The Indiana Pacers are… Interesting. Let's Talk About It.
- Cian Hamell-Kelleher
- Dec 12, 2022
- 6 min read
By Cian Hamell-Kelleher
Twitter: @cian_kelleher3
(Photo from MSN)
Entering the 2022-2023 NBA season, the Indiana Pacers seemed a destined entry for the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, a young roster centered around inexperienced players that lacks a veteran presence, the textbook recipe for a rebuild. But as we near the two-month mark, the Hoosier State hoops team finds themself in control of a playoff spot.
At 14-13, Indiana currently sits as the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference, vying for the play-in games. How does a sure-fire rebuilding roster fall into contention for a playoff spot? I present you with Tyrese Haliburton, or as he should be known, Hickory Jesus.
A 6 Foot 5 Rajon Rondo/Steve Nash Love Child
Few players see the game the way Haliburton does, he plays with clairvoyance, a sixth sense. His ability to predict teammates' next movements with the slightest margin of error is among the most elite the league has ever seen, up there with the likes of Nash, Rondo, and of course, Boris Diaw. I'm serious, that's not a joke, go check out Boris Diaw's highlights, he was a magician with the rock.
Haliburton's seven-foot wingspan draws Reed Rochards comparisons with his ability to make left-handed wrap around passes, that no man or woman should ever complete, with ease. Facilitating may be Haliburton's signature strength as he currently averages 11 assists a night, but it is only scratching the surface of his game.
His ability to score the basketball cannot be overlooked. With 48.8/41/85.9 splits and an impressive 61.4% true-shooting percentage, his 20.2 PPG, while very good, are not a true testament to his skills as a three-level scorer. His awkward looking jump shot form is the definition of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" as he is yet to have a season below 40% from deep, including his two collegiate seasons at Iowa State. Haliburton's gifted frame allows him to shoot over defenders in the paint and reach in his bag for the occasional step-back.
In their most recent game, a three-point loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Haliburton posted a career-high 35 points on mind boggling 80/87.5/100 shooting splits (click here to watch the highlights) all while tallying nine dimes. Haliburton possesses the potential to be the first 50/40/90 guard over 6'4" since... yep, you guessed it, the greatest player in league history, Tony Snell.
(Photo from overtimeheroics)
(Look at that stat line, majestic, isn't it?)
While his half-court game is eye-popping, Haliburton's ability to dominate in transition is what makes him so special.
Haliburton utilizes his size, athleticism, and quick decision making to push tempo in the open court guiding the Pacers to the number one rank in points per game in transition with 25.7 (as of 12/11/22). Their youth and athleticism allow them to essentially run teams out of the gym. While Haliburton is great and all, it's pretty difficult to win with only one guy on the court (shoutout the '06-'07 Cavs, Drew Gooden did his best), so let's look at the rest of the roster.
Dribble, Dribble, Pass, Shoot
I've rambled on plenty about Haliburton, although I can keep going if you guys... no? Okay. Here's the rest of them, I guess.
Tyrese Haliburton (22)- Guard; Iowa State
Buddy Hield (29)- Guard; Oklahoma
Benedict Mathurin (20)- Guard/Foward; Arizona
Myles Turner (26)- Center/Foward; Texas
Jalen Smith (22)- Foward/Center; Maryland
Chris Duarte (25)- Guard; Oregon
Andrew Nembhard (22)- Guard; Gonzaga
Aaron Nesmith (23)- Guard/Foward; Vanderbilt
Isaiah Jackson (20)- Foward; Kentucky
T.J. McConnell (30)- Guard; Arizona
Oshae Brissett (24)- Foward; Syracuse
There's a common theme among these players that isn't very difficult to identify. Age.
With only one major rotational player in their age 30 season (certified dawg T.J. McConnell), the Pacers land as the 9th youngest team in the NBA with an average age of 24.9 years old (average age of the players listed above is 23.9). Of the 8 younger teams, only two are in line for playoff spots, the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers.
How does such a young lineup compete despite a lack of experience? It's simple. No really, their offense is simple.
As a kid, you're taught to pass and cut, or drive and kick, and then you learn how to operate a pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop. Well, congratulations, son, you've just become the head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Obviously, it's not that easy, and head coach Rick Carlisle is an NBA champion, but in the current case of Indiana, it's pretty damn close.
Carlisle's current system is catered towards three-point shooting with emphasis on volume, as 44.8% of their shots and 38.5% of their points come from behind the arc, both of which rank 4th in the NBA. The Pacers maximize their volume wasting little time on the offensive end ranking 4th in the NBA in Pace and 2nd in three-point attempts with two or less seconds of touch time (time in which one player is in possession of the basketball). Their silver medal assist percentage of 66.4 entails a well-oiled, fast paced offense. Their only problem? Their shots don't fall as they would hope, and the other teams' do.
The Drawbacks
As many young teams do, the Pacers have their flaws. While the numbers above are great and all, they mean nothing if the final product is not an addition to the win column. Here's where they fall flat:
Despite being 4th in 3pt attempts per game, they rank 10th in 3pt%
Despite attempting the 8th most field goals per game, they rank 23rd in FG%
Opponents shoot a league-high 47.5% from the field against them
Rank 27th in Defensive Rebound%
Rank 22nd in Defensive Rating, with a NET Rating of -0.8, 19th in the League
The excellent ball movement and sorcery of Tyrese Haliburton may at times be tantalizing to the eye of the common fan, but the Pacers lack of an isolation threat may soon be their demise.
They currently rank 29th in the NBA in isolation frequency, going toe-to-toe only 3.7% of the time. For many teams, this would not be alarming, as the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Suns all find themselves in that same region. The reason it raises suspicion in Indiana is their lack of a Steph Curry, a Ja Morant, or a Devin Booker, a guy who can take over a game on the offensive end and close out a victory.
Of the young players on the roster, Haliburton and rookies Benedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard have shown flashes of this ability, but none of the three have found consistency in closing games. Veterans Buddy Hield and Myles Turner have also been called upon down the stretch in games and seen some success, but nothing to overreact about.
Their most recent game against the Nets is a perfect example of lacking a closer and defensive discipline. Watch the highlights below.
Pressing the Right Burtons
Do not worry, Indiana, the future is bright, there are just a few things they should do if to keep from falling back into a rebuild:
EXTEND TYRESE HALIBURTON: I feel as though in this article I have made my opinions on Haliburton quite clear, and if they have not gotten through, allow me to iterate: HE IS GOOD. If the Pacers want to develop a young core, the first step is extending Haliburton before he can hit the open market.
Develop a Young Core: Extending Haliburton allows the Pacers to attempt their own prototype of homegrown basketball that has been successful for teams like the Warriors, Celtics, Bucks, and most recently, the Grizzlies and Pelicans. While not all of the players on these teams were drafted by the organization, they joined at an early part in their career and have been able to build bonds with teammates on and off the court, improving chemistry.
Draft Well: While this seems like a copout answer, just listen. The Pacers own three first round and two second round picks in the upcoming draft, with two of those firsts coming from the Celtics and Cavaliers, who currently sit atop the Eastern Conference, and one being their own. The Pacers will likely have to make selections outside of or in the back half of the lottery, where they have struggled over the last decade or so seeing only small successes with Myles Turner, Caris LeVert and *cough* Kawhi Leonard, who was traded on draft night for... George Hill? Yikes. The past two drafts have been promising for Indiana, however, with Mathurin, Nembhard, and Duarte all producing at the NBA level. If they can go one for three on first round picks, the Pacers will be in a much better situation.
Contemporary success with a young roster is a recipe for a bright future to come. So long as the Pacers are able to retain their core of future stars and build around them, the professional basketball landscape in Indiana appears to be back on the rise.
Will The Indiana Pacers Make the Playoffs?
Yes
No
Don't matter, Celtics in 4
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