The Indiana Pacers lost to the Toronto Raptors last night by a score of 122-111. This marked the third consecutive loss for the Pacers, who are now 9-13 and sit behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls in the Central Division. Additionally, they are just 0.5 games ahead of the Detroit Pistons, who are last in the division.
Last night's loss also marked the end of the Pacers' NBA Cup run this season. After advancing all the way to the final round last year before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Pacers went 0-4 during the tournament this season. This is just a minor indication of the Pacers' underwhelming season so far.
After making their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in a decade earlier this year, the Pacers are just barely in the playoff picture over a month into the new campaign. It is not too late to right the ship, but the Pacers have a lot of work to do and it all begins with star Tyrese Haliburton, who gave a brutally honest take on the team's performance so far.
Tyrese Haliburton calls Pacers' product 'embarrassing'
In the Pacers' loss to the Raptors, Haliburton scored a team-high 30 points on 10-for-16 shooting. Additionally, he recorded six assists, four rebounds, and one steal. Still, it was not enough as the team's next-highest scorer was Bennedict Mathurin, who scored 17 points on 7-for-16 shooting. After the game, Haliburton, who has had his ups and downs this season, spoke about the Pacers' "embarrassing" performance.
“I think the product we’re putting on the floor right now as a group is embarrassing,” Haliburton said in a quiet visitors locker room. “(After) the conversation at halftime, I think we entered the second half better. But it’s got to be like that for 48 minutes. Every team is playing hard right now. Every team is young and has energy. And there’s no reason that we shouldn’t be matching and beyond.”
Haliburton's last point is an interesting one that should resonate with Pacers fans. One of the biggest critiques about the team's play this season is their lack of energy and pace, which is what made them such a fun team to watch in recent years.
Last season, the Pacers averaged a league-leading 123.3 points per game and were statistically the second-fastest-paced team in the NBA. Their 121 ORTG from last season was also second, only behind the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
Through 22 games this season, the Pacers are averaging 114.5 points per game, which is just 11th-best in the NBA. Additionally, they are the eighth-fastest-paced team in the league and have the 14th-best ORTG in the league (113.4). For a team as mediocre as the Pacers are defensively, also having an underwhelming offensive game is a formula for disaster.
What makes the Pacers frustrating to watch this season is that they are just inconsistent. They have lost to teams towards the bottom of the standings, but they have also looked like themselves numerous times and handed the Celtics their first loss of the season in late October in traditional Pacers fashion.
We are not even through the calendar year yet, and the Pacers can still work things out. But the clock is ticking and Pacers fans are gradually losing hope for another good playoff run.