Official Game Preview: Hawks at Pacers

[lethalweapon3]

“Who on this row has three rings? Do you know? Do you know? Do you know?”

 

The last time Paul George of the Indiana Pacers faced the Atlanta Hawks (7:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports South, Fox Sports Indiana) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse? It’s been a minute - May of 2014, actually. By that time, the top-seeded Pacers needed all of George’s 30 points and Lance Stephenson’s 19-and-14 to finally hold off a first-round upset by the Al Horford-less Hawks in seven games. Until that performance, George and the Pacers had been booed off the floor by the home crowd, perturbed at their inability to do much of anything against guys like DeMarre Carroll, Pero Antić, Shelvin Mack, and Mike Scott.

Quite a bit has changed in just the 19 months since that playoff game. George needed almost a full season off to heal a leg he broke in the summertime. And by the time he returned, the Pacers and Hawks traded places. With Horford back in tow, Atlanta ascended to the top of the East in the regular season (sweeping the Pacers along the way), while Indy hung around the eighth-seed until the final week of the 2014-15 season.

The frontcourt anchors from the Pacers’ 2014-15 season, David West and Roy Hibbert, departed from the Hoosier State as free agents this summer. Instead of searching for replicates, Pacers team president Larry Bird and head coach Frank Vogel decided to live up to their team name.

Pushing the pace meant convincing George that he’d thrive more as a stretch-four than a swingman. Bringing super-scoring free agent Monta Ellis (12.7 PPG, lowest since rookie year; 28.4 3FG%)  into the fold, and making C.J. Miles (career-highs of 14.6 PPG, 39.5 3FG%; 55.1 eFG%, 2^nd in East ahead of Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore) a more permanent fixture at the 3-spot, made the switch to power forward for George easier to understand.

By all accounts, George (career-highs of 24.8 PPG and 7.7 RPG; 40.6 3FG%) has played good soldier, which helped the Pacers get off to a strong start. George won the conference Player of the Month award for October-November as Indy won 11 of their last 13 games in November. Team pace has climbed from 94.9 possessions per-48 (20^th in NBA) during Indiana’s 2014 title run to 99.4 (8^th in NBA).

This season, both teams have been swapping paint while chasing Cleveland for pole position in the conference. Atlanta (20-12) comes into tonight’s game riding a six-game winning streak and enjoying improved play out of Horford as well as guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder. Indiana (17-12) had struggled with three straight defeats until topping the T’wolves in Minnesota on Saturday. Each team needed to find a high gear during the second half to come away victorious in their most recent games.

The Pacers’ recent struggles from 3-point range continued (9-for-26 3FGs) against Minnesota until a 36-20 fourth-quarter run put the Wolves out of reach. Indiana is among the top 3-point shooters (9.2 3FGs per game, 4^th-most in East, up from 6.7 in 2013-14), particularly of the unassisted variety (21.4% of threes, 3^rd-highest in NBA). So it would really help their offense if they could shoot better than 35.7% from deep.

Coincident to the Hawks’ latest win streak is improved perimeter defense. Atlanta’s last four opponents shot just 28.4% on threes, compared to 47.1% in the prior five games. Against the Knicks on Saturday, Atlanta’s headfromrectomy procedure came during the second half, holding New York to just 35 points after allowing 63 in the opening half.

New York cooled off to just 29.2 3FG% for the game, and ultimately had no answers for the Twin Mid-Risers, Horford and Paul Millsap (combined 17-for-32 FGs, 14 assists, 5 steals, 2 TOs) or the point guard hydra of Teague and Schröder (combined 10-for-21 FGs, 10 assists, 1 TO). The Pacers will be challenged to neutralize at least one of those duos, and to keep bench players like Scott (7-for-8 FGs vs. NYK) from getting their giddyup on at their expense.

Tonight’s game features the two most opportunistic teams in the NBA, the Pacers’ 19.8 PPG off turnovers bested only by Atlanta’s 20.2. Millsap (1.8 SPG, 4^th among NBA PF/Cs) will enjoy enticing George (career-high 3.8 TOs/game) to attempt post moves without getting stripped. Millsap won’t be as thrilled if Indiana can get George operating in space by way of isolation plays.

When Atlanta’s defensive help arrives outside the paint, George must make the proper passes, but his teammates in turn (particularly Ellis and Rodney Stuckey) need to keep the ball moving instead of settling for quick, contested jumpers. They would all do well to look inside for Hibbert’s replacement at the pivot, Ian Mahinmi (59.4 TS%, 4^th in East behind Atlanta’s Kyle Korver).

George also needs the gold-coiffed George Hill and Ellis (1.8 SPG) to pressure Atlanta’s ballhandlers fullcourt. Teague has turned the ball over no more than twice in ten of his past 12 appearances. Coming off the bench, Schröder has done the same in just one of his past 8 contests. The unofficial turnovers have come by way of missed buckets around the rim and occasionally-questionable shot selection. Minimizing those factors would limit George and Ellis’ ability to score in transition.

Both teams are a bit thinned in the frontcourt. Atlanta’s Mike Muscala will need to step up again while Tiago Splitter recovers from a calf injury sustained against New York. Rookie center Myles Turner fractured a hand back in November, boosting floor time for Indiana’s Lavoy Allen and Jordan Hill. Vogel will be pleased to find capable of plugging the middle against the Hawks, whose 46.8 PPG in-the-paint in December ranks second in the East.

Unlike 2014, fans won’t resort to jeering George and the Pacers if Atlanta manages to keep their winning streak going tonight. After all, losing at home to the Hawks is no longer a disappointment.

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

 

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[Gray Mule]

Get 'er done, Hawks!

[benhillboy]

How we're 1.5 point dogs I don't know.  The #1 seed is in arms reach, the team is well-rested and practiced now.  I expect a dominant performance, Hawks by 10.

[Guest]

Great as usual lw3! 

[Lurker]

Indiana is the best team Atlanta has faced during this stretch, I'll be happy with winning (they have cooled off but are still very dangerous). Really if Atlanta splits this back to back, have to be happy about it, considering that things did not look good at all a mere 6 games ago.

[Lurker]

Well, it's a good thing Atlanta beat Detroit, because they are not beating Houston tomorrow. That's a loss.

[benhillboy]

Second quarter couldn't have been worse.  We have to get back in the game on the defensive end, so Jeff and Kyle shall have seats.

[Lurker]

Ain't even Jeff, although I suspect he's sitting at least half of the third quarter due to foul trouble. Team lost all momentum with Schröder in, his first bad game in a while.

[JETSET]

Gotta love our effort coming out of the half lately.  This would be tied up if Korver could make a wide open 3. 

[Lurker]

Korver does not need to play in the 4th quarter, and Schröder needs to be sat down immediately after the 3rd. God awful nights for both of them.

[Alex]

It's difficult to score 13 points in a quarter.  Nice work on that.  Also it seems like nearly every game the Hawks have less than 45 points at halftime.

[Lurker]

Just sit Korver down. The obvious is being ignored with him, that he's a liability and the offensive scheme needs to be revamped since a lot of it is based around his movement.

[Lurker]

Korver needs to be out for the rest of this game or I'm afraid this one is done. This is the worst bench performance in a few weeks today.

[JETSET]

I just want to give a big F U to Delladova.  It's sad seeing Korver struggle this much after having a career year last season.  We would have a comfortable lead right now if Korver shot for average. 

[Hawkmoor]

tip in REBOUND basket for the pacer win....................Sap needs help.........

Edited December 29, 2015 by Hawkmoor

[Lurker]

This is a 50 win team at best unless Korver is replaced. He is terrible now. Frankly, it's amazing they even have 20 wins with how awful he has been.

[Dnice]

Too little inside.

[ATLHawks3]

22 turnovers is all I'm going to say.

[Lurker]

Again, ROFLMAO at those that call Al Horford a top 10 player. He's a good player but he is not a top 10 player. Top 10 players can take over games offensively.

[Lurker]

Only an Atlanta team would shut down the teams top player and let scrubs go off.