As I type this post, it is unclear whether or not George Hill will take the floor in Game 6 for the Indiana Pacers. The concussion that kept Hill out of Game 5 has potentially much more important consequences than any associated with the outcome of the current Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Knicks. (UPDATE: He will play.)

Still, in the immediacy of the moment, it is hard to suppress the emotional urgency of the question, “Will Hill play?” In that context, it’s worth taking some time to explore what it is that George Hill brings to this squad.

Hill’s importance to this team comes on many different levels. The one most readily apparent to even casual observers is the lack of depth at his position. D.J. Augustin has played some big games in this series, but few would argue that he isn’t a significant step down from Hill at both ends.

Beyond that, Indiana is faced with a choice between using Lance Stephenson, out of position, and Ben Hansbrough. In the 9 minutes Lance played the point in Indina’s Game 5 loss, the Pacers managed only 74 points per 100 possessions while shooting under 30%. Ben Hansbrough is…well…Ben Hansbrough.

George Hill cleared by Pacers doctors to play tonight. Pacers are shooting 43% with him on court, 37% with him off court this postseason

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 18, 2013

However, those are only the most obvious issues. They probably are not the ones that coach Frank Vogel’s Pacers have the most difficulty overcoming if Hill isn’t out there for them. To understand what Hill means to the Pacers, it helps to understand what his coach thinks a point guard is.

“A lot of people think that if you can handle the ball, you’re a point guard,” Frank Vogel said last November. The context was a discussion about using Lance Stephenson at the point, and it opened up a view into one of Vogel’s core philosophies. “Lance can really handle the basketball. A true point guard is a setup guy with the basketball, but also, you’re an orchestrator of five men.”

From there, the Pacer coach continued to expound on his ideals of a point guard. “You’re the coach on the floor,” Vogel continued. “You’re the leader. You’re not only thinking the game, calling the sets out, but you’re making sure that everybody else is in their spots. You’re initiating the offense, getting it into a flow, and that’s what differentiates between the one and the two.”

Admittedly, some of this is classic coachspeak, but it’s also what Vogel believes. These comments were made in late November, and I was the guy asking the questions. Normally, nothing could be less important than my involvement. In this case, however, I feel the need to disclose this triviality, because it was more than Vogel’s words that have stuck with me over the past few months.

Intuitively, I felt an odd shift in the discussion as Frank Vogel gave voice to those words. For no clear reason, I felt that we were no longer speaking about Lance Stephenson. Somehow, it seemed to me that we were actually speaking about George Hill. Within an explanation that was ostensibly about why Lance “is a 2,” the reasons crystallized why the Indiana Pacers as a franchise — and Frank Vogel as a coach — had committed so thoroughly to George Hill.

Over the past two seasons, the Pacers traded the rights to the impressive Kawhi Leonard, dealt away the promising Darren Collison, and committed $40 million over five years to lock up George Hill in Blue and Gold. They committed to him as their point guard, despite the doubts of many that he wasn’t really a point guard. You can include not only me among those doubters, but George Hill himself. The “hometown hero” has repeatedly expressed how big of an adjustment his new role was.

But the Pacers weren’t looking for the toolbox of a point guard. They were looking for a mind like George Hill. They were looking for his talent, married to the value of the San Antonio experience.

All of the Pacers players have bought into the team’s concept and identity. This is both a credit to the players and the organization. But, the players have different roles within the unit. Paul George and Roy Hibbert are certainly the most visible, and arguably the most talented, but in some ways they are less important than a couple of their teammates: David West and George Hill.

George and Hibbert are both team players, but their best service to the team is in doing “their thing.” They help the Pacers win by doing what they do best.

Hill and West, on the other hand, provide their best service by making sure the team is doing “its thing.” For the Pacers to contend at the highest levels, they must do “what they do.” With the possible exception of David West, no player is more pivotal in maintaining focus on their identity than George Hill.

So, in some (maybe trite) ways, when the Pacers lose George Hill, they lose themselves.

As I finish this post, Pacer P.R. director David Benner has just handed me the announcement that George Hill has been cleared to play in Game 6 by the NBA. But that fact doesn’t make it any less necessary to consider what the player — the man — means to this franchise.

The Indiana Pacers have released a statement that says (in part):

After consultation with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the NBA’s Director of Concussion Management, the Pacers’ team physicians have cleared George [Hill] to play in tonight’s game.

Hill was a late scratch in the late afternoon before Game 5 in New York. The Pacers had the chance to close out the series with a win, but came up short, in part because the team’s reserves made too many mistakes.

While it’s great news that the Pacers will have their point guard, we all remain hopeful that this means there will be no long term effects from this concussion.

Today’s game should teach observers two things.

First is that the Pacers are extremely difficult to beat, when they do Pacer things. It wasn’t a dominating defensive performance, but it was still good. And Roy Hibbert was as dominant at the rim as you could ever hope to see.

At the offensive end, they moved the ball side-to-side, worked inside, and played with patience. Indy committed 16 turnovers – which is too many – but gave up only 13 points off turnovers. This is a huge difference, considering the Pacers were outscored 33-2 in points off turnovers in their last loss in the Garden.

Second is the fleeting nature of success.

The New York Knicks spent five months and 82 games earning the #2 seed. It took them 48 minutes to lose its benefit.

This was a very big win for the Indiana Pacers, but it was only one. It takes four to move on. The Knicks can – and will – play better. Coach Frank Vogel and his charges would be well served to remember that the job isn’t anywhere near complete.

Here is how each guy played individually tonight. Agree? Disagree? Express your thoughts below in the comments or yell at me (@8pts9secs) or Tim (@TimDonahue8p9s) on Twitter.

	David West, PF 37 MIN | 8-15 FG | 4-5 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 3 TO | 20 PTS | +14 Physical. Efficient. Everything the Pacers needed from their leader.
	Paul George, SF 43 MIN | 5-14 FG | 7-8 FT | 5 REB | 4 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 4 TO | 19 PTS | +3 Not an efficient day, but still 19 points and his typical good defense. If this is is the “bad road” Paul George, the Pacers will be fine.
	Roy Hibbert, C 39 MIN | 6-9 FG | 2-2 FT | 8 REB | 4 AST | 0 STL | 5 BLK | 2 TO | 14 PTS | -1 The difference. Absolutely dominant at the rim today. He went straight up, and didn’t foul…but that’s always a judgment call. The series may hinge on that judgment.
	George Hill, PG 43 MIN | 5-17 FG | 2-2 FT | 7 REB | 6 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 14 PTS | +11 Struggled with his shot, but was still a solid presence in Indy’s win.
	Lance Stephenson, SG 39 MIN | 5-9 FG | 1-3 FT | 13 REB | 3 AST | 3 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 11 PTS | +17 Stop and think a minute about how valuable Lance Stephenson’s growth has been to the Pacers this season. One of the team’s most solid performers in the playoffs.

	Tyler Hansbrough, PF 11 MIN | 3-6 FG | 2-2 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 8 PTS | -7 Stole some rest for West and fouls for PG with his 4th quarter stint guarding Melo. Got beat, but not badly.
	Sam Young, SF 6 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 0 PTS | -5 Moving on…
	Ian Mahinmi, C 9 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | +8 I see you, there, Ian…hiding behind Sam.
	D.J. Augustin, PG 13 MIN | 5-6 FG | 2-4 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 16 PTS | -5 So, helping the Pacers win one game a series makes up for a whole lotta sins.
	Frank Vogel His team “stuck to who they are.” He needs to keep them there.

A company’s “internal culture is its only sustainable advantage. Everything else is transitory.” Exactly where I read that bit of fortune cookie wisdom, I can’t recall, but the sentiment resonates. Identity is the kind of “concrete intangible” that successful organizations clearly establish, and unsuccessful ones lack.

A clear sense of identity has been something that has come and gone over the 46 years of existence of the Pacer franchise, and success has come and gone along with it. It has run the gamut from being the flagship franchise of the ABA to a team in need of  a telethon to keep it from moving to a roster full of members who spent far too much time on the police blotter.

Reinventing the Pacers

But now, these Indiana Pacers have an identity.

Coach Frank Vogel described it back in February, 2011.

“This is a new team, a new beginning,” he said. “This is going to be a special end of the year. Jump on board. We play with enthusiasm, hard work, and we play blue-collar, smash-mouth basketball. We’re an old-school team. We’re simple.”

To be brutally honest, that was really more a declaration of vision than of fact at the time.

It would take time, effort, and personnel changes to achieve that vision. But today, some 27 months later, this squad seems poised to cement that new identity. It is on the verge of becoming the legitimate descendants of the ABA Pacers and Reggie Miller’s Pacers.

Two years ago, the term “smash-mouth” basketball had been virtually unheard of. “Smash-mouth” is a football term, largely co-opted by Frank Vogel. Today, it has become a part of the vernacular used to describe the Pacers. As Indiana eliminated the Hawks, the ESPN2 broadcast crew used the phrase repeatedly.

And, it is this identity to which the Pacers must be true as they face the rest of the playoff. It’s something that the team’s leaders fully understand.

“Before you do anything, you gotta stick to who you are,” Coach Frank Vogel said when asked about adjustments after Game 1 of the Atlanta series. These comments followed a win that was greeted by palpable relief inside Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. Coming into the playoffs, Indiana had lost five of its final six games, trailing by 20 or more points in all six.

Worse, it was their defense that failed them.

Losing Their Way

Entering April, Indiana had been the best defensive team in the league (statistically), allowing a full two points per 100 possessions fewer than number-two Memphis. Those historically good numbers were in stark contrast to a miserable April, in which only three teams allowed more than the over 109 points per 100 possessions given up by the fading Pacers.

They weren’t just losing games, they were losing who they were.

After the Pacers lost in New York on April 14, David West made comments on why they lost in game were also applicable to why they had faded so badly in April. “I don’t think we did what we do,” said West. “And ultimately, it cost us…”

But, West also spoke of the solution to the problem. ”It’s a matter of sticking to what we do,” said West. “I just don’t think it’s going to come down to whether or not we can make adjustments. We’ve got to be able to be ourselves first.”

He, too, spoke about identity, and that concept only becomes more important from here in the playoffs.

The New York Knick team the Pacers face is much better than the Hawks team that made them feel a little pressure. Further, Indiana is a weak road team that is extremely unlikely to enjoy home-court advantage for the rest of the playoffs. Their best shot at succeeding is doing what they do, as well as they can.

“We’re a defense and rebounding team,” said Vogel. “We try to preach offensive physicality. We’ve got to play with passion.”

They’ll need all of that to survive…and advance.

And that identity began to assert itself in the final two games of the Atlanta series. Through the first four games of their first round series with Atlanta, Indiana had allowed 102.4 points per hundred, putting them solidly in the middle of the pack in the playoffs. In winning the last two, Indy allowed fewer than 85 points per 100, best in the Association. They also grabbed over 62% of the rebounds, including a remarkable 91% rate on their defensive glass.

Getting Back to “What We Do”

West touched on this sense of self when discussing April’s swoon. “We understand we didn’t close the season the way we wanted to, but I don’t think our confidence or our belief in what we can do has ever dipped or swayed,” said West. “We’ve always felt like we play solid enough defense, and that’s going to give us a chance in any series. Ultimately, we’ve got to depend on our defense.

West continued.

“We’re just going to continue to play the way we’ve played all year: rely on our defense, continue to tighten the screws, take care of the ball. Those are ultimately going to be keys for us.”

And, that’s what not just the playoffs — but the future — really hinges on for this Pacer franchise. If they do “what we do,” Indiana has more than a puncher’s chance in winning this — and any series — in the playoffs.

The Pacers need to continue to know who they are — who they want to be — and continue to keep their eyes on that goal. If they do that, then the franchise will continue to survive and advance, regardless of the outcome of this — or any — series.

But they have an ugly side, and it was on display last night.

That, right there, is the game – the meaningful part – in all its gory detail. For the first 2-1/2 minutes of the game, the Pacers looked sharp, hitting four of their six shots and jumping out to an 8-1 lead. Then, the next 15-1/2 minutes happened.

From the 9:33 mark of the first quarter to just about the midway mark of the second, the Atlanta Hawks outscored the Pacers 42-10 to -for all intents and purposes – win game three of the first round series. How bad was it? The Hawks scored more points off turnovers (11) than the Pacers scored off…well…anything (10) during the stretch.

Seasoned observers of the Pacers could probably see what was coming by sometime around the middle of the first quarter. The game was still tied, but Indiana was missing bunnies and looked completely lost offensively. By the end of a 27-14 1st quarter, most Pacer fans had to know that they had seen this game before. There was still the possibility that they’d reel the Hawks in before halftime, but I wasn’t expecting it.

This was another one of those games where the Pacers were expecting the other team to lose.

It has happened more than anyone would care to admit this season. Games against Toronto, Charlotte, and Washington come to mind as examples. This phenomenon manifested early – when the Pacers were banking on weak opponents to get them through Danny’s injury. It manifested late – when they fell behind by at least 20 in each of their final six games – and David West said, ” I thought we maybe let our guard down, when we got back off that West Coast trip, and we were kind of reeling from there.”

And it manifested again on Saturday night.

The difficult thing to determine is how much to worry about both last night, and the trait itself. This is a strange collection for the Pacers. As a group, they have demonstrated resilience in spades this season. From Danny Granger’s injury, to Paul George’s slow start, to Roy Hibbert’s abject incompetence on the offensive end for long stretches, Indiana has dealt with potentially crippling issues and largely overcome them.

But, as a group, they have also shown that they are really bad at dealing with adversity in the short term. There have been several instances where – when the game starts to get away from them – they simply let go. Some of that is mental, some of that is physical, and some of that is structural.

The most concrete reason that games get away from the Pacers is their offense. It’s just not good, and it’s rarely explosive. They are not built to score points in bunches, and while Coach Frank Vogel preaches the value of running the ball, they are only occasionally effective in producing fastbreak points. They rely on staying close to teams and wearing them down with their physicality. When the floor opens up, they are in trouble.

Also, it’s worth noting that I did not expect any close games in this series. The regular season history between these two squads has been liberally peppered with games that were never really in doubt -one way or the other. In this series, the likelihood is more pronounced, because the success factors are mirror opposites. If one team is successful and executing its game plan, the other will have almost no chance of winning.

So, there are several factors to make this a throwaway game. It was certainly frustrating for all concerned on the Pacer side of the equation, but it was – to be trite – only one loss.

As always, the important question is, “Where do the Pacers go from here?” The Pacers must respond in Game 4 with execution and maturity. This isn’t going to be about getting mad or getting even. It’s going to be about getting back to doing what they need to do to win games. Play defense. Push the ball. Get good shots inside in the half court.

Those things happen. Hopefully, we won’t see Indiana’s ugly side againon Monday night.

Good for him.

But the award — in and of itself — is little more than a milestone. It’s something nice for Paul to put on his mantle, but it brings with it no guarantees or promises. It will have no effect on where Paul George goes from here.

No, what will decide the course of Pacer wing’s career will be the same force that has carved the path he has followed to this point.

Paul George, himself.

And those who have been close observers of the third-year player from Fresno State will probably find that thought reassuring.

“PG’s humble, man. He’s not an ‘I’ guy,” said David West earlier this season. “He’s a ‘team’ guy. He’s just going to continue to improve, because he knows that’s what is going to help our team ultimately get the most out of the group we have.”

Those comments came following the first game after the All-Star break. Fresh off a 17-point performance in his All-Star Game debut, Paul George had just posted 27 points in a 34-point Pacer victory over the New York Knicks. In many ways, it was the best of times for the Pacers and their budding star.

But it wasn’t always easy, and that’s a very good thing.

It was a rocky start to the season. The Pacers limped through November, and George appeared unable to fill the gap left by the loss of Danny Granger. Then, on December 1, Paul went scoreless in a Pacer loss in Oakland — and looked bad doing it.

However, while many started to inch towards the panic button, Paul George simply moved onto the next game. Three days later in Chicago, George played the best all-around game of his career to that point, scoring 34 points and adding nine boards, three steals, and two blocks in a Pacer win. What that game reminded us is that growth is a process, not an event.

It also served as a launching point for a 56-game stretch in which George averaged over 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Indiana went 38-18 in those 56 games.

In early January, the Pacers won an ugly decision over the New York Knicks. The score was 16-14, Indiana, after the first quarter, and George had opened the night’s proceedings by missing his first five shots, and seven of his first eight, in the half. However, he finished the night with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and a ridiculous 6 steals.

After the game, attributed his ability to deal with adversity and turn it around to his experience with the Team USA players last summer. He had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with them during his stint with the USA Select team, and it made an impression.

He says he learned a lot by “being around the [Team] USA guys — just how they carried themselves.”

The biggest lesson was how they always seemed to be forward thinking. “They were always, ‘That next play,’” said George. “That’s how they thought about it. ‘That next play.’ That’s been the way for me. I can’t get down on the play that’s going on. It’s always ‘that next play.’ I started out slow, but then ‘that next play’ allowed me to get hot and get going.”

“That next play” on that January night was a corner three with 2 minutes left in the first half. After making it, you can see him nod his head once, as if I saying, “There it is.” Including that shot, he made 9 of his final 16 attempts.

But, as noted earlier, growth is a process, not an event, and April served as a harsh reminder.

Over his final six games of the regular season, George averaged less than 13 points per night and shot only 32% from the floor. He missed 27 of his 35 three-point attempts, and converted only 72% of his free throws. The team went 2-4 in those games (and 2-5 in April), backing into the playoffs on a low point.

How did Paul respond? By producing only the franchise’s second triple double in playoff history. After the game, he was asked what that accomplishment meant.

“I know what the team will expect of me, now,” he said, laughing. “I like the pressure. I want to continue to hold up under the pressure. Hopefully, my teammates will know I’m going to do whatever it takes for us to advance.”

Though the juxtaposition of the April troubles with the sublime performance of Game 1 may seem jarring, it actually fits with the overall arc. Paul George, himself, has often struggled to describe what he is doing to generate his success. “I’m being more aggressive about letting the game come to me, ” George once responded after a game. He then thought about what he said, and rolled his eyes and shook his head at the seemingly contradictory remark.

He was frustrated that he couldn’t articulate what he understood intuitively. And that is this: Paul George is on the way to mastering his craft. As he gains experience and knowledge, more of the craft becomes his. What is traditionally viewed as increased aggressiveness is really the manifestation of confidence. George doesn’t have to stretch for plays or skills, as they simply have become his to use.

Again, there is not a straight line between where Paul has been to where he is to where he will be. There have been failures and shortfalls, and there will be more. But that is part of the beauty of Paul George. There’s no question that George has been blessed with great physical attributes and natural skills, but that is not the nature of his success.

George uses his successes to get more confident, and he uses his failures to get stronger. What often gets lost when watching elite athletes is that the physical is abetted by the mental. Coupled to those blessings is a mind at work — and, in Paul’s case — a strong, agile one.

And this is what that mind is thinking: “Tell myself, ‘Keep attacking.’ My mindset is ‘next play.’”

1. Central Division Title – ACHIEVED
2. Homecourt Advantage in the First Round – ACHIEVED
3. #3 Seed
4. #2 Seed

We’ll do this using “Magic Numbers” (established as of March 25) and updating the following charts regularly, along with key information about the Pacers and their opponents in each race.

  (charts last updated on the morning of 4/13; #3 magic number set on 3/25 – #2 is Knicks’ magic number to eliminate the Pacers as of 4/8) 

What happened last night?

The Pacers tried to win a game with almost three quarters tied behind their backs – again.

Unfortunately for Indiana, the Nets are not the Cavs, and they blew a chance to clinch the #3 seed. Given Brooklyn’s schedule, Indiana will need to win one of their final three games to grab the #3 – thanks to their division title. It seems like a reasonable goal, provided you completely ignore the team’s play in April.

Elsewhere, the Knicks beat the Cavs, knocking their magic number for locking up the #2 seed to 1.

What’s happening tonight?

The Pacers get to think about how poorly they’ve been playing, while sitting in New York.

 The Race Details

Pacers’ Remaining Schedule

• Next Game: @ New York Knicks (52-27 overall, 29-10 at home) on Sunday, April 14th.
• Pacers Remaining Schedule: 3 total games (1 home, 2 on the road, 2 vs. teams over .500)
• Pacers’ remaining SoSHR: .563 (8th hardest in the NBA)

Central Division Title - ACHIEVED

Homecourt Advantage in the First Round - ACHIEVED

#3 Seed in the East

• Closest Opponent: Brooklyn Nets
• Magic Number: 1
• Nets’ Remaining Schedule: 3 games (2 home, 1 road, 1 vs. teams over .500)
• Nets’ Remaining SoSHR: .424 (24th hardest in the NBA)
• Tiebreaker: Correction: Pacers technically hold the tiebreaker, as division winners get the nod over non-division winners. Nets hold the tiebreaker (up in season series 2-0 and will win it, though the teams play once more in Indiana on April 12)

#2 Seed in the East

• Closest Opponent: New York Knicks
• Magic Tragic Number: 1
• Knicks’ Remaining Schedule: 3 games (2 home, 1 road, 2 vs. teams over .500)
• Knicks’ Remaining SoSHR: .408 (26th hardest in the NBA)
• Tiebreaker:  Pacers hold the tiebreaker (up in season series 2-1, but the two teams play one last game in New York on April 14, and a 2-2 split could favor New York, which currently has a slightly better winning percentage against Eastern Conference opponents)

43-26

The Pacers’ .623 winning percentage has been good enough to give the Pacers the second best record in the Eastern Conference and the lead in the Central Division. It also guarantees their second winning season in a row and clinches their third straight playoff spot.

13, 9, 8

Thirteen is the number of games left in the season.

Nine is the combined number of Indiana wins and Atlanta Hawk losses needed for the Pacers to clinch homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Eight is the combined number of Pacer wins and Chicago Bull losses needed for the Pacers to clinch their first Central Division crown since 2004.

101.4, 19th

The Pacer offense has been the team’s Achilles Heel this season, but it is getting better. When the sun rose on New Year’s Day, this Indiana squad was averaging 98.6 points 100 possessions over their first 31 games. While that’s a perfectly fine number, if you’re checking your body temperature, it absolutely sucks as an offensive efficiency. It was 28th in the NBA, but it was also more than a point per 100 worse than the Pacers’ lowest offensive effort in their NBA history. (The previous low was 99.8, set by the 1984 edition.)

However, it has gotten better.

In the 38 games since the 2013 calendar year began, the Pacers have posted an efficiency of 103.6. This isn’t great. It’s 15th in the NBA over the almost-three-month period, and only about two-tenths of a point better than the NBA average. However, it’s a huge improvement, and close to good enough when paired with the next couple of numbers.

95.3, None

The Indiana Pacers have been the best defense in the entire league, statistically, for virtually the entire season. At 95.3, they are two full points per 100 possessions better than #2 Memphis, and 7.6 points per 100 better than the league average.

None are better.

Zero

Zero is the number of Pacer teams in the franchise’s NBA history that have posted a better defensive efficiency. Coming into last night, the 2013 squad slightly trailed the 2004 squad by the tiniest of margins. And by “tiniest of margins,” I mean tiniest. The difference between the two units was one point. Not one point per 100 possessions, but one point over the course of the season, so far. Had the 2013 unit allowed one less point this season, they would have held the best.

Throttling Milwaukee last night gave them a 15-point cushion.

.446, None

The metric that drives the Pacers success defensively is defensive effective FG % (DefeFG% – (FGM + 0.5 * 3FGM)/FGA). They are even more dominant in this category than they are in defensive efficiency.

None are better.

69.7% (2nd), 77.3% (1st)

Through last Saturday (March 16, 76 games), the Pacers had held their opponent below that opponents average Offensive Efficiency 46 times, or in 69.7% of their contests. Only Memphis had done better (50, 76.9%).

Over the same period, the Pacers forced their opponents to shoot below their average (based on eFG%) a whopping 51 times, or 77.3% of the time. That is unmatched in the NBA, with Chicago’s 70% being second best.

Decent chance that the Pacers have become #1 in both this week, as they’ve done both in all three games since Monday. In the process of pounding Cleveland, Orlando, and Milwaukee, Indiana allowed only 92.3 points per 100 and a .356 eFG%.

.543, 6th

The Pacers have been blessed with the easiest schedule in the league through this morning, according to SoSHR. Earlier, we discussed the Pacers trying to make hay while the sun was shining with an easy March schedule. Well, they’re through the easy part, with only limited success.

Since that piece was published, Indiana has only gone 6-4. The positive is that they’ve gained on almost all of their competitors (1/2 game on the Knicks, one on Boston, two on Atlanta, and most importantly, three on Chicago). The negative is that it feels like they really blew opportunities. All three of their losses — at home to Boston and the Lakers, on the road at Philly — should have been winnable. To really capitalize, they should have gotten at least one, if not two of those games.

They may regret those losses as they come to probably the toughest stretch of their schedule.

Indiana plays the 6th toughest remaining schedule in the NBA. Not great news when you realize that all of their opponents have easier remaining schedules. They are going to have to pile up some quality wins over the last three-and-a-half weeks of the season, if they want to hold onto the #2 seed.

It begins tonight in Chicago. Making that quality win #1 will go along way towards securing the goals of the Central Division title and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Pacers are the best in the NBA at making teams miss shots. The above chart shows where they separate themselves — in a Secretariat-like way — from the pack.

Any self-respecting stat-head will tell you that the best place to get shots is at the rim. Second best place? Corner threes. Coach Frank Vogel’s defense is the best in the league at defending both.

And when I say “best,” I mean, there is no contest.

The shot chart above shows zones in 8-foot ranges. The Pacers allow only 47.8% inside 8-feet. Leaguewide, teams hit 55.1%. Denver is second best in the Association at defending this shot, and they allow 51.7%.

For context, the gap between #1 and #2 here is the same size as the gap between 2 and the 17th-ranked Golden State Warriors. That is ridiculous.

If you parse it down to the restricted area (roughly 5-feet and in), the Pacers are just as dominant.

They allow only 52.1% in a league that allows, on average, 59.2%.

The second place Thunder allow 55.1%.

Again, ridiculous.

But, they don’t just camp out at the rim. This defense covers the whole floor, and the 31.2% allowed on Corner threes is almost 3 full percentage points better than second place Miami’s numbers.

It’s almost EIGHT full percentage points better than the league average.

No place is safe for opposing shooters.

Sometimes, the picture just says it all.

Pacer’s year-to-date shot chart courtesy of NBA.com.