Tony East here, the host of the daily Locked On Pacers podcast, with your daily Locked On Pacers newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Pacers and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
The Paris Pacers are not very good
[US, Mexico, & Canada customers only] Jan 23, 2025; Paris, FRANCE; San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama in action against the Indiana Pacers in the Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images | Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images
Pacers Crushed by Spurs in Paris: A Defensive Nightmare
The Indiana Pacers suffered a devastating loss to the San Antonio Spurs in their first Paris game, with the final score a lopsided 140-110. This game was a defensive disaster for the Pacers, rivaling some of their worst performances of the season.
From the outset, it was clear the Pacers were struggling to contain the Spurs offense. San Antonio, who entered the game ranked 24th in the NBA for three-point percentage, shot an impressive 18 of 36 from beyond the arc. Devin Vassell led the charge with a 5 for 6 performance, while Victor Wembanyama contributed 4 of 11 from deep.
The Pacers inability to defend wasn’t limited to perimeter shooting. They allowed 66 points in the paint, showcasing a complete breakdown on the less glamorous end of the floor. The Spurs 140 point total marked their highest-scoring game of the season, a clear indicator of the Pacers defensive woes.
Perhaps most concerning was the Pacers lack of defensive identity. They failed to take away any aspect of the Spurs offense, allowing easy baskets at the rim and open looks from three-point range. This inability to dictate the game defensively led to a third-quarter collapse, with the Spurs pouring in 45 points to effectively seal the game.
The Spurs ball movement was particularly impressive, recording a season-high 43 assists. This level of offensive efficiency exposed the Pacers lack of communication and poor rotations throughout the game.
Offensively, the Pacers struggled to find their rhythm. While they managed to keep the game close in the first half, they couldn’t match the Spurs offensive explosion in the third quarter. The team’s inability to generate easy baskets in transition, despite forcing 19 turnovers, was a significant factor in their offensive struggles.
Looking ahead, the Pacers will need to make significant adjustments, particularly on the defensive end. Improved communication, more aggressive ball pressure, and better rotations will be crucial if they hope to compete in their next matchup against the Spurs.
For more insights and a deeper dive into the Pacers performance in Paris, tune into the Locked On Pacers podcast for this and much more.
Jan 23, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts following the win over Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena. | Ron Chenoy/Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
If you watch NBA basketball then you know 3-pointers are up. You know because you’re seeing it, night after night, no matter the team you follow. Matter of fact, if you look at this season’s 3-point attempts there is going to be a deep-court shooter on your team. It doesn’t mean they are making those shots, but boy, are they chucking them.
You likely also know because we can’t stop talking about it. The royal “we” in this case of NBA media, and then onto fans, then back to media in a never-ending cycle. You may be sick of hearing about threes at this, the halfway point of the 2024-2025 season but I’m sorry say — tough luck.
At least half tough luck. Threes aren’t going away — we can pretty plainly see this to be true night after night — but the good news is their volume and habituality will make it so sooner or later our approach to them is less wide-eyed and speculative than accepting. They’ll become the new normal.
No other athlete embodies this normalization better than the greatest NBA player in the world at present: Nikola Jokic.
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.
Analysis Victor Wembanyama is reshaping the NBA as we know it. (The Ringer)
Must Read The chosen one: Scottie Barnes as hope and saviour for the Raptors franchise. (Toronto Life)
Analysis Coach Rick Carlisle calls out the Pacers’ alarming defense against the Spurs, highlighting critical areas for improvement. (Sports Illustrated)
Must Read Midseason report card grades for every NBA team offer a detailed look at the Pacers’ performance and areas needing attention. (Bleacher Report)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Crucial Streaming Decisions in a Topsy-Turvy Week
Jan 15, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Guerschon Yabusele (28) in action against the New York Knicks during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher/Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
As we approach Friday’s NBA action, we’re faced with an unusual schedule that demands careful consideration for fantasy managers. With only three games on the slate, it’s a critical day for streaming, especially given the peculiar schedule ahead.
The coming week presents a unique challenge: over the next six days of NBA action, several teams have zero quality game days. This means that adding a streamer without careful planning could result in zero games played, effectively wasting a roster spot. Teams like the Nets, Celtics, Bulls, Mavericks, Nuggets, and Pistons all have three games over the next six days, but none on streamable days.
Portland stands out as the best team for streaming, with three quality games over the next six days. Philadelphia is the only other team with more than one, boasting two quality games. This schedule advantage makes players from these teams particularly valuable for the short term.
Friday’s games feature the Blazers vs. Hornets, Cavaliers vs. 76ers, and Pelicans vs. Grizzlies. All teams playing on Friday are part of a back-to-back, with Portland coming off a Thursday game and the others playing again on Saturday.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Pacers podcasts. Indiana embarrassed by San Antonio in Paris Indiana looked pathetic in their 30-point loss to the Spurs o Thursday. Paris was not kind to them. What went wrong, and what can the Pacers do better in round 2 vs Wembanyama and the Spurs on Saturday?
Pacers season will be changed by Paris The Pacers are in Paris! What does this trip mean for the team, and how could it impact their season? Dustin Dopirak joins to talk about exactly that and how the Pacers and Spurs match up.
Pacers trios and more interivews The Indiana Pacers best and worst trios by net rating are very revealing. What groups have been good and bad? Plus, Tony East interviews Quenton Jackson and Dakota Mathias.
