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Indiana Pacers are in Trouble Heading into All-Star Break

By Kyle Nishida

Feb 16, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) argues a referee's call that the ball bounced off him during a game against the Washington Wizards at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Washington defeats Indiana 111-98. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) argues a referee's call that the ball bounced off him during a game against the Washington Wizards at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Washington defeats Indiana 111-98. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Well, the Indiana Pacers were riding high and playing well two weeks ago. Now, all that positive momentum has faded and the early season problems have returned.

After rattling off seven straight wins from the end of January to the start of February, the Pacers have lost six straight. During that streak, they have lost twice to the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

They are still sixth in the eastern conference playoff standings. However, their losing streak has caused them to drastically fall behind the upper-echelon of the east. They are now 7 games back of the fourth seeded Toronto Raptors. They were only two games back two weeks ago.

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The recent slide leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth as they take a week off for the All-Star break. Now, the organization needs to figure out how they will recover and finish the rest of the 2016-17 season strong.

Obviously, they must rediscover the keys that helped achieve that seven-game win streak. The biggest key to success for the Pacers during that streak was their defense.

During the win streak, opponents only averaged 96.3 points per game against the Pacers, which is well below their season average of 106.4. In this recent six-game slide, teams averaged 105.3 points.

It is also concerning all six of the Pacers’ loss came against playoff teams or teams contending for a postseason spot. This fact continues a season trend for the Pacers. They are good enough to beat the weaker teams in the NBA, but they struggle with consistency against the league’s elite.

These sorts of struggles are obviously hard to pin down and address. However, it does not seem like trying to adapting or making necessary adjustments. Star forward Paul George notices it and is becoming more frustrated with each passing game.

From this statement, George is calling out the team’s defensive issues, which are completely legitimate. While he did not specify if this is an indictment on the players or the coaching staff, something needs to happen and both sides need to be accountable.

The coaching staff has to come up with some sort of plan to fix the problems. Head coach Nate McMillan has been lauded as a defensive coach in the past. It is probably a good time for him to show why.

Also, it might be a good time for team President Larry Bird to evaluate the roster. He might need to shake up the roster with a trade deadline move in an effort to add some energy to lineup. All possible solutions should be on the table for both the coaching staff and the front offices.

Meanwhile, the players need to take some pride in playing harder on the defensive side of the ball. In many situations, defense comes down to effort. Admittedly, there are times the Pacers visibly slack off on defense.

Next: George Had “Dark Moment” During Pacers' Early Struggles

Luckily, the Pacers have a week to reset and regain their focus. Hopefully, they use this time off wisely to hash out their issues. If they do not, the Pacers are not going to be a threat in the eastern conference playoffs.

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