Ink on Indy
Fansided

Pacers Need to Solve their Road Woes to be a Legit Playoff Team

By Kyle Nishida

Jan 7, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) dribbles the ball in the second half of the game against the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 123-109.Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) dribbles the ball in the second half of the game against the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 123-109.Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Indiana Pacers have been quite the enigma this season. Despite being tied for sixth in the East currently, they only have a 20-19 record. Their issues on the road could be the main reason for that.

It is natural for a team to play a little differently at home than on road. Some teams thrive being at home while others relish the opportunity to upset their opponents home fans. However, the one constant for true playoff teams is home dominance and a .500 record on the road.

The Pacers have the home dominance part down so far this season. They have a 15-5 home record. Unfortunately, they are a drastically different team on the road than at home. They have a 5-14 road record.

More from Ink on Indy

Specifically, their team success on both sides of the ball decrease when leaving the safe confines of Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

At home, the team averages 107. 5 points per game at home while also holding opponents to only 102.3 points per game. On the road, they are only scoring 104.4 points per game on average and surrendering a whooping 112.1 points per game to the opposition.

They are scoring 3.1 points less and allowing 9.8 points more on the road than at home. That is nearly a 13-point difference between home and away. That is one of the biggest home-to-away point differentials in the league.

Specifically, the lower offensive numbers are understandable because they are playing in different arenas with different surroundings. As a result, it does take some time for players to get used to playing every different building.  The defense is the more disappointing issue in this instance.

Yes, the Pacers’ defense has been poor all year. However, it is embarrassing for them to be nearly 10 points worse on the road than at home. They have shown they can be good defensively at home, but for some reason, that defensive effort does not travel with them on the road.

This home-away dichotomy is not sustainable if the Pacers want to remain a playoff team. A Thurday night’s loss to the Denver Nuggets in London is the perfect example why it unsustainable.

The Pacers surrendered 140 points to the Nuggets. Five different Nuggets players scored more than 15 points, and their entire team shot a combined 57.1% from the field.

Meanwhile, the Pacers scored 112 points in response, which is a good total. However, the team’s two top players Paul George and Myles Turner shot a combined six for 25 from the field for 24 points.

Now, the game was in London, so rare off-the-court factors did come into play. However, the extra distractions should not lead to a 15-23 Nuggets team dropping 140 points on them. Denver is a solid offensive team, but they are not a playoff team.

As a side note, this is fourth time the Pacers have surrendered at least 120 points on the road (lost all four). Also, opponents have scored this much on them three times at home, and Indiana is 1-2 in those instances.

Next: Colts: Former NFL Scout Speaks Out Against GM Ryan Grigson

Talent-wise, the Pacers could be a major Eastern conference title contender, but they need to play more consistently on the road. Their home dominance means nothing if they do not play with better effort on the road.

If they do not change, they are nothing more than a one-and-done playoff team.

Home/Indiana Pacers