Pacers Starting Lineup Dominance: A Deep Dive into Recent Success
The Indiana Pacers starting lineup has been on fire lately, and it’s worth taking a closer look at what’s driving their success. Since Andrew Nembhard’s return to full-time play on December 6th, the Pacers starting five has been nothing short of spectacular.
In the last 13 games, the Pacers as a team are plus-65, but the starters alone are an impressive plus-82 in 205 minutes. That’s about a third of the team’s total minutes during this stretch, and it translates to being plus six or seven per game. The numbers get even more impressive when broken down further.
The starting lineup of Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner has posted a 120.1 offensive rating and a 99.8 defensive rating. This combination of offensive firepower and defensive prowess has resulted in a net rating of plus 20.3 over a 200-minute sample in the past month.
What’s particularly noteworthy is the defensive improvement. While the Pacers have shown flashes of offensive brilliance before, their recent defensive surge has set them apart. Nembhard’s return has been crucial, but it’s not the only factor. The entire team has bought into a more cohesive defensive strategy, with players like Mathurin showing significant improvement on that end of the floor.
However, this success comes with a puzzling question: Why are the Pacers struggling so much when their starters aren’t on the floor? In the remaining minutes, they’re minus 17, which is a stark contrast to the starting unit’s dominance.
The bench units and lineups featuring fewer starters have struggled to maintain the same level of effectiveness. This discrepancy highlights the importance of finding ways to optimize non-starter minutes and close the gap between the starting lineup’s performance and the rest of the team.
As the Pacers continue to evolve and find their identity, addressing this disparity will be crucial for their long-term success. The potential return of Aaron Nesmith could provide a boost to these struggling lineups and help balance out the team’s performance across all 48 minutes.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Pacers lineup analysis, tune into the Locked On Pacers podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Pacers Podcast:
• Cam Johnson trade rumors and salary cap implications
• Preview of tonight’s game against the Brooklyn Nets
• Updates on NBA 10-day contracts and two-way player movement
