By most accounts, the Indiana Pacers have turned into one of the most complete teams in the NBA and stand as title contenders. Not only do they have an elite offense, but the Pacers have become a solid defensive team as well. Since the start of February, the Pacers' 117.2 DRTG ranks 15th-best in the NBA, according to StatMuse. Considering how bad of a defensive team the Pacers have been in recent years, this is a relatively big improvement.
Despite becoming a more well-rounded team, the Pacers still have some flaws and obstacles they must address and overcome in their hunt for a championship. No team in the NBA is perfect, but it is clear that the Pacers are still a level or two below the top contenders in the league, such as the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. For the Pacers to inch closer to this tier, they need to work on the little things.
As the end of the regular season starts to approach, the Pacers are a team to keep an eye on. Despite making the conference finals less than a year ago, many still doubt their ability to compete for a championship. Like they did last year, the Pacers will look to prove their critics wrong. However, in order to do so, they must address this area before it is too late.
The Pacers need to improve their defensive paint presence
As was evident in their loss to the Atlanta Hawks on March 6, the Pacers struggle when defending the paint. In the loss, the Pacers allowed Atlanta to attempt 61 field goals in the paint and score 74 paint points. Though Myles Turner is a good rim-protector, it is clear that something else is not working in this area.
The biggest problem with their lack of paint defense is not even as simple as allowing the opposing big men to score at will--it's the rest of the team. After the loss, Turner spoke about allowing players like Trae Young, Georges Niang, and Dyson Daniels to score in the paint.
"We allowed a lot of guys to drive," Turner said. "Georges Niang blowing by people. Dyson Daniels getting downhill and getting floaters. Trae. A lot of preventable things in my opinion."
This problem is not just related to one game for the Pacers either. With just over a month left in the season, the Pacers allow an average of 51.6 points in the paint per game. For context, this ranks as third-worst in the NBA, only ahead of the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans.
There is a lot to like about this Pacers team, and the pros seemingly outweigh the cons. However, in order for them to take it to the next level, they must improve their defensive paint presence before it comes back to bite them in the playoffs.