The Biggest Weakness In The Indiana Pacers Surprising Start? Rebounding

The Indiana Pacers are off to a shocking 19-17 begin to the 2022-23 NBA season, and so they’ve confirmed that they could be a threatening workforce on any given evening. They’ve already taken down 4 of the seven groups which have a successful proportion of 60 or higher this season — whereas the Pacers are inconsistent, they will cling with anybody at their finest.

A major issue of their inconsistency, although, is their poor rebounding. The Pacers rank poorly in each offensive and defensive rebounding this season, and that defensive rebounding talent particularly has doomed the blue and gold — they rank final within the NBA in defensive rebound proportion.

“Proper now, rebounding is a giant problem for us,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle stated this week.

“It’s an effort statistic,” the coach stated when speaking about rebounding earlier this season. He made that assertion after Indiana gave up 29 offensive rebounds and 37 second likelihood factors to the Brooklyn Nets in a loss on December 10.

That sport is a first-rate instance of how unhealthy rebounding can result in inconsistent play. The Pacers shot practically 50% from lengthy vary and made 12 extra threes than the Nets that evening. They had been extra correct on the foul line. They had been tied within the turnover battle. The Pacers had been extra environment friendly and took care of the ball simply in addition to their opponent, however they misplaced as a result of they had been crushed on the glass.

That’s been a theme for the blue and gold this season. Indiana’s opponents are pulling in 12.3 offensive rebounds per sport, which ranks second within the league. The blue and gold have misplaced seven of the ten video games during which they’ve given up not less than 50 rebounds, and so they have misplaced the rebounding battle in 21 of their 36 video games. They must be higher on the boards.

“Simply proceed to defend. Proceed to lock into the scout, proceed to concentrate on their tendencies,” large man Jalen Smith, maybe the workforce’s finest rebounder, stated earlier this season of the right way to be simpler on the glass.

A few of Indiana’s points with rebounding stem from the truth that the workforce sometimes performs small. Since shifting Aaron Nesmith into the opening 5 for Smith on December 12, Indiana is averaging 40.3 rebounds per sport whereas their opponents are grabbing 46.3. They’ve outrebounded the opposing workforce simply twice in that span.

That’s why Carlisle famous that rebounding is a problem for the Pacers proper now. The beginning lineup change has labored, the Pacers are 5-4 because the change. But it surely has led to the workforce being worse on the boards. Enjoying small has many execs and cons, and the largest con has been rebounding up to now.

Different points on the glass stem from Indiana having poor rebounders at many positions. Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard, two starters for the Pacers who’re having nice seasons, aren’t recognized for his or her rebounding. Reserve ahead Chris Duarte hasn’t been as efficient when grabbing misses as he was final season. These three gamers play a big proportion of Indiana’s frontcourt minutes, so common rebounding enchancment from the trio would assist the blue and gold.

The entire workforce can do higher, although, and so they can enhance their concentrate on opponent tendencies, as Smith famous. They’ll’t lack effort, although. They don’t have the scale or talent to get beat on the boards merely because of effort.

The opposite consideration for the Pacers relating to rebounding is tradeoffs. Indiana likes to run in transition. They at the moment lead the league in quick break factors per sport — it’s a vital a part of their id.

Working forward in transition typically signifies that fewer gamers are crashing the glass. That’s a part of the tradeoff that the Pacers have to consider. A stronger concentrate on the defensive glass would trigger the blue and gold to be worse when flying up and down the court docket on offense, which is when the workforce is at its finest. It’s a troublesome stability of addressing struggles whereas retaining an id intact.

That’s the query the Pacers need to reply. How can they enhance on the glass with out altering who they’re as a workforce? What can they do higher on the boards to make sure that transition play continues to be a power? A few of it’s effort. A few of it comes right down to realizing the scouting report. However no matter it takes, the Pacers want to enhance their rebounding. It’ll enhance their consistency as a workforce, particularly if they will do it with out sacrificing their strengths.