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What is going on with the Indiana Pacers defense?
Dec 1, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas/Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Pacers Defensive Struggles: A Deep Dive into Recent Challenges
The Indiana Pacers recent performance against the Memphis Grizzlies highlighted significant defensive issues that have plagued the team of late. Despite a promising start, where the Pacers scored an impressive 45 points in the first quarter, they ultimately fell short, losing 136-121. This game underscored the recurring defensive lapses that have become a pattern for the team.
Defensive Woes and Inconsistencies
The Pacers defense has been a major concern, as evidenced by their inability to maintain a lead after a strong opening quarter. The Grizzlies managed to score 108 points in the last three quarters, exploiting the Pacers defensive weaknesses. Memphis attempted 46 three-pointers, a season-high for them, and dominated in the paint with a 70% shooting accuracy on two-point attempts. This pattern mirrored the Pacers previous game against the Detroit Pistons, where similar defensive breakdowns were evident.
The Pacers defensive strategy seemed unclear, as they failed to effectively limit either perimeter or interior scoring. This lack of defensive identity allowed Memphis to capitalize on their opportunities, with multiple players, including Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., having standout performances. The Grizzlies ability to move the ball efficiently, with five players recording five or more assists, further exposed the Pacers defensive vulnerabilities.
Offensive Struggles and Key Player Performances
Offensively, the Pacers showed potential in the first quarter but struggled to sustain their momentum. Tyrese Haliburton, an obviously key player for the Pacers, had an off night, contributing to the team’s overall inefficiency. Haliburton’s shooting woes, particularly on the road, have been a concern, with significant disparities in his home and away performances. His inability to convert shots consistently on the road has been a factor in the Pacers struggles.
Despite these challenges, there were some positive takeaways. Obi Toppin and Andrew Nemhard showed promise, with Toppin scoring efficiently and Nemhard making a strong return from injury. However, the team’s inability to maintain offensive consistency throughout a game remains a critical issue.
The Pacers current defensive ranking places them among the league’s lower tier, alongside teams with poor records. To improve, the Pacers must find a way to enhance their defensive efforts and take away key scoring opportunities from their opponents. This will require a collective effort from all players to improve.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Pacers defensive challenges and potential solutions, tune into the Locked On Pacers podcast for this and much more.
Other Topics in Today’s Locked On Pacers Podcast:
- Analysis of the Pacers offensive inconsistencies
- Tyrese Haliburton’s home vs. road performance disparities
- Obi Toppin’s impact and potential for improvement
December 1, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates against the Sacramento Kings during the fourth quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada/Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
You’d be forgiven if, a quarter of the way through the season (yes), you haven’t given the following teams that much attention. Maybe your main rooting interest has been struggling, and it’s taken all your psychic energy to will them through the slump. Better yet, maybe your team is thriving and you’ve been enjoying the ride. Maybe you’re still looking for a team to get behind, in which case, the following three franchises would make great options.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks being on this list has not alleviated my general wariness of the Hawks as a whole, but they’ve been playing through some of the things that make me doubt them. First, the Hawks love to play up. That is, they tend to excel against technically better and markedly more skilled teams; teams farther along the competitive timeline that I always get they feeling Atlanta would rather emulate than put the work in to be at the same level with.
This season, the Hawks are still playing up — they’ve beat the best in conference Cavaliers twice — but they’re recognizing what should be easy wins, like against the Charlotte Hornets. With Trae Young injured and in and out of the lineup, Atlanta’s bench has provided some of the most needed and entertaining offensive bursts in the league, with De’Andre Hunter back with a vengeance after being out for 10 games with a knee injury. Hunter’s regularly putting up 20-plus points per night, and hounding the glass.
Atlanta has a string of high-low games this week, facing the Pelicans, Bucks, Lakers and Nuggets, which should be an ample test to whether they can play and stay consistent.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Odds The Pacers are being given surprising odds to win the 2025 NBA title, sparking discussions on their potential and the factors influencing these predictions. (Sports Illustrated)
Rumor Excitement builds as rumors circulate about the trade cost for All-Star centers, potentially bringing significant talent to Indiana. (Sports Illustrated)
Milestone Jimmy Butler misses shot so Bam Adebayo can record a triple-double in Heat win (Bleacher Report)
Wednesday, Dec. 04 | 7:30 PM | Barclays Center (Brooklyn, ON) | Get Tickets
Pacers @ Bulls
Friday, Dec. 06 | 7:00 PM | United Center (Chicago, IL) | Get Tickets
3peat (ICYMI)
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Pacers podcasts. What is going on for the Pacers on defense? The Indiana Pacers defense has been dreadful two games in a row. What is going on? What shots were they trying to take away against the Memphis Grizzlies? Their recent play suggests that there are big problems to solve.
What the early-season numbers tell us about the Indiana Pacers The Pacers are nearly 1/4th of the way through their season. What do some numbers say about the team and its strengths? A deep dive into the numbers reveals just how good Pascal Siakam has been and how much the bench has taken a step back.
Pacers get their third-straight win behind their stars The Indiana Pacers beat the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday for their third win in a row, and Pascal Siakam linked up with Tyrese Haliburton to make it all possible. They dominated down the stretch as the Pacers cleaned up their play for the win.
