The Indiana Pacers Are in the Middle of the Power Rankings Again

The Indiana Pacers are moving back into the middle of the power rankings, settling in around the 15th spot.

Hey, don’t write the Indiana Pacers off yet.
It’s only in your head, that they feel left out or looked down on.
They try their best, try everything they can.
And don’t you worry what opponents tell themselves when the Pacers away.

Yes, the Indiana Pacers are in the middle of the power rankings (again) this week, but at least they are rebounding from their worst stretch of the season, snapping a four-game losing streak by starting a 3-game one.

These rankings came in before the Pacers win over Detroit (and Paul George’s clutch performance), but they still reflect the mix of uncertainty but occasional optimism this team inspires.

The wins over the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, and Detroit Pistons aren’t going to overly impress anyone, but this is the first time this season the Pacers took care of business against teams they can readily handle. The Pistons and Bulls aren’t bad my any means, but Indiana didn’t play the frustrating style of basketball that nearly sent Pacers fans into a full-blown panic. They played solidly and came out on top, something that hadn’t happened for more than a game or two this season.

Can they make it four in a row against the Brooklyn Nets tonight? We’ll have to wait and see.

One way or another, this month should tell us for sure where the Pacers are headed.

Jeremy Woo

@Jeremy_Woo, Sports Illustrated

And hey, they’re still in eighth place in the East with enough talent to in theory hang on. But people thought this was a team that could finish near the top of the conference. I was bullish, too. As it turns out, there was never enough defense here to hold up an offense prone to ball-stopping. The front line relies heavily on Myles Turner and a smattering of undersized offense-first bigs, including a nicely utilitarian player in Thaddeus Young. They have to get George his shots, but Jeff Teague and Monta Ellis need the ball, too. I really don’t know why this seemed like it might work.

On a bigger level, the Pacers are a case study in the small ball era and stand as evidence that overhauling an offense for the modern game can be really, really difficult. The teams that have done it best have been built from the lead ballhandler on down, with enough shooting and size to prop themselves up on both sides of the ball. You can try to play small and fast on offense, but the ball can’t stick and you need systemic commitment. Indiana’s still dumping it in to Al Jefferson for a good chunk of every game. Paul George looks frustrated and admits he’s frustrated, but it may take an increased willingness to bend from him, too. He’s also been inconsistent. There is talent but not identity, not to mention a new coach after five years of Frank Vogel. It’s going to take team-wide adjustment to make headway. (Last Week: 15th) — Sports Illustrated

Marc Stein

@ESPNSteinLine, ESPN

14Candor from a star player is a journalistic treasure, so it’s been fascinating to listen to Paul George in this early season, speaking his mind on numerous occasions already about the Pacers’ struggles to live up to the lofty preseason billing they received in so many corners. Yet it’s also a touch sad to hear George openly lament the fact that he’s had very little fun lately. He came into the 2016-17 talking about challenging for MVP honors. As recently as Thursday, on the eve of a home win over the Bulls, PG-13 was calling it “one of the most frustrating seasons I’ve been a part of.” How nervous, Pacer People, does that make you? (Last week: 14) — ESPN

Matt Moore

@MattMooreCBS, CBS Sports

14Paul George sounds depressed about his situation. Imagine if they get worse? They have a tissue-soft schedule in January. If the Pacers don’t go over .500 this month, they need to consider major changes. (Last week: 18) — CBS Sports

John Schuhmann

@johnschuhmann, NBA

15Paul George and Nate McMillan complained about free throws (and got fined for it) after the Pacers got just 10 in Monday’s loss in Chicago. But rebounds have been a bigger problem than free throws. The Pacers rank 28th in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage and allowed the Bulls and Magic to total 40 second chance points over the weekend. But they got two wins and climbed into playoff position by breaking out of their offensive funk, with Jeff Teague recording 26 total assists in the two games. (Last week: 15) — NBA

Gerald Bourguet

@GeraldBourguet, HoopsHabit

As mentioned above, the Pacers face the Nets tonight and then host the New York Knicks on Saturday before taking a few days off to start next week. They’ll play the Denver Nuggets next Thursday.