Indiana Pacers slow starts and poor defense holding team back in preseason and vs Memphis Grizzlies

The Pacers have had similar issues in multiple games

Oct 14, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward GG Jackson II (45) rebounds the ball while Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers came out flat again Monday night. For the third-straight preseason game, the blue and gold got off to a rough start, particularly on the defensive end, and it cost them against the Memphis Grizzlies.

In the first period, the Grizzlies shot almost 50% from the field and over 40% from deep. They had two turnovers yet 11 assists. Memphis pulled in five offensive rebounds. They looked great on offense and didn't feel any presence from Indiana.

After that period, the visitors led 31-17. That was tied for Memphis' best scoring quarter all night, and the Pacers outscored the Grizzlies by 10 across the final three frames. But it was too little, too late for the blue and gold. They dug their grave in the first 12 minutes of action.

"The first quarter was very poor. The guys that started with the game pretty much eased into the game," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "We got smashed in the face in the first quarter," he added later.

It was a poor start for the blue and gold. Carlisle said that his team didn't hit the hardwood with the right attitude, which has happened throughout the preseason. They didn't have the right mindset or physical posture, according to the head coach. It was ugly.

Things did pick up, but the slow start was a small sample of an issue Indiana has been dealing with throughout the preseason — their defense has been inconsistent. During a few pockets of play, they've gotten stops. They've been the better team after the first quarter in every game they've played. But the blue and gold haven't defended at the level they hoped to so far in their exhibitions.

It's preseason, which comes with small sample size caveats and all sorts of asterisks. Players sit out and rotations are skewed. But Indiana is still in 30th — last place among NBA teams — in defensive rating so far in the preseason. They haven't been solid on the defensive end yet.

"It comes with time," Pacers reserve center Isaiah Jackson said of the team's man-to-man defensive issues. He shared that the team is working in some newer guys so far, which is part of the issue but not all of it. There's also tweaks to the system that have tripped up Jackson. "I know I've got a lot of new stuff that they just put in that I'm sort of working on, trying to acclimate."

Oct 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) is defended by Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) during the first half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Most of the Pacers issues have come from their man-to-man defense, and they are giving up too much paint pressure again. They are conceding the ninth-most shots inside five feet, and opponents are making over 68% of those looks. From five to nine feet away from the basket, Indiana is conceding the fifth-most shots per game of any squad. Their opposition is shooting over 51% from that distance, the fourth most efficient mark in the NBA.

They haven't been able to stay in front of their matchups, a common problem from last season. "I feel like it's as simple as just keeping our man in front," forward Jarace Walker said. He thinks the team is helping and in rotation too much as a result.

"I feel like we're taking strides on that end of the floor. I feel like we just have to stay consistent on that," Walker added. Every outing, it feels like the Pacers are making progress throughout the night. But it resets at the start of each game, something they'll hope to fix in their final preseason outing.

Second-year wing Ben Sheppard had a different assessment of his team's defensive issues. "Definitely transition," he said of where the team is struggling most on that end. "When we do our job and stop the ball on that end of the floor... That's the first part to stop the ball in transition, and obviously it's important for us to lock in on that side of the ball."

Pacers opponents have been middle of the pack in transition scoring so far. They are third in points in the paint, though, and that has been crushing the blue and gold. They need to keep teams away from the rim. Their closeouts have to be better and more precise, and their help defense needs to be more effective.

Thankfully, Indiana has another chance to clean things up on Thursday. And it hasn't all been bad. Some of their new zone defense ideas have been successful, and their rebounding has leveled up from last season with a boost from James Wiseman and Enrique Freeman. That's an area the Pacers wanted to address this season.

They also wanted to take a step on the defensive end, yet their poor starts are holding them back. "Our man-to-man [defense] was not [effective]," Carlisle said. "We have a lot of work to do."

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