This.
. .this is going to get ugly.
Paul George is likely done for the year with a broken leg, and Stephenson is grazing at purpler pastures. Down their two best 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 middle, and George Hill will be one of the NBA’s better defensive point guards. So getting stops should still be a power for Indy, however, scoring will be demanding.
Really rough.
Remember, this team ranked 22nd in offensive efficiency this past year. Following the All-Star fracture, only the Sixers’ scoring strike was less potent, per NBA.com. Taking away two of Indiana’s three leading scorers will make it almost impossible to have buckets at anything better than a bottom-five rate.
Perhaps Chris Copeland will stretch the floor with his shooting. Maybe Hibbert will turn into a larger threat on the cube. David West might have one more big year in him.
But even if all three of those things come to pass, it is hard to say they will make up for shedding George and Stephenson.
And in what may be the most frightening harbinger of an offensive tragedy to come, 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