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The Cavs make the short hop over the state line to take on the Pacers, who are 22-44 overall and 15-18 at home. The Pacers had a major overhaul at the deadline, unloading Sabonis, LeVert, Justin Holiday, and Lamb. They picked up a couple of guards in Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield while getting Malcolm Brogdon back from injury. The Pacers have lost 11 of their last 14.
The Cavs beat the Pacers twice in the last month. In the last game Hield and Haliburton combined for 39 points and Duarte chipped in 18. Fortunately Duarte is out tonight but they get Malcolm Brogdon back. For the Cavs, Allen and Levert each had 22 and Rondo 17 but the Cavs will have none of them tonight (except possibly Rondo) so this one will be a challenge. But at least they'll get Garland and Markkanen back, which is huge.
I won’t go over the Pacers’ season rankings in various categories because their personnel has changed so much that I don’t think the numbers would be valid. They are 3-7 since the trade deadline.
The Pacers currently start three guards; Brogdon, Haliburton, and Hield, all 6’4” to 6’5”. Their small forward, Oshae Brissett, is 6’7” 210. He’s 23. Replacing Sabonis as their starting big man is 20-year-old rookie Isaiah Jackson, 6’10”, 205. He was the 22nd pick in the draft. Not a whole lot of height or muscle up front for the new-look Pacers.
Brissett and Jackson average 7.7 and 7.0 points, respectively, although they haven’t played a lot of minutes until recently. Brissett scored 27 in a win over Boston but has only scored 30 total in the last four games. He’s shooting 39.8% from the field. Jackson had a 26-point game five weeks ago and scored 11 points in 12 minutes against the Cavs in February. He’s shooting 57.6% for the year but only 30.0% on 3’s.
Buddy Hield has only played 9 games since the trade but is averaging 20.1 pts and 5.2 assists on 46.2% from the field. He seems to be doing very well in Indiana. In three games against the Cavs this year he's shooting 49% overall and 46% on 3's at 18.7 ppg.
Haliburton is averaging 18.6 pts in his 10 games since the trade, shooting an impressive 49.6% overall and 40.3% on 3’s. He’s also averaging 9.5 assists so he has been nothing short of outstanding, at least in terms of shooting and passing. In three games against the Cavs this year he’s averaging 17.3 ppg on 54% and 43% shooting. I don’t think he likes it that we passed on him for Isaac Okoro. He had a 28-point game against us last year.
Brogdon is averaging 19.3 pts and 5.8 assists. He’s the old man of the team along with Hield,; both are 29. Brogdon was out for over a month but has played five games since returning. In the last three he's averaging 28.0 points and 12 free throw attempts per game.
Jalen Smith, a 6’10”, 215-pound forward, comes off the bench. He was the #10 pick in the 2020 draft by Phoenix. Smith, 21, is shooting 56.3% and 41.0% in 10 games with Indy, averaging 13.1 points.
Their backup center is Goga Bitadze, 7’0”, 250, age 22, in his third season. He’s shooting 48.1%. He has a foot injury and is a game time decision. He's the only big man in their rotation with any bulk. The backup point guard is Duane Washington Jr, a 21-year-old rookie shooting 37.2%.
So the Pacers are a younger team since they traded off some veterans. Six of their eight rotation players are 23 or younger. Starting center Myles Turner is out with an injury and so are backup guards T.J. McConnell and Chris Duarte. Lance Stephenson, age 31, is back. He’s listed as questionable for tonight.
The Pacers will obviously rely on their guard trio of Brogdon, Haliburton, and Hield for a big chunk of their scoring. They're all on fire right now. The Pacers used to be a big, hulking, physical group of maulers, but these days they start three guards who are 6’5” or under and two forwards who weigh in at 205 and 210. Jalen Smith, who played 29 minutes off the bench in their last game, is another 6’10” string bean.
They’re young overall and don’t have a physical presence on the front line like they used to have in Sabonis and Turner. It looks like they’re transitioning to a guard-oriented team based on athleticism and shooting. They’ve got a ways to go based on having lost 11 of 14, but they have some talent to work with. If that back court trio gets hot the Cavs are in trouble.
The Cavs will be going to work without Jarrett Allen, which is huge. Dean Wade will need to step up and Mobley, Love, and Markkanen may all get more minutes. The good news is that Rondo is listed as a game time decision and LaVert is shooting in practce so there may be some back court help on the way, if not tonight then soon.
I see this as an important game as the Cavs try to hang on to a playoff spot without Allen for a while. After tonight the schedule is brutal for the next two weeks. The Cavs play Miami and Chicago on the road, followed by the Clippers, winners of 7 of their last 9, Philly, winners of 6 of 8 and in 2nd place, Denver, winners of 9 of 10, and Detroit, winners of 6 of 8. Allen probably misses all those games so when the Cavs have a beatable opponent like tonight they need to bring home the W.
The Cavs beat the Pacers twice in the last month. In the last game Hield and Haliburton combined for 39 points and Duarte chipped in 18. Fortunately Duarte is out tonight but they get Malcolm Brogdon back. For the Cavs, Allen and Levert each had 22 and Rondo 17 but the Cavs will have none of them tonight (except possibly Rondo) so this one will be a challenge. But at least they'll get Garland and Markkanen back, which is huge.
I won’t go over the Pacers’ season rankings in various categories because their personnel has changed so much that I don’t think the numbers would be valid. They are 3-7 since the trade deadline.
The Pacers currently start three guards; Brogdon, Haliburton, and Hield, all 6’4” to 6’5”. Their small forward, Oshae Brissett, is 6’7” 210. He’s 23. Replacing Sabonis as their starting big man is 20-year-old rookie Isaiah Jackson, 6’10”, 205. He was the 22nd pick in the draft. Not a whole lot of height or muscle up front for the new-look Pacers.
Brissett and Jackson average 7.7 and 7.0 points, respectively, although they haven’t played a lot of minutes until recently. Brissett scored 27 in a win over Boston but has only scored 30 total in the last four games. He’s shooting 39.8% from the field. Jackson had a 26-point game five weeks ago and scored 11 points in 12 minutes against the Cavs in February. He’s shooting 57.6% for the year but only 30.0% on 3’s.
Buddy Hield has only played 9 games since the trade but is averaging 20.1 pts and 5.2 assists on 46.2% from the field. He seems to be doing very well in Indiana. In three games against the Cavs this year he's shooting 49% overall and 46% on 3's at 18.7 ppg.
Haliburton is averaging 18.6 pts in his 10 games since the trade, shooting an impressive 49.6% overall and 40.3% on 3’s. He’s also averaging 9.5 assists so he has been nothing short of outstanding, at least in terms of shooting and passing. In three games against the Cavs this year he’s averaging 17.3 ppg on 54% and 43% shooting. I don’t think he likes it that we passed on him for Isaac Okoro. He had a 28-point game against us last year.
Brogdon is averaging 19.3 pts and 5.8 assists. He’s the old man of the team along with Hield,; both are 29. Brogdon was out for over a month but has played five games since returning. In the last three he's averaging 28.0 points and 12 free throw attempts per game.
Jalen Smith, a 6’10”, 215-pound forward, comes off the bench. He was the #10 pick in the 2020 draft by Phoenix. Smith, 21, is shooting 56.3% and 41.0% in 10 games with Indy, averaging 13.1 points.
Their backup center is Goga Bitadze, 7’0”, 250, age 22, in his third season. He’s shooting 48.1%. He has a foot injury and is a game time decision. He's the only big man in their rotation with any bulk. The backup point guard is Duane Washington Jr, a 21-year-old rookie shooting 37.2%.
So the Pacers are a younger team since they traded off some veterans. Six of their eight rotation players are 23 or younger. Starting center Myles Turner is out with an injury and so are backup guards T.J. McConnell and Chris Duarte. Lance Stephenson, age 31, is back. He’s listed as questionable for tonight.
The Pacers will obviously rely on their guard trio of Brogdon, Haliburton, and Hield for a big chunk of their scoring. They're all on fire right now. The Pacers used to be a big, hulking, physical group of maulers, but these days they start three guards who are 6’5” or under and two forwards who weigh in at 205 and 210. Jalen Smith, who played 29 minutes off the bench in their last game, is another 6’10” string bean.
They’re young overall and don’t have a physical presence on the front line like they used to have in Sabonis and Turner. It looks like they’re transitioning to a guard-oriented team based on athleticism and shooting. They’ve got a ways to go based on having lost 11 of 14, but they have some talent to work with. If that back court trio gets hot the Cavs are in trouble.
The Cavs will be going to work without Jarrett Allen, which is huge. Dean Wade will need to step up and Mobley, Love, and Markkanen may all get more minutes. The good news is that Rondo is listed as a game time decision and LaVert is shooting in practce so there may be some back court help on the way, if not tonight then soon.
I see this as an important game as the Cavs try to hang on to a playoff spot without Allen for a while. After tonight the schedule is brutal for the next two weeks. The Cavs play Miami and Chicago on the road, followed by the Clippers, winners of 7 of their last 9, Philly, winners of 6 of 8 and in 2nd place, Denver, winners of 9 of 10, and Detroit, winners of 6 of 8. Allen probably misses all those games so when the Cavs have a beatable opponent like tonight they need to bring home the W.
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