2024 NBA Season and Playoffs

[Who]

Don't remember where it was mentioned before so I'll just put it here: The people who wanted to trade for Jalen Smith to be a bench big for us were right. He's absolutely balling out this year. I dunno what his defense is like but he's scoring a ton on limited minutes. His per 36 avgs are 24.1 ppg, 13.9 rpg, and he's even made 8 out of 12 3s in 7 games played.

While I doubt he was ever actually available (the time to get him would have been when the Pacers did), just wanted to mention how well he's been playing and how I was wrong to be skeptical based on his performance last year.

He's always put up good per36 counting stats. That was never the question with him. The question was whether the team offense and defense was better as a result of his counting stats (especially the defense). This year, his offensive rating is crazy high. Part of that might be related to who he plays with, but it does show he can contribute to a good offense.

Defense still is bad though.

Reminds me of Brandon Wright.

I only saw a little of one game. Against the Cavs. He was still running around like a headless chicken.

I couldn't understand him playing ahead of Theis.

[Goldstar88]

Lillard is out with a calf injury. Bucks down big to the Pacers.

[radiohead]

Lillard is out with a calf injury. Bucks down big to the Pacers.

Isn’t this just load management being the second night of a b2b? In any case, I assume Giannis isn’t too happy since they’re trying to get into a rhythm playing together.

[Atzar]

Giannis is going off.  42 already and we're not halfway through the third yet. 

[jpotter33]

Giannis is going off.  42 already and we're not halfway through the third yet.

Guarding him with Myles Turner will lead to that. He’s been awful on him.

[Atzar]

Giannis is going off.  42 already and we're not halfway through the third yet.

Guarding him with Myles Turner will lead to that. He’s been awful on him.

I agree, but also the Pacers are just leaving the poor guy out there to die.  There's little help defense and nobody at the rim.  Nobody in this league can handle that matchup on an island for an entire game.

[Who]

Man, Indiana cannot defend anyone. 90 points each to start Q4.

[Who]

Giannis is going off.  42 already and we're not halfway through the third yet.

Guarding him with Myles Turner will lead to that. He’s been awful on him.

I agree, but also the Pacers are just leaving the poor guy out there to die.  There's little help defense and nobody at the rim.  Nobody in this league can handle that matchup on an island for an entire game.

Yeah, there is no interior help defender to aid Myles if Myles is the stopper. Obi Toppin cannot do that. I Jackson cannot do that. Nesmith is too small.

They gotta go double big with Theis. Or give the rookie Jarace Walker a go. They say he has done well defensively but is lost offensively so far. He is the long term answer to their interior defense & aid to Myles Turner. Intender to reinforce that D.

Indy have small wings too with Bruce Brown and Buddy Hield at SF. They are both what - 6 foot 4, 6 foot 5. Something like that. No defensive aid at PF. No defensive size at SF.

[Atzar]

Man, Indiana cannot defend anyone. 90 points each to start Q4.

They don't even try.  Personnel, scheme, effort, nothing they do says "we're going to try to prevent you from scoring".  In the past we were able to put Horford on Giannis because the rest of the team was there to help. Chiefly, Rob was out there giving Giannis something to think about at the rim.

Meanwhile the Pacers have stuck Turner (or occasionally some other poor schmucks, who haven't fared any better) out there with no help and no shotblocker at the rim.  They could have Theis or Smith or somebody out there to give a little bit of weakside support to keep him from literally winning this game by himself, but they don't.  This is nonsense. 

[jpotter33]

8 TOs for Giannis, including 2 key ones late in the 4th 

Overall, excellent game from him with 54 on highly efficient shooting - especially from the line - but those turnovers were killer and part of the collapse down the stretch.

[Neurotic Guy]

Wow I checked Bucks- Pacers a few minutes ago and it looked like Bucks were pulling away.  But Indy takes it.

[jpotter33]

Also, while Indy is an explosive offense, another game giving up 125+ tonight, and they can't even blame Dame for this one.

[Atzar]

Indy played four minutes of defense at the end, Milwaukee did not.  GG.

[Who]

Indy are reminding me of those early 90s Pacers team with Reggie Miller, Detlef Schrempf, Chuck Person and Rik Smits who were dynamite offensively but couldn't stop anyone.

It wasn't until they started adding the Davis boys (Dale Davis & Antonio Davis) and traded Schrempf for a defensive minded glue guy at SF in Derrick McKey that Indiana started to win.

They went from a team battling for .500 basketball to a team that made 4-5 Eastern Conference Finals and one Finals appearence. They had to get that balance right.

These current Pacers remind me of that. The early stages of something that could become quite special if developed right. I really like the duo of Halburton & Mathurin long term. That is one of the most dynamic young backcourts in the league. They have some nice role players. We'll see what happens with Myles Turner & Jarace Walker. What roles they may play in Indy's future.

[hpantazo]

TJ McConnell rotting on Indy's bench along with Theis. Would love to get one or both of them on the Celtics.