This.
. .this will get ugly.
Paul George is likely done for the year with a broken legand Stephenson is grazing at purpler pastures. Down their two greatest perimeter players on offense and defense, the Indiana Pacers are going to struggle in a big way.
Frank Vogel still has Roy Hibbert at the center, and George Hill will be one of the NBA’s better defensive point guards. So getting stops still ought to be a strength for Indy, however, scoring is going to be rough.
Really rough.
Bear in mind, this team ranked 22nd in offensive efficiency last year. Following the All-Star break, only the Sixers’ scoring strike was less potent, per NBA.com. Taking away two of Indiana’s three leading scorers is going to make it almost impossible to get buckets at anything better than a bottom-five rate.
Maybe Chris Copeland will stretch the ground with his shooting. Maybe Hibbert will turn into a larger threat on the block. David West could have one more big year .
But even though all three of these things come to pass, it’s difficult to say they will compensate for losing George and Stephenson.
And in what may be the most frightening harbinger of an offensive tragedy to emerge, Donald Sloan leads Indy in preseason points per game and is going to be the starter at point guard for up to three weeks while Hill’s left knee mends.
Oh dear.
Read more: newyorknews.press