their first game of the NBA Paris Games 2025. It was Indiana's first big loss in quite some time, and it served as a bit of a reminder that, though they have come a long way since the start of the season, they still have some work to do to firmly reach that upper echelon of elite NBA teams.
While it was not all bad for the Pacers (i.e. Bennedict Mathurin scoring 24 points on 11-14 shooting), there were many more negatives to take away, with one in particular possibly signaling a long-term problem the Pacers must find a solution for.
The Pacers' rebounding is a major problem
In their loss to San Antonio, the Pacers were out-rebounded 42-22. The Pacers have been a bad rebounding team for a long time. While they have found some success in spite of this, this loss served as a bit of a wake-up call.
This season, the Pacers are averaging just 41.6 rebounds per game. As it stands, this is the fifth-worst in the NBA. Furthermore, their 8.9 offensive rebounds per game ranks as the second-worst ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Interestingly, no championship team has finished as a bottom-10 rebounding team since the 2013 Miami Heat, who finished dead-last, averaging 38.6 rebounds per game. However, that Heat team had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, three players the Pacers do not have.
The biggest reason for the Pacers' poor rebounding is that Myles Turner is not a good rebounder despite being 6'11. For most teams, their center is the primary rebounder, but that is not the case for Indiana. it also does not help that Turner has such a perimeter-centric style of play, making it even more difficult for him to be a reliable rebounder.
Indiana is a great team in other assets, and it has allowed them to flirt with legitimate title contention. However, their rebounding is a big problem, especially once it comes to the playoffs. In the postseason, giving the best teams in the league second chances and more possessions is a recipe for disaster. The Pacers have a playstyle that can help combat that, but unless their shots are falling at a high rate, it will be difficult for them to make it all the way.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Pacers may be in a position where they need to address their rebounding needs and maximize their season as much as possible.