THE SKINNY
After their abysmal shooting caught up with them in Detroit, the Pacers continue on the road against a Nets team that is equally cold. The Pacers look to establish some offensive identity against an a talented opponent that is frustrated with its own 1-4 record.
THE LINEUPS
Point Guard
Darren and Deron are both bringing pick-and-roll to their teams, although one is a young, inconsistent starter and the other is a proven all-star. Williams has a clear size advantage, and is a very dangerous scorer. If Collison is guarding him, he needs to use his speed to ballhawk and disrupt ball movement, while forcing Williams to play catch-up with his speed on offense.
Shooting Guard
Paul George has cooled off since the first two showings, and the Pacers have felt the effects. Morrow is a pure shooter who cannot be given any space on the perimeter. George should go right at him on both offense and defense and restore his own confidence.
Small Forward
Granger is on a quest to find his rhythm. Perhaps not having the ball as much takes him out of the offense, and that's an adjustment he should continue to make. Even though he might not get as many touches, he's still just as important to the success of this team as ever. Meeting the expectations of the season fall on his shoulders.
Power Forward
David West finds a heartbroken matchup in Kris Humphries. Humphries signed for some money, but with no one to share it with. Jokes aside, Humphries is the strongest rebounder on the Nets team, and the Pacers were beaten on the boards by the Pistons. Perhaps it was tired legs, but that excuse won't fly tonight. West and Hansbrough have to do their part.
Center
Roy Hibbert failed to reach double-digits against the Pistons, and if the Pacers cannot get their shot going, he needs to rebound and not turn the ball over as much as he has. The good news is Hibbert is shooting at a very efficient clip, so if he starts to make up his mind earlier and continue to be a force inside, the Pacers have a legit center over most of the teams in the league.
THE BENCH
The bench needs to step up. Hansbrough has been hustling, but his jumper isn't falling. Dahntay is driving, but failing to pass and his shot isn't falling. George Hill is still trying to settle into his role. The beginning of the season was supposed to be tougher on the Pacers, but losses are losses, and the bench is supposed to be a built-in advantage for the Pacers in most matchups.
THE COACHES
Frank Vogel is letting his team play through mistakes, but now that a large enough sample size has been supplied for diagnosing the offensive problem, he should be looking to provide a fix with the day off. Avery Johnson finds his Nets floundering without Brook Lopez, and the lack of interior play and mounting frustration from his star player don't help.
THE INJURY REPORT
Pacers
Jeff Foster: Back - Probably not.
Jeff Pendergraph: Knee - Probably not.
Nets
Brook Lopez: Foot - Out.
THE HEAVY MATTERS
-Be wary of the perimeter. No team's interior play should be underestimated, but offensively, the NEts are looking to their perimeter to generate offense.
-Make faster decisions. The luxury of options has caused some players to hesitate when it comes to their own shot. Confident offensive decision-making might be the answer for the sub-par shooting.
THE TRADITION
NO MORE COLD SHOOTING!
And yeah, he's having a terrible start to the season.