SB Nation - Jeff Foster

IC Cold Links: More Minutes For Dunleavy Create Another Wrinkle With Playing Rotation

Tom Lewis — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:57:35 -0000

Mike Dunleavy is not only back, but making an impact for the Pacers. Now what?

Since his return to the court, Mike Dunleavy has quickly established himself as a key player regardless of when he plays, and with Danny Granger out maximizing the available minutes for Dunleavy is critical.

So, suddenly (miraculously?) the Pacers have the enjoyable task of trying to figure out how to best use Mike Dunleavy. Personally, I'd love to see Dunleavy continue coming off the bench, especially when Granger returns, to help balance out the rotations, playing a role similar to Jason Terry in Dallas. He could still play the same amount of minutes and finish games.

I realize Jim O'Brien wants to start the best players available and with Granger out, it makes more sense to start Dunleavy, although bringing him off the bench would also make it easier to manage his minutes since last night that was obviously a problem.

So how should the Pacers use Dunleavy?

After the jump, several links of interest from last night's game.

AP: Howard powers Magic to 106-98 win over Pacers
PACERS: Inside the Game: Pacers at Magic
Bruno's Inside the Game report has all of the numbers of note from the game and there were plenty.
Pacers can't contain inevitable
Mike Wells reports on the late Orlando run wiping out the Pacers' early success.
Orlando Magic rally to beat Indiana Pacers at home
Brian Schmitz reports on the Magic rallying to take down the Pacers.
Orlando Magic 106, Indiana Pacers 98 - Third Quarter Collapse
Ben Q Rock recaps the Magic escaping with a win last night.
Pacers Notebook: Dunleavy makes 1st start of season
In the notebook, Wells touches on Dunleavy exceeding his extended minutes limit. The free throw differential and Jeff Foster's reaction to Jonathan Bender's return to the NBA.
Jones or Rush?
Wells blogs about the starting lineup, wondering if Dahntay Jones will be starting for Brandon Rush soon, assuming Mike Dunleavy remains in the starting lineup.
Vince Carter leads team in scoring after missing practice, shootaround with stomach ailment
Tania Ganguli reports on the Vince Carter and the Orlando Magic putting things together just in time to beat the Pacers.
NBA 'Watchability' Scale: Ranking Every Team Based On Entertainment, Not Talent
Well, the Pacers were definitely watchable for most of the game last night. They also fared better than I expected in Mike Prada's rankings of teams simply by their watchability.

Orlando Magic 106, Indiana Pacers 98

Ben Q Rock — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:35:22 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

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The Orlando Magic rode Vince Carter's offense, Dwight Howard's defense, and the superb all-around play of reserve guards Anthony Johnson and J.J. Redick to an impressive, 106-98 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. Indiana raced out to a 30-point first quarter and at one time doubled up the Magic at 34-17, but Johnson and Redick keyed the Magic's 21-6 run to bring them back into the game. The Pacers, without All-Star forward and leading scorer Danny Granger, played a great offensive game for the first 42 minutes, sinking open jumpers with ease against an uncharacteristically soft Magic defense. They closed the game out with 4 points on their final 11 possessions, including 3 turnovers. Jon will have more on the Magic's defense in this game later this week, but suffice it to say that Orlando's effort in the game's waning moments more than made up for the porousness that characterized their early defensive stands.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Pacers	92	107.0	51.7%	8.0	15.9	10.9
Magic	94	113.4	47.1%	29.1	22.4	7.5
Green denotes a stat better than the team's season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's season average.

Orlando came out of the gate looking like it was on the second night of a back-to-back, even though it had 2 days of rest after its 4-game, 8-day road trip. Indeed, Howard and Carter were the only Magic players to score until the 10:20 mark of the second period, when Matt Barnes got into the scoring column with a driving layup. Carter nearly missed the game due to a stomach ailment which kept him out of practice today and yesterday, but you wouldn't know it based on his performance tonight. He looked to get to the rim and create contact, and save for a vintage Carter no-no-no-no-yes! shot--a pull-up three on the fast break, with 5 Pacers defenders back, which he made--he didn't appear to settle too often. No, he forced the issue, to the Magic's benefit. 28 points for Carter on 10-of-21 shooting, to go with an impressive 7 defensive boards and no turnovers in 33 minutes.

Redick's strong play limited Carter's playing time a bit, as coach Stan Van Gundy couldn't afford to take Redick off the floor. Redick made plays and baskets, without making mistakes. 13 points on 7 shots, with 4 assists and no turnovers. Redick's growth into a sound all-around player has been a pleasure to watch, and he's playing his way into a decent portion of the mid-level exception when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. We'll save the discussion about whether or not the Magic should keep him until much later this year, however.

Overall, the energy Johnson and Redick brought may have proven to be the difference in the game. Johnson has far outplayed starting point guard Jason Williams of late; Williams missed all 4 of his shots tonight and tallied 1 assist, while Johnson scored 13 and added 7 assists. He simply looks fresher than Williams, and the burden of starting 13 consecutive games during Jameer Nelson's absence appears to have taken its toll. Johnson's the sharper, fresher point guard, and while I wouldn't put him in the starting lineup ahead of Williams, I would make sure he's on the floor with victory on the line, as he has been in each of the Magic's last two games. A.J. has never really dazzled me with his passing ability, his on-point crosscourt pass to Rashard Lewis for an open three-pointer with 2:11 to play was impressive. The Pacers overloaded the right side of the floor to account for Johnson's penetration; he read the defense and threw the ball right to Lewis' shooting pocket. The shot had a certain ring of inevitability to it--play-by-play man David Steele said "He's due!" with the shot en route--and when it dropped, it gave Orlando a 5-point lead, not to mention the momentum.

Even with Indiana's strong start and the Magic's poor shooting, I never got the sense that the Pacers were in firm control, mostly because their offense didn't look sustainable. Howard locked down the middle with 4 blocks, and it never ceases to amuse me when an offensive player drives, recognizes Howard's presence, and dribbles back out to re-set, as Tyler Hansbrough did at least once tonight. But the Pacers were effectively counting on T.J. Ford, Earl Watson, Jeff Foster, and Brandon Rush to knock down jumpers if Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy were covered. That well was bound to dry-up eventually. No Pacer seemed eager to drive the ball, even if only to create contact. The result was a meager 10 free-throw attempts 2 of which came quite late with the outcome already decided. Howard shot 22 on his own, while the Carter/Redick shooting guard tandem combined for another 10.

On the one hand, the Magic needed a big rally just to beat a lottery team, on the road, missing its best player, which could be cause for concern; on the other, they looked dominant for almost every minute after the disastrous first quarter, and they won with a team effort rather than a monstrous individual one, which bears noting. Great teams rarely fall into such large holes against lesser ones, but when they do, they (usually) respond. That's what Orlando did tonight.

You know what Howard did tonight? He only rebounded the Pacers' starting frontline of Dunleavy, Murphy, and Roy Hibbert by himself, 23-15. You know, in addition to shooting more than twice as many free throws as the entire Pacers team. Howard needs to deliver more of these dominant performances, especially on nights when the offense needs a kick-start. Orlando exceeded its usual offensive efficiency despite shooting poorly, aided both by Howard's offensive rebounding giving it second-chance points as well as by everyone's taking care of the ball. Of Orlando's 7 turnovers tonight, 2 were obvious offensive fouls, and another was a shot-clock violation with 4 seconds left and nothing at stake except for stats to pad (Johnson missed a layup, Howard gathered the rebound and bungled a tip-in attempt). In other words, only 4 came due to silly passes or ballhandling errors. Sharp decision-making compensates for a lack of sharp shooting.

Overall, Orlando responded fairly well after a lackluster road trip, and can continue looking forward to playing 6 of the final 7 games of the calendar year at Amway Arena. Great to see the second unit deliver when called upon, although it'd be much nicer if Lewis, Williams, and Mickael Pietrus simply played better to begin with.

IC Cold Links: Reserves Lead Pacers To Another Victory With Big Second, Fourth Quarters

spstevenson — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:20:05 -0000

More photos » by Evan Vucci - AP

Brandon Rush attacks the basket during the Pacers thrilla-in-Washington win Saturday evening.

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The Indiana Pacers bench players are crushing teams. They are on a seven-game winning streak and should be heading toward a spot in April's NBA playoffs.

But, after toppling the Wizards with a 49-29 advantage off the bench, the Pacers are still only 8-13 after escaping out of Washington with a nail-biting finish for the blue and gold's second straight win. While the bench attempts to the lead the team to victories, the starters pulls the team in the other direction. The bench continues to outplay the starters. As Mike Wells wrote in his notebook today, the second unit scored 49 points, 17 assists and nine rebounds against the Wiz. In the past three games, the bench consisting of Mike Dunleavy, Tyler Hansbrough, Luther Head, Earl Watson and Jeff Foster have combined for 136 points, 55 rebounds and 34 assists, and have outscored its past seven bench opponents, 293-196.

There are four prominent reasons that the starters continue to get outplayed by the team's bench guys: 1) The starters are playing the opposing team's starters, a definite disadvantage for a starting unit playing without its all-star Danny Granger; 2) T.J. Ford is still starting, a definite disadvantage for any unit that the point guard inhabits, at least until he finally lives up to his billing as a leader and provides some much-needed stability at his roster spot. Until then, he continues to disappoint (including another team-high -13 in the +/- stat department last night which bumps his season total to another team high, -123);

3) The starters are on the bench in the fourth quarter. Last night, Hansbrough, Dunleavy (the free-throw savior with 0.1 seconds remaining) and Watson were killers in the final minutes; and 4) There's this thing called defense and the starters aren't playing it. The starting unit gave up 76 points in the first and third quarters combined. The Pacers gave up less in the second and fourth quarters combined (37 points) than the team did in just one of the other two periods. Obviously, these quarters are played with a mix of both units, but the tone of the quarter is set in the first few minutes and can be maintained for the remaining minutes of the stazna. The bench is setting a good tone in their quarters.

Coach Jim O'Brien on his team's spirited bench play: "I think that they know they are important and we have confidence in them to succeed. Generally you're playing against the other team's bench and I think they're hungry. Earl has done a good job."

The starters, and bench, will have a big challenge come Monday when the team visits the Magic. Watson moved from the bench unit to the starting point guard spot at the start of the second half during Saturday's win. It will be interesting to see if Watson's move is permanent and whether any other changes will occur before Monday's game. Check out the jump for more links.

Box Score
Photo Gallery
AP Story
NBA.com Recap
The Inside the Game report from Pacers.com gives us some good quotables from after last night's crazy finish. Here's coach Jim O'Brien: "It was one for the ages. A great win for us to be able to get that and scratch out everything we did at the end ... I'm real proud of our guys. To scratch out a back-to-back on the road says a lot about the toughness our guys are starting to develop. We feel very lucky to get out of here with a W."
Mike Wells writes about Dunleavy's dedication in the gym during his rehabilitation which helped lead him to casually dropping the two game-winning free throws. Dunleavy told Wells, "Forget thinking about it in the driveway as a kid, I was thinking about that scenario lying in the hospital bed. It's all you think about, being able to have a chance to win it at the end." Wells also noted that Dunleavy played three minutes past his 24-minute restriction. O'Brien said there was "no way" he would take Dunleavy out of the game in the final two minutes because of the limit. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it you medical bastards.
In his Pacers Insider post, Wells talks more about Dunleavy, some tidbits on Ford's amazing performance (including a 1-of-9 fourth-quarter shooting display), and more on Troy Murphy's change in his offensive approach.
Wells also reported in his notebook that Dahntay Jones, who left the game midway through the fourth quarter, reported that he had a sore hip and shoulder after the game. Jones said he was "sore, but I'll be fine."
Always Miller Time gives a take on the fun win for Pacers fans.
Wizards fans apparently didn't find the last call to be...well, fair. The Washington Examiner decided that it was a call that would "be debated until the end of eternity". Nothing like a flair for the dramatic. The Washington Post puts the blame more squarely on the Wizards for blowing their lead in their final two minutes. Also, a recap from the Washington Times.
Sports Illustrated's Ian Thomsen has an interesting read about his recent discussions with the commish, David Stern, about the future of the league including a more lenient zone defense, legalized gambling on the NBA and the potential lockout.

IC Cold Links: Nets Present Challenge As Pacers Strive For Something Positive To Grasp Onto

Tom Lewis — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:00:16 -0000

The Indiana Pacers face the New Jersey Nets tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse which makes one wonder just when the Pacers will win again.

Tonight?

Won't be easy. Sure the Nets are 2-20 and the Pacers already beat them in New Jersey, but both teams arrive at tonight's game in vastly different situations. The Pacers are without Danny Granger and in a team-wide shooting slump that is simply puzzling. On his radio show last night, Jim O'Brien made the point that at the law of averages will kick in at some time and shots will begin falling. No better time than the present.

JOB also raised a point about the lack of practice time for so many players. Yesterday, as has been the norm, Mike Dunleavy, Tyler Hansbrough and Jeff Foster didn't practice. He didn't bring it up as an excuse, he was responding to a caller who thought the players were looked tired at the end of games. JOB responded that he's never had a team that he's practiced less than this group so they shouldn't be tired. First thought: That's a problem.

The team is trying to work through problems but doesn't have key players available to take reps. He mentioned the team working on special situations yesterday and that Hansbrough had to watch instead of taking part fully. Just another reason why it's easy to point fingers of blame but in reality there are myriad issues of varying levels involved in the Pacers struggles right now.

As for the Nets, they're trending the other way with the return of Devin Harris and Courtney Lee to the lineup. The Pacers had their hands full with Chris Douglas-Roberts and Brook Lopez in the last meeting, so remember that tonight's game will be a bear. Harris was a nightmare for the Pacers last year and I expect that will be the case again.

After the jump a few links of interest including some great radio interviews, A.J. Price earning some time and Danny Granger trying to take his time to make sure he returns healthy and ready to play full throttle.

PACERS: Pacers-Nets preview
Bruno's scouting report reminds us that the lowly Nets aren't the same team the Pacers beat in New Jersey earlier in the season.
Coach Dakich had some extra-sweet hoops talk on his radio show yesterday. First, all hoop fans will enjoy his chat with Sam Perkins (audio link) as he and Big Smoov discuss some great Bob Knight stories and Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame speech. Later in the day, the Mighty One, Mike Wells dropped by the studio (audio link) for an extended discussion of the Pacers' current woes. Miss a little, miss a lot!
Granger disappointed but upbeat
Bruno checks in with Danny Granger with rehab in full swing.
Pacers' Price to get more time
Mike Wells reports on A.J. Price taking advantage of his playing opportunity and quickly earning the trust of Jim O'Brien. "I'm going to find a way to get A.J. some minutes every game just because I think he's going to be a very good player and I think he's going to be a very good player quickly," coach Jim O'Brien said Thursday. "If that means I'm going to have to give some looks occasionally at a three-man rotation at the point, then I'll do it. But I think it's important I grow A.J."
Granger: Comeback ‘going to be hard’
Mike Wells reports on Danny Granger trying to stay patient so he can rehab his injury back to full health.
The Pacers launched a pretty cool campaign yesterday, allowing fans to submit a nomination for people they know who would benefit from a pair of free tickets to either the December 26th game against Atlanta or the December 30th game against Memphis. They're looking to reward Indiana residents who are in need yet continue to make an impact in their community.
Distributing Granger's shots
Andrew Perna takes a look at where the Pacers will find their offense without Danny Granger taking the bulk of the shots.
On the Beat: Hansbrough Adjusting to NBA
John Perrotto checks on on Tyler Hansbrough finding his way in the NBA.
Pacers Crate: Austin Croshere joins the boys
The latest episode of Pacers crate includes Austin Croshere in on the discussion. The group discusses Cro's transition from playing to yakking as an analyst for home game television broadcasts.
New Jersey Nets want Terrence Williams to show more drive
Julian Garcia reports on the Nets and rookie Terrence Williams trying to get on the same page.

Clippers 88, Pacers 72: Granger Leaves Game As Indiana Crumbles Late Without Star Guard

spstevenson — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 08:20:25 -0000

More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP

Danny Granger left Saturday's game at the beginning of the second half and did not return as the Pacers dropped another loss.

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If only Jimmy Chitwood could have donned his Hickory High jersey and played the second half with the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night. The actor who played the Hoosiers icon sat courtside as the Pacers put on another disaster of a performance during the waning minutes in their final game of a Western road trip.

After trailing by only two points at halftime, star Danny Granger reinjured his bruised right heel at the start of the second half and although the blue and gold hung around until the fourth, the injury helped sealed the team's fate. Even Chitwood couldn't have stopped the ensuing collapse.

The Pacers committed 21 turnovers, made only 37.5 percent from the floor, produced a season-low point total and lost for the ninth time in their last 10 games as the Clippers steamrolled the blue and gold in the final seven minutes en route to a 88-72 Pacers loss. The young season reached another low point for the Pacers (6-12).

With 2:38 remaining in the third quarter, rookie Tyler Hansbrough's two free throws brought the Pacers within two as the Cips led 56-54. Indiana would remain in the game until midway through the fourth quarter when an Earl Watson layup brought the Paces within two again with 6:54 remaining in the game. Unfortunately, Indiana would score only four more points in the final seven minutes. Three crucial turnovers, including a 24-second violation, and several clankers off the basket showed some glaring holes in the Pacers offense down the stretch. Granger's playmaking ability was sorely missed as the team was left without anyone to take over the game.

While the Pacers' offense went comatose in the final minutes, the defense and rebounding was also to blame. All five Clippers starters scored in double figures. Marcus Camby also grabbed 17 rebounds, helping Los Angeles to a 58-34 rebounding advantage, including a 19-4 edge on the offensive end. Both totals were season highs for the Clippers.

Indiana finished its Western road trip with an unimpressive and disheartening 0-4 record. This game was really a downer in the fourth. Just read some of our fan's reactions on the game thread. This one was got ugly, quickly. Check out more after the jump, if you dare.

Before leaving the game with his injury, Granger made 4-of-12 shots for 11 points. He had a couple of nice, forceful drives in the first half, but he was mostly a nonfactor before the injury anyway. Clippers center Chris Kaman said the following about the Pacers star: "He was not playing well tonight," Kaman said of Granger. "He is a great player and does a great job for them, but we did a good job defensively. He was missing shots and then he got injured."
Troy Murphy came through with a team-high 37 minutes and team-high 13 points tonight. Yeah, that should tell you a lot about the game. Murph also grabbed a team-high nine boards.
Jeff Foster started in place of Roy Hibbert in this one, but he didn't stay on the court very long. Hibbert entered the game quickly with about eight minutes to go in the first quarter and Foster was limited to only 12 minutes. Hibbert bounced back from his past two bad performances on the road trip to score 12 points in the post. It was nice to see the team feed him the ball on the block after being neglected of late. It was Hibbert's first game in double-digits in the past nine games.
Where art thou, T.J. Ford? The starting point guard must be playing some of the worst ball that a starting NBA caliber point guard can play right now. Another listless performance left the team's leadership position at a season-low in this one. Ford had another goose egg in the points column, had two assists, two turnovers and four fouls in 18 minutes. Luckily, Earl Watson, who struggled shooting the ball, proved his worth again by dishing out nine of the team's 19 assists.
Mike Dunleavy and Hansbrough both exceeded their minute limits tonight as Dunleavy played 22 and the rookie totaled 20. Dunleavy scored 10 points off the bench.
The Pacers held the Clippers to shooting 34.9 percent from the field tonight. Indiana shot 37.9 percent from the court.
Eric Gordon, who is still struggling with injuries, started for the Clippers but scored a season-low six points on 2-for-7 shooting.

Kings 110, Pacers 105: Indiana Fights Until The End, But Kings Escape With Win

spstevenson — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:59:14 -0000

More photos » by Rich Pedroncelli - AP

Tyler Hansbrough heard the Home Court Gift Shop needed some new posters and happily obliged by making a new one on Thursday.

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It was the starting lineup that seemed like the obvious choice -- a roll call featuring Dahntay Jones and Roy Hibbert. In the end, however, it didn't make a difference on the final scoreboard.

A listless performance from T.J. Ford, some poor defense from the starting frontcourt of Troy Murphy and Hibbert and a turnover-prone second half (14) were nearly negated by some very energized and surprising bench play, but it wasn't enough as the Pacers dropped a 110-105 loss outing to the Kings on Thursday. The Pacers have now lost seven of their last eight.

The starters helped put the team in a hole in the first and third quarters. Ford, Murphy and Hibbert, particularly, didn't have the best games of their careers. Ford may as well have been in Utah already. The starting PG had no points, one assist and two turnovers in a very forgettable 20 minutes of play. Luckily, the second unit, led by a fiesty and spirited group consisting of Earl Watson, Mike Dunleavy, Tyler Hansbrough and Jeff Foster, kept the Pacers in the game until the very end.

Watson and Foster's determination late, along with Danny Granger's offense, gave the Pacers a fighting chance in the final minute of the game as the Pacers erased a seven-point third quarter deficit. Indiana cut the Kings' lead to 108-105 with 16 seconds remaining, but it was too late. More on that final minute after the jump.

Coach Jim O'Brien attempted to sport only a nine-man playing rotation Thursday. That left Brandon Rush at the end of the bench until midway through the fourth (he played only because Mike Dunleavy had to sit after reaching his 20-minute max) after being relieved from his starting spot for Jones.

Overall, the Pacers at least hung tough in this one and played up until the final buzzer to make it interesting. They were never out of it and there were some great performances from players such as Granger, Watson and Foster, and the Pacers even outrebounded the Kings 49-39...22-10 on offensive boards, yet, still lost! Had Dunleavy been allowed to keep playing with six minutes to go and right when the Pacers started making a run, it could have been even more interesting. But, alas, wishing don't make it happen folks. The Kings shot 51 percent from the field, including 50 percent from beyond the arc, and executed the pick and roll to decimate the Pacers defense.

The Pacers have lost three straight. More after the jump.

Danny Granger and Dahntay Jones again proved that they work well together, at least on the offensive side of the ball. Between Granger's outside shooting and Jones' mid-range jumpers, the two carried what amounted to the Pacers' offense for most of the game. Granger finished with 33 points (his fifth 30-point game of the season) on 10-of-24 shooting, while Jones dropped 16 points.
Mike Dunleavy's "Minute Watch" caught up to him unexpectedly with more than seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Dunleavy reached his 20-minute limit early and was sent to the bench right as the Pacers began pulling within striking distance of the Kings. Dunleavy contributed six points in 20 minutes. His absence allowed Brandon Rush to avoid the DNP-CD.
Speaking of Rush, he came in for some brief minutes at the end of the game and on an important possession that could pull the Pacers within five points late, Rush passed up a wide-open 3-pointer for...well, I'll let Jared Wade of Eight Points, Nine Seconds do the commentary from his Twitter page: "So Brandon Rush forgoes a nice, in-rhythm three in transition for a pump-fake, dribble left, pull-up 22-foot two-pointer 2 secs later?"
The Pacers' defense continues to struggle with the pick-and-roll and it continues to allow opposing playmakers to have field days against the blue and gold. Rookie Tyreke Evans exploded for 16 points in the first quarter (finished with 26), while Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes thrived on the generosity of the Pacers spacing issues by going for 22 and 21, respectively.
Granger attempted to put on the Batman mask during the final minute for a near-superhero comeback. A Granger 3-pointer pulled the team within five points with 1:13 left in the game. After getting the ball back on a jump ball, Jones casually threw the ball away on the inbounds pass with 50 seconds left. Granger struck another crazy 3-pointer with 36 seconds on the clock to pull Indiana 107-103. After an Evans made free throw, Granger bricked a three, but was fouled on a second attempt behind the line. Unfortunately, the star clanked the first free throw and made the second two, pulling the blue and gold within a 108-105 score with 16 seconds remaining. Jones missed a 3-ball on the next possession to effectively end the Pacers attempted comeback.
T.J. Ford. Yuck.
Watson played really well in place of the point guard mentioned in the previous bullet point. The backup was all over the court, dishing and hitting the open man. Playing along with Dunleavy really opened up the offense for the Pacers. He finished with 15 points.

Preview: Pacers at Kings

Ziller — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:00:18 -0000

by Steve Yeater - AP

View full size photo »

THE OPPONENT

Of the four teams Sacramento met or will meet during this homestand, all have below average offenses, and three have dreadful offenses. Indiana is one of those three. The Pacers have averaged 101.3 points per 100 possessions this season, despite a wide-open offense predicated finding and taking the open three, and despite the presence of Danny Granger, a simply divine scorer.

Indiana has shot terribly from long-range this season: 30.8 percent, 24th in the league and some 40 points off league average. (By contrast, the Kings shoot 38.4 percent from distance, fourth in the league.) There is reason to believe this is just a cold start for Indiana: the team did shoot nearly 38 percent from three last season, and Troy Murphy in particular has been uncharacteristically errant, shooting 31 percent a year after shooting an incredible 45 percent. You figure Murphy (who takes nearly half his attempts from beyond the arc) will sort things out. You hope, of course, it doesn't come against the Kings, who this season have already given up a few big games to perimeter-based bigs, including Oklahoma City's Jeff Green, David West of New Orleans and Zach Randolph of Memphis.

If it's any matter, Indiana has improved quite a bit on defense. The team has surrendered 105 points per 100 possessions early this year, some 4.2 pt/100p better than last season, in which the team finished 19th in defense. If we may discuss specifics, Indiana has improved its shot defense (whether that's real or based on some well-timed opponent cold streaks remains to be seen) and its defensive rebounding remains solid. The Kings have risen to No. 9 in the league in team shooting, so, assuming the Kings aren't cold, our charges should challenge Indiana's new resistance. Further, Sacramento has managed to place 10th in foul-drawing, despite the absence of uberwhistlegetter Kevin Martin. No team fouls more frequently than Indiana. Jason Thompson and Tyreke Evans should get plenty of free throw attempts; let's hope Spencer Hawes and Donte Greene join them.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Danny Granger	14	37.2	7.8	18.7	41.6	3.1	8.8	35.8	5.9	7.1	82.0	0.9	5.6	6.4	2.9	2.9	1.6	1.1	3.6	24.6
Mike Dunleavy	2	19.0	5.5	10.5	52.4	1.0	3.5	28.6	5.5	5.5	100.0	0.0	2.5	2.5	0.5	1.5	1.5	0.5	1.5	17.5
Dahntay Jones	15	33.3	5.8	12.9	45.1	0.2	0.8	25.0	4.9	6.0	81.1	0.4	3.5	3.9	2.2	2.5	0.9	1.1	3.3	16.7
T.J. Ford	15	26.4	3.9	8.7	44.6	0.0	0.8	0.0	2.9	3.9	75.9	1.1	3.1	4.2	3.1	1.7	0.9	0.3	2.4	10.7
Troy Murphy	9	29.1	3.7	8.4	43.4	1.1	3.6	31.3	1.3	1.7	80.0	1.7	7.0	8.7	2.3	1.6	0.7	0.7	2.2	9.8
Roy Hibbert	15	23.5	4.1	8.0	51.7	0.0	0.1	0.0	1.5	2.1	68.8	2.7	3.9	6.7	1.8	1.7	0.3	1.7	3.5	9.7
Brandon Rush	15	28.7	3.0	8.7	34.6	1.1	3.7	30.4	0.7	1.3	52.6	0.4	4.1	4.5	1.3	1.2	0.9	0.8	1.7	7.8
Tyler Hansbrough	11	15.2	2.5	6.5	38.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.4	3.5	66.7	1.7	2.5	4.3	1.0	0.6	0.3	0.4	2.3	7.3
Earl Watson	15	25.4	2.3	5.2	43.6	0.8	2.5	32.4	1.7	2.1	78.1	0.5	2.1	2.5	2.9	1.4	1.2	0.5	2.0	7.0
Luther Head	12	14.8	2.3	5.1	44.3	0.2	1.3	12.5	0.5	0.5	100.0	0.2	1.0	1.2	2.1	1.1	0.3	0.3	0.8	5.2
Solomon Jones	12	16.7	1.8	3.8	48.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	1.1	61.5	1.3	2.5	3.8	0.9	1.3	0.3	1.1	3.2	4.3
A.J. Price	5	6.4	1.0	2.0	50.0	0.8	1.6	50.0	0.4	0.6	66.7	0.0	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.2	0.2	0.0	0.2	3.2
Jeff Foster	7	15.7	1.1	2.0	57.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	1.0	71.4	2.1	2.4	4.6	1.3	1.1	0.3	0.3	2.9	3.0
Josh McRoberts	6	4.7	0.5	1.3	37.5	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.2	0.3	50.0	0.5	0.5	1.0	0.0	0.3	0.0	0.2	0.8	1.2

THE KEY BATTLE

Jason Thompson vs. Troy Murphy. Murphy, again, is perhaps the league's best massive shooter, a veritable Mehmet Okur without the excuse of European birth. Many consider this stigma to be just that -- a stigma, something to be frowned upon. But in actuality, Murphy (when his shot is true) is more valuable than your typical low post 17-point scorer. Why? Well, perimeter-based players are less susceptible to turnovers ... which is a huge deal for big men. Further, while free throws are the most efficient shots in the NBA, don't count out the fact that most big men suck at shooting free throws, and that three-pointers are, well, worth three points.

Murphy is also a great defensive rebounder, and that's where this battle could potentially turn in the Kings' favor: can Thompson steal more than a couple rebounds from Murphy and part-time running mate Jeff Foster? J.T. has shocked us against some other good-to-great defensive rebounders, so I'll keep that candle burning heading into tonight. Of course, I think I'd rather see the Kings hit all their shots. Thompson plays into that as well: every minute Roy Hibbert is not on the court is an opportunity for the Kings to run plays through J.T. in the post. On defense, Murphy is quick as frozen beets. Thompson has developed a few clever moves, and I hope he attacks with them tonight.

MEDICAL UPDATE

Team medical consultant Grant Napear reports that center Spencer Hawes (bruised knee) will either play tonight or wear women's underwear under his tailored suit.

INTERESTING SIDESHOW

The guard match-ups will be really interesting -- I write this Tuesday night with no clue if Donte Greene will continue to start, or if Beno Udrih will get back into the first five. If Paul Westphal sticks with Evans/Greene, Pacers two-guard Dahntay Jones (a solid if not better defender with decent size and strength) will potentially be assigned to mark Evans (Sacramento's top weapon) which leaves 5'11 T.J. Ford on 6'10 Greene. Guh. (Of course, if Jones guards Greene, then Evans will live in the post, with the only issue being with Foster or Hibbert can help quickly enough, and if so whether Evans can hit the open man cleanly.) If Beno re-enters the unit, he should be at an advantage across from Ford, but not nearly as big of one as Evans or Greene offers. It should be interesting.

NUMERIC PREDICTION

Kings by 8.

BOLD PROCLAMATION

The Dahntay/Donte transition dunk-off will be epic.

DETAILS

The game will begin at 7PM on Comcast SportsNet and KHTK 1140 AM. Game thread at 7, Game thread 2 at 8, post-game thread at 9:45, recap at IKEA West Sac.

Pacers Stumble Before First Rest Stop On The Road

Tom Lewis — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:35:47 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Chiu - AP

Monta Ellis had his share of layups en route to his 45-point evening.

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The Indiana Pacers lost control of the game last night in a hurry.

After desperately trying to hold onto their lead in the third quarter, the Golden State Warrors finished with a flurry, scoring seven straight points in the final 58 second of the third to take a two-point lead into the deciding fourth quarter. Monta Ellis then exploded for another seven straight points on his own in the first 64 seconds of the fourth.

The 14-0 run over two minutes stunned and staggered the Pacers and they never recovered. After the jump, a few more observations from the game along with some links of interest.

Jeff Foster starrted in place of Roy Hibbert as Jim O'Brien continues to search for the right combination of players to produce wins. Foster responded well against the depleted front court of the Warriors with 9 points and 9 rebounds, including 6 offensive boards. Hibbert on the other hand didn't offer much off the bench. Within three minutes he had three fouls and eventually only played 11 minutes with 2 points, 2 rebounds and 5 fouls.
Danny Granger finished with 22 points but despite a few blips on the radar couldn't produce any momentum for the Pacers. He also had five turnovers, struggling with the ball in traffic. I realize his wheels aren't 100% but this team need Granger to carry the offensive load at times and he just hasn't be able to fill that role of late. Granger tried shaking things up by starting the game with a headband. Looked a bit strange with it covering his ears and must've felt strange since he took it off in the first quarter.
Mike Dunleavy saw some significant minutes maxing out his allotment and producing 22 points in 23 minutes. He appeared worn out toward the end fading along with the Pacers' chances of winning.
T.J. Ford had one of his better games going in the first half and along with Earl Watson, the two point guards did a great job of getting in the paint for some easy buckets. The second half was a different story as both struggled with the game on the line and the duo ended the night with a combined 8 turnovers.
Brandon Rush started the game but his tentative play gave way to Dahntay Jones. Jones started the third quarter and finished the game with 21 points. Rush score no points in 16 minutes, with one play exemplifying his confounding play. Early in the first quarter, Rush had the ball on the left wing. A nice pump fake and dribble opened him up from about 18 feet, instead of shooting it he passed to T.J. Ford in the corner for a missed three-pointer. As Rush was passing the ball, you could hear Foster yell, "Shoot it!"
Box score with highlights
PACERS: Inside the Game: Pacers at Warriors
The Associated Press: Ellis scores 45 in Warriors win over Pacers
Pacers blow another big lead
Mike Wells reports on the Pacers allowing a 32-point swing in favor of the Warriors leading to a disheartening loss.
Warriors Web: Warriors 126, Pacers 107 - Monta scores career high 45 pts
GSoM thoroughly enjoyed the Dubs' comeback win.
Pacers Notebook: Pacers playing Hibbert off the bench
Mike Wells has more on Jim O'Brien shuffling lineups to look for answers on the road trip. JOB likes Jeff Foster on the court in part because his +/- numbers are usually the best on the team. Last night, Foster was the only player with a positive number, +1.
Do you smell that? That's a nasty funk coming from the Pacers
Mike Wells blogs about the mess he witnessed in Oakland last night.
Monta Ellis leads Golden State Warriors past Pacers
Marcus Thompson II reports on Monta Ellis lighting up the Pacers last night.
Bird willing to remain patient
Mike Wells talks to Larry Bird about the team's struggles so far this season and in essence, Jim O'Brien's status.
Warriors Web: Warriors 126, Pacers 107 - Monta scores career high 45 pts
GSoM thoroughly enjoyed the Dubs' comeback win.

Pacers 86, Clippers 73: Better Late Than Never, Pacers Run Past Clippers In Fourth Quarter

Tom Lewis — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:59:28 -0000

More photos » by Michael Conroy - AP

All's well that ends well, like this dunk by Dahntay Jones.

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The Indiana Pacers were only half good again tonight, but this time they saved their best for last to beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 86-73.

After clunking and clanking their way to a 34-point first half, the Pacers used the third quarter to work their way back into the game and then just exploded for 31 points in the deciding fourth to cruise by the Clippers.

There were a lot of moving parts that had to come together to eventually create the winning combination. Leading scorer, Danny Granger was a late scratch and remains day-to-day after an MRI revealed the Pacers resident all-star has a sprained MCL in his left knee. But Granger's absence was no excuse for the ugly first half that saw both teams shoot in the low 30% from the floor.

In fact, the Pacers only scored 34-points in the first half, ironically matching the pitiful second-half point total in the last two home losses to the Knicks and Cavaliers. Fortunately the Clippers weren't much better and the Pacers only trailed by nine at the break. The game continued to creep along in the third quarter, but the Pacers cut the lead to four heading into the fourth.

At winning time, though, the Pacers answered big time, winning the fourth 31-14 in a game that became quite intense and a little chippy. At one point Baron Davis and T.J. Ford had a silly squabble of wills with neither wanting to flinch, but it added some juice to the game and although it woke up Baron Davis at the offensive end, it also engaged Ford at both ends as he included his teammates who put forth a great team effort to close out the game. I'm convinced Davis was initially upset because Ford was actually giving him some fits with his defense.

Ford was just one of several players who wiped away a poor early effort to finish strong and find a way to win. Whether it was foul trouble or poor shooting, nearly every Pacers was struggling. But they used a strong defensive effort to stay in touch until the offense came around. In fact, the defense created some easy offensive chances. For instance, Roy Hibbert rotated over to block a Craig Smith layup early in the fourth. The block slammed off the backboard, fueling a layup by Ford at the other end and pushing the lead to four points. The Pacers would never trail again.

More on the major contributions after the jump.

Dahntay Jones was a monster in the fourth quarter and his game highlights how this one went from start to finish. Dahntay had zero points and three fouls in the first half. He forced a couple of shots but just couldn't make a jumper to save his life. He even missed a couple of free throws. But he kept grinding in the second half and drew a couple of fouls on drives to the rim. The made free throws helped his rhythm and before long he was scoring from all over the court, finishing with 18 points in the second half. He even knocked down a classic Quisy three where you beg him not to shoot and then watch the ball go in. Jones also helped slow down Baron Davis after the T.J tango re-engaged the Clippers' point guard.
Luther Head was one player who deserves credit for playing well in both the first and second half. For a three minute stretch early in the second quarter, Luther scored eight straight points which kept the Pacers in the game. He also had a couple of assists later in the quarter including a sweet leave for Roy Hibbert as he rolled to the hoop for an easy bucket. In the second half, Luther continued his solid play with six more points to finish with 14. At one point, I thought JOB was going to ride Luther home, but eventually the foul-strapped Brandon Rush returned to the court.
Troy Murphy also weathered three fouls in the first half while not shooting it particularly well. He did play much better defense, though and rebounded pretty well, although Marcus Camby was a nightmare for everyone. In fact, after Camby closed the third with a 3-pointer (seriously) he had 15 points and 20 rebounds. But in the fourth, Camby could only muster up one rebound and zero points. Meanwhile, Murph continued to scrap on the glass, even keeping a couple of possessions alive on the offensive glass, and then found his stroke when it mattered most. Murph's two three pointers in the last five minutes (set up nicely by T.J. Ford) helped suck the life out of the Clippers. The final trey put the Pacers up nine and was the deciding dagger. Murph finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
T.J. Ford came out of nowhere to produce big time down the stretch in this one. Until the fourth, it was the same old, same old with Ford. Not exactly spilling his guts at either end and offering up a couple of mind numbing turnovers. But tonight when it mattered, Ford stood up to Baron Davis and wasn't going down without a fight. While he made a few key shots and finished a couple of nice drives at the hoop, his assists were the difference in the fourth. Ford had three key dimes in the final five minutes that all set up made three-pointers and buried the Clippers.
Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush were a bit up and down as they both tried to play through foul trouble. Hibbert only ended up playing 25 minutes and aside from a couple of nice pick 'n roll finishes couldn't make a shot. Hibbert did hold his own defensively though and scrapping with Chris Kaman and helping to hold the Clippers leading scorer to 10 points. Hibbert finished with 3 blocks.
Rush finished the game with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Like Luther helped bolster what little offense the Pacers had in the first half with a couple of three-pointers. He struggled down the stretch, missing two free throws that were a result of two possession-saving offensive rebounds by Murphy and Jeff Foster. Fortunately, it didn't come back to bite the Pacers. Rush also felt the wrath of T.J. Ford after the two weren't on the same page during a critical late possession. Dahntay Jones mediated with an arm around each as they made their way to the bench for a timeout.
Jeff Foster and Tyler Hansbrough did a lot of dirty work during their time on the court. They actually played some together for the second night in a row. As you can imagine, the combo keeps things lively on the court. At the time in the third quarter, the Pacers needed all of the juice they could get and they provided a little boost.
When the game started, I was wondering which players might step up to fill the void with Granger sidelined. As it turned out, nearly everyone did a little something at least a little better than they have been to combine to turn this ugly game and potential fifth-straight loss into a sweet victory. Now the turkey will taste a little better tomorrow.

IC Cold Links: O'Brien Wants To Use Last Year's Lineup; Pacers Prepare For Clippers

spstevenson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:19:58 -0000

More photos » by CHRIS YOUNG - AP

Dahntay Jones tries to give the Pacers a spark off the bench during last night's loss to Toronto. Jones will continue to sit during the tip-off tonight against the Clippers.

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There is just something about playing those pesky Knicks that sends the Indiana Pacers either into the stratosphere or in a tailspin.

After beating the Knicks to send themselves on a five-game winning streak, the Pacers have been chopped liver since New York ended the winning streak, effectively sending Indiana reeling for four straight. Last night's loss in Toronto left the team in shambles again as coach Jim O'Brien can't find a suitable lineup (starting or in reserve) to kickstart the team's defense, which allowed 74 first-half points.

Yesterday, O'Brien shuffled the lineup by sending starters Dahntay Jones and Roy Hibbert to the bench in favor of Jeff Foster and Brandon Rush. O'Brien explained to the IndyStar's Mike Wells after the game that Jones, who continues to be one of the brightest and exciting parts of the team's young season, deserves to be the starter. The problem? O'Brien has been waiting for injuries to clear up so that he can go back to using the same starting lineup that finished last season on a roll.

O'Brien: "I think Dahntay deserves to start, but I think it's better for our rotation if Dahntay comes off the bench. Dahntay knows I think he's a starter. The whole plan throughout the preseason was to pretty much play the team that we had success with at the end of last year, but we weren't healthy enough to do that."

For tonight's game against the Clippers, Hibbert will be re-inserted into the lineup in place of Foster, but Jones is certain to continue to come off the bench, giving O'Brien his "dream" lineup of T.J. Ford, Rush, Danny Granger, Troy Murphy and Hibbert. With Mike Dunleavy getting an ever-so slim chance of playing tonight for the first time this year, it will be interesting to see how the bench rotations play out with the starters set.

Check out the jump for links to recaps and more on last night's loss to the Raptors.

AP Story
Box Score
Photo Gallery
NBA.com Recap
Bruno's postgame report names Danny Granger of the Player of the Game (36 points, nine rebounds, four assists) last night, which O'Brien called "irrelevant" (and he's right). The report also shines a light on this filthy stat: the Pacers yielded a season-high 123 points and dropped to 1-6 when they allow at least 100 points. Gross. Here's what Jim O'Brien had to say about the team's insistence to only play well in the third quarter:

"You can't play one good quarter on the road and expect to win. We played with no force in the first half and made it a game in the second half because we did play with force. You have to play four quarters on the road and we did not do that." -- Jim O'Brien

Mike Wells recaps the game noting the lack of the Pacers' defensive abilities during their recent four-game slide.
Wells also dumps out the notebook on O'Brien shuffling the starting lineup as well as Jarrett Jack saying the Pacers told him this offseason that he was their No. 1 priority to re-sign. I think when the Pacers made that promise, they weren't counting on the Raptors robbing the bank to steal Jack away from us. More on this later.
The IndyStar also features an article on current Clippers' star and Indy native Eric Gordon. The shooting guard has been out with injury and is listed as questionable for tonight's game, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Tim Donahue at Eight Points, Nine Seconds gives us the statistical analysis on what went wrong in Toronto.
John Oehser provides his take on the Pacers loss for Examiner.com, and Always Miller Time also recaps the game.
Raptors Republic shows how the Raptors felt about last night's game (answer: pretty damn good). Here is the recap from the Toronto Star.
So...the Toronto media really played up the hype about Jack "destroying" his former team because of how the Pacers treated him this summer. In this column in the Toronto Star, the columnist makes every attempt to show how Jack couldn't even keep his emotions in check, especially if he were to go one-on-one against T.J. Ford, so Toronto's coach kept Jack on the bench until Ford left the game. The columnist also pulled the "circle the game on the calendar" but Jack didn't bite. I thought everything ended amicably this summer as Jack understood that the Pacers had no way, no how to match the Raptors' offer. This column tries to make it sound like the Pacers never had any intention on re-signing the point guard. I think the writer missed the mark on this one.
Here is a preview for tonight's game at Conseco "Reggie Miller" Fieldhouse, as well as another preview from SB Nation's Clips Nation.
ESPN's Daily Dime checks in with how the Eastern Conference playoffs should look like at the end of the season. You can guess which team from central Indiana is not involved in the discussion.