The Indiana Pacers are four games into the season, and the first week has already delivered the full range of what this team can be. They sit at 2-2 and are tied for seventh in the Eastern Conference after a road win over the New Orleans Pelicans, a blowout of the Brooklyn Nets, a rough home loss to the Dallas Mavericks and a defeat against the Milwaukee Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back.
Even with the uneven record, there’s plenty to sort through in the numbers. The clearest strength so far is the passing game.
Indiana is averaging 29.3 assists per night, good for third in the NBA, and sits fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio. Tyrese Haliburton is right at the center of it all, ranking second in the league with 9.5 assists per game.
The Pacers have also been efficient inside the arc. They’re shooting 48.5% from the field, which ranks fifth in the NBA, and 60.2% on two-point attempts.
Indiana is also hitting 69.4% in the restricted area, 52.7% from paint in the non-restricted area and 65.2% from 10-14 feet. That kind of interior efficiency has helped offset some shaky work from deep.
The three-point shot has been a problem, though. Indiana is just 16th in the league at 32.7% from beyond the arc.
Only four players are shooting 40% or better from three - Sheppard, Siakam, Nembhard and Toppin - while six players are below 29%: Huff, Jackson, Walker, Oubre, Nance and Brown. Haliburton is at 37% and Nesmith is at 35.3%, but both figures still leave room for improvement.
There’s a similar story at the foul line. The Pacers are down at 29th in free throw percentage at 70.1%, which stands out even more because they’re drawing fouls at a solid rate.
They rank 10th in personal fouls drawn at 24.5 per game. Siakam leads the team with 6.3 free throw attempts per game, but he’s making just 56% of them.
Nesmith is at 71.4% from the line, while Zubac, Oubre and Walker are all at 50%, and Slawson is last on the team at 25%.
The pace is there, too. Indiana is tied with Atlanta, Orlando and Sacramento for eighth in the NBA, and the fast-break numbers back that up.
The Pacers are fifth in fastbreak points per game at 19.5 and third in fastbreak assists per game at 6.5. Once the roster gets healthier, that tempo is expected to rise even more.
Haliburton and Siakam have carried a huge load early, and both have produced. Siakam is averaging 23.5 points on 52.9% shooting from the field and 44.4% from three, while also putting up 7.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 0.5 steals per game.
The team is a +1.5 in his minutes. Haliburton has scored at least 20 points in three of the four games and is averaging 21.8 points on 51.6% shooting, 37.0% from three and 86.7% from the foul line.
He’s also averaging 4.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks, and the Pacers are a +4.8 with him on the floor. Both players were finalists for Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
Still, the overall profile is mixed. Indiana is 11th in offensive rating, 14th in defensive rating and 13th in net rating.
That’s not a disaster, but it’s not especially convincing either, especially considering the four opponents have combined for a 3-11 record. The injuries are part of the explanation, but the Pacers haven’t been sharp enough to call this stretch a strong one.
Those injuries have piled up fast. T.J.
McConnell has been out with a hamstring strain since training camp. Aaron Nesmith missed the opener with a hamstring strain before returning for the home game.
Ben Sheppard tore his meniscus against the Pelicans and is scheduled to have surgery in New York on Wednesday. Zubac sprained his ankle against the Nets and missed 85% of that game plus the Milwaukee matchup.
Andrew Nembhard sat out against the Bucks with a back/neck injury. Johnny Furphy has also been out since February with a torn ACL.
The glass has been another lingering issue. Indiana ranks 24th in opponents rebounds per game at 49.0 and 28th in opponents second-chance points allowed at 21.8 per game.
On its own end, the team is 23rd in offensive rebounds, 11th in defensive rebounds and 18th in total rebounds. Even with Zubac dealing with the ankle injury, the burden can’t fall on one player to clean things up.
The new faces haven’t given the Pacers much to grab onto yet, either. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Larry Nance Jr. have both been underwhelming in the early going.
Per 100 possessions, Oubre carries a -21.4 net rating and Nance is at -14.6. Among players who have stayed in the rotation through the first four games, they rank last in that category.
Oubre has shown more flashes of fitting in, but both players are still working to settle into the system.
In Other News...
Pacers Suddenly Have A Tyrese Haliburton Problem Before 76ers Game
The Pacers injury report is suddenly carrying more weight than usual ahead of their matchup with the 76ers, and Tyrese Haliburton is right at the center of it. Indiana listed the star guard as questionable with left hamstring tightness, a development that matters even more as the team tries to build momentum after a rough previous season and continues working Haliburton back into form following his torn Achilles.
Indiana is also dealing with several other injury concerns, leaving the rotation a little more unsettled than the matchup on paper might suggest. Philadelphia, by comparison, has a shorter list of absences with four players unavailable, so the Pacers may have to manage both the game plan and the roster picture at once before they even get to tipoff. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburtons Absence Leaves Pacers Facing A Brutal Early Test
Tyrese Haliburtons left hamstring strain has put the Pacers in an early-season bind, and the bigger issue right now is the uncertainty around how long theyll have to navigate without their offensive engine. Haliburton, who signed a five-year extension in 2023, has been driving Indianas attack again this season, averaging 21.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists while setting the pace for everything the team wants to do.
Indiana is already dealing with another major absence, with center Ivica Zubac sidelined by a left ankle injury, which only raises the degree of difficulty for a group trying to stay afloat while key pieces heal. For the Pacers, the challenge is not just replacing production, but reworking the rhythm of a team built around Haliburtons playmaking while waiting for a clearer picture on his return. [Read more 🡒]
Pascal Siakam Had Pacers Fans Cracking Up With His Rick Carlisle Tribute
Pascal Siakam gave Pacers fans a quick laugh during a recent press conference by arriving in costume as Rick Carlisle, channeling the coach in a nod to one of Carlisles most memorable media moments from his days with the Mavericks. Siakam even taped his mouth shut to mimic Carlisles famous reaction to questions about officiating after a playoff game, turning a routine interview setting into a bit of basketball theater.
For Indiana, it was the kind of lighthearted scene that can travel fast in a season still finding its footing, with the Pacers sitting at 2-2. It also underscored how quickly Siakam has settled into the teams orbit, comfortable enough to poke fun at his coach while giving the fan base something to enjoy beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]