One of the hottest teams in the NBA is the Indiana Pacers, who have won five straight games with wins over the Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and New York Knicks. At 20-18 the Pacers find themselves in the 5th spot in the Eastern Conference and right in the mix to get home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The man who is primarily responsible for this five game winning streak is none other than Paul George, who is averaging 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game on the season. He's had two 30+ point games during this five game winning streak and nothing less than 19 points in any of the games. He's flat out balling right now and the Pacers are winning games as a result.
If there's one other player who deserves credit for the Pacers' new found success, it's their center Myles Turner, who is in his second year out of Texas. Turner is averaging 15.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, going off for 25 points and 15 rebounds against the Nets and 23 points and 12 rebounds against the Magic. Myles Turner is stepping up and playing big down low, which is huge given the ups and downs of Al Jefferson. "Big Al" was supposed to be the guy who provided consistent post presence down low for the Pacers, but instead it has been Myles Turner.
What's scary about this Pacers team is that in addition to Paul George and Myles Turner, they have other quality pieces like Al Jefferson, Jeff Teague, and Monta Ellis. Even C.J. Miles can get the hot hand from time to time. This Pacers team has a lot of talent and weapons that they can go to. It's just a matter of everybody getting on the same page and playing consistently. Right now, the only consistent players on this Pacers team are Paul George and Myles Turner. If the Pacers want to win a series and actually do some damage in the playoffs, guys like Al Jefferson, Jeff Teague, and Monta Ellis are going to have to step up and provide more consistent production.
The good new for the Pacers is that it's early in the season and they still have plenty of time to put it all together. If this team continues to get better and find their groove, they could be a team to watch out for in the Eastern Conference playoffs. I'm not saying they're championship contenders, but they could give the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors a scare given the right conditions. It's just a matter of getting all the parts to work together.
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