The Indiana Pacers used the defensive turnaround to realign the season

The Indiana Pacers used the defensive turnaround to realign the season

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers suffered one of their most embarrassing losses of the season a few weeks ago when the lowly, struggling Charlotte Hornets came to Indianapolis and put on a dazzling display of efficiency. The Hornets shot 51.3% from the field and 48.3% from distance, both of which were their second-best results of the season.

It was rock bottom for the Pacers. They couldn’t stop a 6-17 team and lost, falling to five games under .500. Indiana star player Tyrese Haliburton knew something had to change both individually and on a team level.

“After that game in Charlotte, I had a really good conversation with (assistant coach) Jenny (Boucek) and (head coach) Rick (Carlisle),” Haliburton said. He didn’t want to go into specifics, but he said they talked about defense – some at the team level, but primarily they talked about his individual play at that level and how he could get better. “Just saying where I feel like I can get better, where they feel like I can get better and how we can change some things… I feel like we’ve been really good since that moment. “

Since then, the Pacers have defended well — perhaps the best they’ve defended since Haliburton arrived in Indiana in 2022. He mentioned last year’s postseason as a time when the team was in full swing in that regard. “I feel like we’re really connected right now,” he said. “I think our struggles on offense highlighted that we need to get better on the defensive side of the ball, and I just feel like we really belong together.”

At that point, the Pacers were 10-15 and ranked 24th in defensive rating. They shouldn’t be Good defensive team this season, but the Blue and Gold were hoping for something better. A theme of the team’s media day was hope for improvement at the less glamorous end of the floor, and the team believed that was possible after finishing 18th in defensive rating following the All-Star break last season.

Although this loss was humiliating, it led to important changes. Since the early December loss to Charlotte and the conversation with Haliburton, the Pacers have changed their defensive prowess. It leads to victories.

How have the Pacers performed on defense lately?

The Pacers are 2-6 since the loss to the Hornets, and their defense is in the top 20 during that time. They have allowed 113.4 points per 100 possessions in that span, nearly three points higher than their mark before this game .

And even that number is held down by one terrible game – a loss in Boston in which the Celtics scored 142 points against the Pacers. In the six games prior to that, the Pacers allowed 107.7 points per 100 possessions, good for 11th in the league. They held the same Boston group to 114 points with a big win two nights ago. Indiana is turning things around defensively and it has changed their season.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into it,” Carlisle said of his team’s defensive improvements. “The players were proud of it but it is an ongoing task. There is no relaxation.”

This season, Pacers opponents are shooting 47.5% from the field and 36.1% from long range. Those numbers are 44.2% and 33.1% over the last eight games, respectively. Indiana has been knocking down shots at a higher level and their defensive rebound rate has increased by a few percentage points over time. They force misses and trap them.

At the same time, the number of points they scored when they lost the ball remained roughly the same – and they were more effective on the open floor. The Pacers themselves have simultaneously reduced their giveaways, which has limited their opponent’s easy chances.

These sales figures fit together well. Indiana thrives in transition, they occasionally try to create semi-transition opportunities when none are available. When Indiana’s defense is humming, they can run more often. At the same time, the lack of ball losses meant that the opponents scored fewer points. The battle for possession has recently turned significantly towards the blue and gold.

“We do a good job in possession areas,” Carlisle said. “We’re doing well with ball security.” We’ve been able to limit turnovers, which is very important… our defensive rebound percentage has improved. So we have to keep working on that.”

What has changed about the Pacers’ defense?

The Pacers haven’t dramatically changed their defensive system, but two things stand out when it comes to the team’s improvement on that end of the court: health and communication.

Injuries were a problem for the Pacers early in the season, but two of the team’s better defensive players returned earlier this month in Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard. Nembhard hit the hardwood again on December 1st, but did not play in all four quarters of a game again until that fateful game against Charlotte.

Sheppard, meanwhile, returned on December 19th. He is an energizer on defense and never stops moving – his team defense is effective, especially for an inexperienced player. Indiana gives up a far lower three-point percentage with Sheppard on the court than it does off it, and sees little shift in the opponent’s two-point percentage. The Pacers defense is more than 11 points per 100 possessions better with Nembhard on the court than off it. These two have been instrumental in changing the fortunes of the team.

“He’s one of our best ball defenders,” Carlisle said of Nembhard. The head coach commented on how many different positions Nembhard can defend. “He’s just a rock-solid, physical guy.”

Communication was also a key focus for Indiana on defense. On the worst nights, it was a skill the team cited as a problem.

They gave up too many cuts, open shots and drives. Nothing was taken away. The Pacers had to stay in touch and rotate – forcing opposing teams to react or look for changes elsewhere. But they weren’t,

Now they are reducing the number of these errors. The entire defensive ecosystem has been more functional for the Pacers lately and they have cut the lead better than they did earlier in the campaign.

“We need to be more consistent,” Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said earlier this month about what the Pacers need on defense. “Just more power and fight,” he added, describing the biggest difference between the team’s best and worst nights on that end of the floor.

After a loss to Detroit in which the blue and gold gave up 130 points earlier this season, the team discussed poor rotations and communication. Their defense was poor and they knew it. Answers were needed.

It took some adjustment and some restoration, but the answers appeared. The Pacers still need to make progress defensively when it comes to consistency and pressure, but they have shown that they are capable of having good nights on the less glamorous end of the floor.

In fact, the Pacers had the fifth-best defense in the NBA in the 16 days from December 9 (one day after the loss to Charlotte) through Christmas. They played against Joel Embiid, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant during this phase, but were able to hold their own. It sparked a decisive winning streak.

Now it’s up to the Pacers to move on. They’ve shown what they’re capable of, but to get back above .500 and secure a solid spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, Indiana needs to keep defending like this. Like Carlisle said, there is no relaxation.

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