January will be the time to evaluate this Pacers team
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers finally put together a full game on Monday night against the San Antonio Spurs. They scored 43 points in the 1st quarter, which bumped them up to 2nd in the entire NBA in 1st quarter points average. They even won the third quarter for the first time all season. The Pacers may only be 2-6 on the season, but it’s still far too early to give up on this team.
Continuing the conversation from an earlier tweet thread, let’s talk about several topics that can all be true at the same time:
•This team may never get fully healthy. And fans are (rightfully) tired of the injury excuse. We’ve been saying “if they can just get healthy” for years. Frustration is absolutely warranted. But I’m not sure making bold claims about this team’s lack of talent is. It’s true that good teams find a way to win games despite injuries. But there’s also a difference between injuries, and missing three starters.
•It’s still way too early to judge this team when this team is a shell of what it “could” be. Caris LeVert by himself will make a huge difference, as we’ve already seen. What would this team’s record be if just Caris LeVert had been playing this whole time? My guess, no worse than 4-4, with a good chance of 5-3.
•The Pacers haven’t really “ran it back” as much as you may think. This is basically the first season of (somewhat) doing so- and yet they added Carlisle, Duarte, Craig, traded for Jackson, and were expecting TJ Warren to be healthy. They added Caris LeVert last season and found Oshae Brissett. Brogdon and Turbonis are still here, but let’s stop pretending like it’s the exact same team every year.
•To me, January 1st is the key. There’s absolutely no reason whatsoever to talk about tanking, draft picks, or trading half the team in early November. If they’re still in bad shape after playing a ton of home games in December, it will then be time to re-think some things and start making changes.
•Even if this team gets healthy, they’re probably middle-of-the-pack in the East. I get that. I get the frustration with that as well. An argument could absolutely be made that “if they’re not real contenders, blow it up and start over.” But it’s never that simple. Fans don’t want to be a “tough out.” They want more. At the same time, lots of teams tank and rebuild- and it either takes much longer than expected, or it doesn’t work at all. If the Pacers decide (in January/February) that they want to make big changes, I’m still keeping LeVert, Duarte, one of the bigs, Jackson, and maybe a few others.
“Our potential is endless,” Myles Turner said after Monday’s win. “We just haven’t seen it yet. Once we get back healthy, I think the sky is the limit at that point.”
Head Coach Rick Carlisle will continue to preach toughness and balance, with or without a healthy roster. “It’s a team that is built on playing well together and having balance,” Carlisle said. “This is the kind of game we needed and the kind of game we’d like to play. Thirty-seven assists is a great number. The spirit of sharing the ball was terrific. That’s how we need to play.”
Wednesday will be a tough test against the New York Knicks, but it’s another game the Pacers would love to have before they head out West. Caris LeVert should continue increasing his minutes, while Malcolm Brogdon gets closer to a return.
You can be fed up with this team if you’d like. That’s your right as a fan. And nobody is really blaming you. But just know: There’s a ton of basketball to be played. Let’s see where things stand over the next few months.
