The Indiana Pacers have gotten off to a disappointing 0-3 start to the 2015-16 NBA season. What five quick fixes must be made for them to turn their season around and get back into playoff contention?
Obviously three games into the season is too early to panic about the Pacers, but there are some major concerns after the way that they have played. They have been a very solid first half team, but their defense has fallen apart late in games and let them down. Indiana has also had trouble scoring the basketball in the second half this year, but there are ways to fix the issues.
1. Get Monta Ellis More Involved Offensively
Throughout the first three games, Monta Ellis has averaged just 10.0 points per game, which is nothing close to what they signed him to do. He has had a tough time getting used to Frank Vogel's offense and the Pacers have to figure out a way to get him more involved. There is no defender that can lock Ellis down and getting the basketball into his hands late in games is a must for Indiana.
2. Play with Much More Energy and Effort Defensively
One of the most obvious differences between this years roster and what they had over the last couple of years is the fact that their defensive presences are gone. Roy Hibbert and David West were huge parts of their defense, but they are gone. Indiana will have to play with much more energy and effort on the defensive end of the court if they want to have any chance at turning things around.
3. Move the Basketball Much More and Stop Playing One-on-One
Having so many different scoring options can be a good thing, or there is always the chance that the scorers won't be able to play their game. Moving the basketball and getting everyone involved is the only way for the Pacers to put up the kind of numbers that they were targeting this year. They have been playing way too much one-on-one basketball so far this season and have to break that habit to turn their season around.
4. Paul George Must Step Up as a Leader
Losing David West didn't hurt as much on-the-court as it did off-the-court due to his leadership ability. He was the strongest voice in the locker room that the Pacers have had in quite some time and was the obvious leader. Paul George is the face of the franchise now and has to step up as a leader on both ends of the court and demand the most out of his teammates.
5. Myles Turner Needs and Deserves More Playing Time
As much as Frank Vogel loves Ian Mahinmi, Myles Turner needs to be seeing much more playing time starting immediately. He has shown throughout his first two games that he is more than capable of making a big difference on the offensive side of the court and also can block and change shots at the rim. Giving him more minutes gives the Pacers another threat on both ends and would provide the youthful energy that could spark Indiana.
All of that being said, it will be very intriguing to see whether or not the Pacers can pick things up over the next couple of weeks.
Expect to see the Pacers continue improving as the players get used to play with each other. It is never easy for a team to start the season strong after the type of roster turnover that Larry Bird and the Pacers had this past offseason. Indiana may not end up being one of the best teams in the NBA this season, but they aren't going to continue losing like they have been throughout the remainder of the year.
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