Game 1: Pacers vs Raptors

It is much too early for me to make any grand and bold statements, so I’ll leave it to a group of experts to look at the storylines from the Pacers win. However, I will begin my work to break down the some of the Pacers' X’s and O’s.

Summary
 The Pacers starters efficient, we knew that last year as West and company showed that their adjusted +/- is well above any other starting group in the league.With Danny Granger out West stepped up his game with 25 points, and 14 important ones in the fourth when Indiana had been flat out struggling. Roy Hibbert was a no show as the defense closed him down, but it may have come at the expense of letting West run free. The 19 Pacers turnovers came mostly from the second unit, but considering this is game one of eighty-two, there is no need to panic yet. Most of the team posted healthy Player Efficiency Ratings. Stats aside, the stretch in the mid-third quarter to mid-fourth was not good, to say the least. They Pacers second unit will to come together if the Pacers want to compete with the heavyweights this season.

1^st Quarter

As pointed out before on other Pacers blogs, Indiana has a habit of starting strong, faltering as the first quarter ends and the second begins, then turning it back on at the end of the game. Tonight was no different. With the starting five in the game, the Pacers looked organized and had no problem working the ball towards the basket and using Roy Hibbert to create chances. Hibbert went 4-6 in the first quarter, with four of those chances coming in the post with his back to the basket.  Each time he spun towards the basket (right twice, left twice). The defense gave him the room to choose his path, and he seemed to favor the spin towards the basket early on. Paul George had 10 points to Hibberts nine, so offensively things looked good for the Pacers.

However, as the bench came in, chaos seemed to ensue. Ian Mahinmi doesn’t provide the same threat down low and Indiana was forced to work its offense from outside the paint. They looked disorganized and had too many bad possessions and shots. Nothing noticeable from the bench, with the exception being Tyler Hansbrough who seemed serviceable and played well enough on defense.

However, looking at the numbers, the Raptors only shot 36% from the field, so maybe the defense was doing better than I think. The five turnovers aren’t going to help anything though.

2^nd Quarter

The Pacers were still getting beat by the Raptors second unit,  but once Hibbert and the 1^st unit cycled back in Indiana found their rhythm again. Hibbert would be limited in his scoring but not in his effectiveness, when put in the post, the first two times Hibbert registered an assist, the first on a baseline drive by George Hill, the second on a pass to Paul George thanks to a Hill screen to help clear the way. In this third real post chance, Hibbert quickly turned baseline for an easy bucket against Jonas Valanciunas.  The Pacers were out rebounded though, helping explain why the teams went end tied despite Indiana out shooting the Raptors (47.9% versus 42.9%). Indiana missed a chance in the closing seconds to take lead.

The Pacers decided to run a double screen for Paul George after he inbounded the ball to George Hill. George Hill held the ball until around 14 seconds left and Paul George set the play in motion as he ran by a double screen set by Hansbrough and Hibbert at the foul line.

Paul George took the pass and looked to penetrate, but was stopped by a pair of Raptor defenders. Once Paul George saw he was trapped and Hibbert wasn’t an option, the he passed it to Gerald Green, who had spent most of the play rotating around the entire floor.

The play’s success was marginal as a collision of the Raptors double team on Green ruined the fact that Toronto had managed to sniff out the play (DeMar DeRozan tried jumping the route, colliding with Kyle Lowry.). Green’s shot was too hard, but Green did make up on the other in with a block to leave the game tied 48-48 at the half.

We’ll keep an eye out to see if they run the high double screen play again.

3rd Quarter
Nothing significantly different. The Pacers offense tried to work Hibbert in the post. Hibbert spun baseline every time as the defense defended the lane, and it worked to stifle Hibbert. Hibbert missed four attempts but did hit West on a baseline pass for an assist.

4th Quarter
Toronto begins to double team the ball at the top of the key mainly, also running a screen and roll defense. However, the Pacers passing improved down the stretch and Indiana only had one fourth quarter turnover. They had 18 in the game.

On the George Hill game winning basket, the Pacers chose to run an iso, with West feigning a pick and roll to the left of the paint. Hill took the lane and shot from around eight feet out to earn the Pacers the victory.

After the inbound pass, George Hill dribbles at the top of the arc while all but West faded to the far side of the court.

As the clock hits 10 seconds left, Hill begins to lean into his defender, Kyle Lowery, and West start drifting towards the two as if he is going to set the pick. 

 West feigns the screen and rolls to the left side of the paint, leaving a wide open lane as Bargnani is forced to respect the red hot West and cover his man, leaving Hill and Lowry one one one again.

With Hibbert bracketed by Valanciuns and Alan Anderson, and West also occupied, George Hill drives the lane and shoots before anyone can rotate into the to provide help for Lowry. Hill hits the runner and the Pacers go on to win.