The Indiana Pacers: Putting Together The Pieces Of The Puzzle

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While a lot of the attention in the offseason has been switched on to the Warriors and the Knick this offseason, the Pacers have been building a masterpiece under the radar. Let's take a look at the significance of the roster they've been putting together.

Jeff Teague- This point guard comes from the 2014-15 coach of the year, Mike Budenholzer who transformed the whole Hawks team. This was a team that was second in defensive rating in the league last season, only falling behind the Spurs. However, as good as this team was, they didn't have a superstar which hurt their chances dearly of scoring when it came to the playoffs. Now Jeff Teague is a guy that likes to get the offense going. He is a fast paced guard. One of the biggest things Teague brings to the floor though, is his shooting. Last year, Monta Ellis had a rough year. The paint was very tight and his offense didn't thrive. Now that Teague, a 40% 3-point shooter and a great player off the dribble, is on the team, this will open up the paint for the rest of the team.

Myles Turner- This guy made his mark in the playoffs last year. He's proven he has a place in the league. His toughness mentality is amazing and you know he'll be learning a lot from big Al Jefferson on toughness. This just might be Myles Turner's break out season as he didn't really have a chance last season to do so. Expect big things from him defensively.

Paul George: He is star of the team. Of course with Paul George, you will know what you're getting out of him, a lot of offense and a lot of defense. With a small forward that can guard guys like KD and LeBron James you know that Pacers are going to have an easier time winning against these elite teams.

Thaddeus Young: This is probably one of the most underrated acquisitions that have happened this off-season. Thaddeus Young is known to be a good solid defender. He is one of the leading power forwards in steals for a few years now. Young has a pretty good post game and can somewhat stretch the floor. But the ability to put the ball on the deck and rebound efficiently from the power forward sport is what stands out. Young is an athletic power forward. He can drive better than most of them. And to top that off, he can rebound. This left handed big men is a big piece since the Pacers lacked good big men last season. Young brings a lot to the table that a lot f power forwards don't have. He cuts and runs the floor. You know him and Teague are going to be having a great time in transition.


Monta Ellis: This year is the year that Monta Ellis has a comeback year. It was rough for him, but for two reason. Number 1, he didn't have many big men to play pick and roll/pop with. This year he has Jefferson and Young. Number 2, with more shooters the paint will be open more. I have a good feeling about Ellis this year.

The Bench: Al Jefferson is going to be the guy to come off the bench to destroy the other team. They are going to ask him to score and rebound. He will be used constantly in pick and roll with Paul George, Monta Ellis, and Jeff Teague a ton.

Aaron Brooks is the guy that I'm so happy they grabbed, besides D.J. Augstine, I think Aaron Brooks is one of the best bench players you could have. This is a guy that is know to be able to shoot and score. But not only can he score, he has a big effect on his teammates. His ability to pass is amazing. The acquisition of Brooks is very important to the success of the Pacers success.

The other players they have, guys like Rodney Stuckey and and C.J. Miles can just flat out score. Glenn Robinson III might be a guy that can really provide a lift offensively as well as Joe Young. They also have a good defensive center in Rakeem Christmas if someone were to go down. Their bench is something that they can count on.

As you can see, the Pacers are on track to win this season. If they can stay healthy, their limit is unknown.  They are going to be a very fast paced team that is going to push tempo. To me, they have a roster that has a chance at taking down the Cavs. I can't wait to see this team in action!

Raptors VS Pacers (Game 3)

Raptors Lead Series 2-1

The Raptors have home court advantage once again! They took it back in Indiana where they beat the Pacers by 16 points. Let's take a look at how this game played out.

DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry didn't have the best games, but it was sure better than how they were in the first 2 games of the series. Both of them combined shot 37.5% from the field. While there play wasn't the best, it was crucial for the Raptors win. However, someone that stepped up was DeMarre Carroll. He had 17 points in the game and played great defensively on Paul George. PG-13 shot just 6-19 and that was mainly because of DeMarre Carroll. This really hurt the Pacers which ultimately lead to their demise in the game.

The Pacers didn't do well in responding to George having a bad night. Monta Ellis had just 7 points. If George is having an off night, Ellis needs to produce for the Pacers to even have a shot at winning. And with the team shooting 38.2% from the field, that is where you tell Monta Ellis and Rodney Stuckey to just go out there and score and that is where Frank Vogel messed up. Sometimes, you need guys to go into isolation or pick and roll and just tell them to score. The Pacers never really did that and scoring guard, Rodney Stuckey only played 16:55 minutes in the game and only put up 2 shots.

Toronto's bench played very well and just had an all out duel with Indiana's bench. Both bench provided a great lift in the game for both teams so it was nice to see the benches duel it out. It was great to see competition from the bench and I was really hoping it would carry over to the starters but it never did. It was a good game to watch, but the Pacers just didn't get enough offense at all and if they are going to win game 4, they need offense from their star players.

Fantasy Friday (Nov. 13)

As we head into the 4th week of fantasy basketball, let's take a look at how this week went. We had some great games down the stretch and I do want to point out some injury concerns.

Anthony Davis: He has a history of minor injuries and that is expected from Davis every season. As long as he doesn't have a major injury, he will be fine.

Bradley Beal: This isn't the first time Beal has missed time during the season. He did it last year due to injury and he could put a big dent in your fantasy numbers for sure.

Ricky Rubio: He suffered from ankle injuries and had gotten ankle surgery last summer so anything that bothers Rubio will make him sit out of games just as a safety precaution.

So those injuries you need to factor into your fantasy season. Now let's get to the rest of the post, should we?

Over-Performers Of The Week

1. Eric Bledsoe: It isn't like his scoring is off the charts or anything, it is just that he is doing much more than scoring this week. In just this week alone he has shot 54% from the field and 46% from deep. Not only that but he has averaged 7.6 APG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.6 steals per game in the last 7 days. One thing to watch out for is his turnovers though. He had 8 in his last game.
2. Derrick Favors: He has averaged 18 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 2 APG, 2.7 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game in the past 7 days. He had 7 blocks in his last game! Derrick Favors is amazing right now. Do trade for him if you can because he is a very underrated player.

Under-Performers Of The Week

1. Goran Dragic: He has been pretty disappointing this week only averaging 7.8 PPG, 3.6 APG, 3 RPG, and 0.5 Steals while averaging a disappointing 3 turnovers per game. Not to mention he has shot 34.2% from the field and 9.1% from 3-point land this week.
2. Monta Ellis: He really hasn't played the best only scoring more than 5 in two of his last 4 games. However, has he brought plenty of assists and steals to the table.

Pick-Ups Of The Week

1. Nemanja Bjelica: He is only owned by 45% in yahoo and 30.4% in ESPN. He has averaged 12.3 PPG and 8 rebounds in the last 7 days. Nemanja is the man.
2. T.J. McConnel: This guy is owned by 39% in yahoo and 32.4% in ESPN. He is a great guy to pick up if you need assists and steals. He is averaging 8.5 assists but only 5.5 points.

Well, that is all for this week. Hope you guys liked the post and I will see you next week here on NBA Inside The Play Nation! 

PG-13 Is Putting Up Some Great Numbers

When Paul George went down, it shocked the NBA community. Everybody said that George would be out for the next season, and nobody expected him to return. But when Paul George returned, people didn't see the same Paul George. They saw a Paul George who didn't lead a team. Everyone thought that Paul George might never be the same. Then came the 2015 preseason, and George exceeded everyone's expectations.

So far, PG-13 has played 5 preseason games, and he has been anything but disappointing. His first game of the 2015 preseason was against the New Orleans Pelicans where he scored 18 points. It should be noted that Paul George played a lot of the PF position in that game. However, it didn't seem like that best match-up for him as he had to guard super-star, Anthony Davis. Despite the sub-par defense, Paul George's offense look great as he attacked the rim with power and finesse.




In his second game, which was his most impressive, George scored 32 points total against the Detroit Pistons. It was obvious that at that point, everybody knew that Paul George was back. He controlled the offense and dominated in that game as they grabbed the win. One thing worth pointing out is that he shot 5-9 from 3 point land. That seems to be something that George has improved. While 32 points isn't that big of a deal, George scored those points in 24 minutes. He seemed to be knocking down every shot in that game as he shot over 55% from the field and the 3 point line.




In the third game, George had a bad shooting night, but all players have those kind of nights. He shot 4-14 from the field and 1-8 from the 3-point line. Not the best but it could have been worse. The bright side is that he had 7 rebounds to go along with his 13 points. Despite putting up not-so-great numbers, the Pacers still won the game.

The fourth game was not the best night, but there was reason behind it. PG-13 only played 12 minutes in the game. It was obvious to see that he did play pretty good though since he had 13 points in those 12 minutes, which played a big part in the win against the Pistons. Paul George did show us his athleticism is still there when he finished an amazing alley-oop dunk. He also did great in isolation, which he showed a little bit of in this game.

In the most recent game, Paul George had a great 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists in the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. George was showing off his passing skills in this game as he found his teammates beautifully. He did a little bit of everything in the game, showing us his outside, and inside game, as well as showing us his ball handling skills. This was probably his bet all-around game PG-13 has had.




So far Paul George seem to be improved and so does his team. He has shown that he can run the offense and he can find teammates. He has also shown a balance in scoring as 35.5 % of his points come from the 3 point line, but 25.8% come from the paint and 23.7% come from the FT line. He looks well improved in his shot and I think this will be one of Paul George's best seasons. With PG-13 on the team, developing player Glenn Robinson III, and new additions, Monta Ellis and Chase Budinger, I don't see a reason why the Pacers wouldn't make it to the playoffs.

Fantasy Friday: Shooting Guards

A good shooting guard is a good thing to have on your team. The only problem is that they are kind of few and far between. When you read this realize that some sucker will probably pick up Kobe Bryant and you will be laughing and pick one of these guys, because Kobe Bryant will most likely get injured or not be that efficient. Then Kobe Bryant will lead the league in scoring, make about three 3's per game, average a near triple-double, and win defensive player of the year. You will place all the blame on me and say "but Aaron, you said, 'When you read this realize that some sucker will probably pick up Kobe Bryant and you will be laughing and pick one of these guys, because Kobe Bryant will most likely get injured or not be that efficient.'!" And I will reply, hey man, no one said you had to listen to me. Then you will most likely be so mad that you will take your laptop and throw it out the window and your house will burn down. You will place all the blame on me and I will have to pay for the damages. So in advance, I say, take Kobe Bryant if you want to. If you want to take the risk fine, but don't blame me if it doesn't work. If you trust me though, you're best off taking these SGs.

10. Wesley Matthews: He is a risk. We don't know how he will respond. You may want to take K-Mart instead. Will Wes do great in Dallas, or will he be traded mid-season for Festus Ezeli because he is playing so bad. Well, if you take him, let's hope he will do great in Dallas. Wesley Matthews is a great defensive player and is deadly from deep. Watch out for him because he will shoot the lights out.

9. J.J. Redick: He will give you three pointers. He will give them to you. I am a bit worried that he is not doing so well since the playoffs and I fear it could be his down fall. Let's hope he can keep his numbers going up as Chris Paul gets less and less productive. Producing 16.4 PPG last season and 2.6 three pointers per game, he doesn't have much else to offer. Don't forget about Redick though, because chances are, most people will.

8. Victor Oladipo: This man looks like he will be the best player going into his 3rd season. He averaged over 17 PPG last season and contributed in other areas as he averaged 4.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, and 1.7 steals. He is looking good, we just don't know if he will be an all-star and we don't know how much he will improve. Hopefully, he will do great.

7. Paul George: He is in the risk category. So buyer beware. This man is coming off from a severe injury but if Paul George goes back to being regular Paul George, then the results will be amazing. The season before Paul got his injury, he was considered the best fantasy player in the league as he averaged 21.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.9 Steals per game. Great right? And he only averaged 2.8 turnovers. So if you want to take the risk, grab George.

6. Monta Ellis: Another Pacers player whose season is unclear. Monta could again produce a near 19 PPG and 4.1 Assists or his numbers could plummet. He is a great defender averaging a good 1.9 steals but we are unsure how this change of scenery will be for him.

5. Dwayne Wade: He has the skills and is most likely a future Hall of Famer, but  with Dragic, Bosh, Deng, and Whiteside, will his numbers drop? Probably. That's why he is down here. His great fantasy numbers he has been averaging for the last multiple year will most likely go down and Wade hasn't has a season where he played at least 70 games in 5 years. So take the old man if you want. You just better hope for a healthy season.

4. DeMar DeRozan: This boy is still averaging quite numbers in Toronto. 20.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG along with the steals and assists. He will most likely continue to increase his numbers but he doesn't have a lot to offer besides scoring. He is not a shooter if that is what you are looking for. So don't take him for that. But there aren't many players that average over 20 PPG and average just 2.3 turnovers per game.

3. Klay Thompson: He is a young player rising. Younger than Stephen Curry still. He still has a lot of potential. I would take him in a heartbeat because I see major improvement in Thompson this upcoming season. While he shoots many threes, I can see his 21.7 PPG from last year rising. He made over three 3 pointers per game last year. Not to mention he averaged a little less than 2 turnovers per game last year! This is why Klay is at number 3.

2. Bradley Beal: As Beal enters his 4th season in the NBA, he could very well become an all-star. In the playoffs he had shown that he could lead the team when John Wall went down. This 3 point sharp shooter can score, rebound, and assist and we all know it. He is expected to have his stats increase by a big margin here. We'll see if it happens.

1. James Harden: Of course he is number one. He is going to give you scoring. He will give you rebounds and assists. He will make 3s. And he will give you plenty of free throws. Not to mention he was really healthy last year. James Harden was probably the best player to have in fantasy last year. If you have him this year your team could be the best. The only downside is that James Harden commits turnovers. Oh well. You will obviously have to put up with that but it will be the same with LeBron and Kevin Durant. The way I figure it, he will be either the best or the second best fantasy player this year. Pick him up if you have the chance!

Well, there are your shooting guards. Some notable mentions that weren't on here are Kyle Korver and Kevin Martin so keep them in mind if these guys aren't available (or you just don't trust me). Again, remember that no one is telling you that you have to pick these guys up. So if you place a bunch of money and lose, it's not my fault. But it would be wise to draft these great players. 

Rockets VS Mavericks (game 1)

Final Score: Rockets Win 118-108



Rockets lead series 1-0

Tough game for the Mavs. They did a great job with Howard and Harden. Who would have thought that Brewer would come out with 15 points and shooting 3-4 from 3-point range though. The Mavs just got to keep it up. The way I see it, the Rockets just got lucky this time. The Mavs played their best they had played all season really. Just the fact that Terry and Brewer were knocking down hard shots made it a tough game for the Mavs.

Playoff Rondo! It looks like he's here. He had 15 points, 5 assists, and only 5 turnovers! That is pretty good for Rondo. Everyone was in the game. Ellis was doing great. Dirk had an amazing night. The only thing is I want to see Parsons do a little better. He was 0-4 from 3-point range. Also, Dirk needs to limit some turnovers

The Rockets just need to keep doing what they were doing. The Mavs took out their main guys and the Rockets found a way to get everyone involved. They played great basketball. Passed the ball. If they keep this up, they could find themselves going on to the next round.

The Small Forward Play

"Rudy Gay Kings" by Mike - Flickr: (2013-12-21) Kings at Magic 21. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rudy_Gay_Kings.jpg#/media/File:Rudy_Gay_Kings.jpg

Besides LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, who are the best Small Forwards. The Three I'm about to show you are my favorite small forwards. They do so much and they are some of the best players out there.

3. Nicolas Batum: This guy is a great player. His lenght is amazing and it allows him to grab rebounds and get off a good shot. He averages only 9.7 PPG but gets 5.8 Rebounds per game and 4.8 Assist per game. With that being said, he averages about 1.9 turnovers per game. His ability to make cuts always makes him a dangerous threat. This is a deadly role player for Portland, and you have to know where he is all the time.

2. Chandler Parsons: He is a great scorer and can put the ball on the deck. He is playing with a deteriorating Nowitzki and Monta Ellis. He has to step up if this team is going to be upsetting some teams in the playoffs. Chandler Parsons should never be underestimated. He averages about 15.7 points per game and shoots about 38% from 3 point range. His field goal percentage is at about 46%. He is a great shooter, and his height allows him to shoot above everyone. Chandler Parsons is one of the most underrated small forwards in the NBA.

1. Rudy Gay: This is the most underrated player in the NBA. I don't care if you say Monta Ellis or Mike Conley is, because they are not. The fact is, we talk about who the most underrated players are, and draw them attention by doing so. No one ever says Rudy Gay is the most underrated player. Look at this guy. He averages 20.9 PPG, about 6 RPG, 45.5% from the field, and 35.5% from 3 point range. I honestly think, besides LeBron and Carmelo, this guy is the best small forward in the NBA. He doesn't get credit for it though. None of these three guys do.