THE SKINNY
In a back-to-back away, the Pacers couldn't get anything going and couldn't stop the Hawks. Jumpers weren't falling and Horford and Smith had a reasonably easy night. It only gets tougher against a surging Bulls team on a hot streak. They have also ousted the defending champs and Boozer's return is starting to pay off big time. The Pacers took Sunday off, except Price, Hansbrough, George, and Stephenson.
THE LINEUPS
Point Guard
Darren Collison has spoken out on his confusion regarding Jim O'Brien's rotations, which is a valid concern given the enigmatic nature of his substitutions. Derrick Rose is dominating right now and is in the conversation for best PG in the NBA. His name is also being whispered when it comes to MVP voting. The Pacers may have to ask an SG to guard him, or he will rampage over the corpses of the PG rotation.
Shooting Guard
Keith Bogans makes Mike Dunleavy look like Reggie Miller, but for some reason he's still starting. Kyle Korver plays more minutes at the 2, so that's who the Pacers have to plan for.
Small Forward
Danny Granger is now nursing a sprained left ankle, which can leave him on the bench for long periods of time or not in the game at all. Luol Deng has caught a lot of criticism, but he is still a long, offensive threat and a difficult defender to get around. Granger/Rush/Dunleavy/George should look to get going because the Pacers hold a clear advantage at the wings and need to push that advantage as far as it goes.
Power Forward
Josh McRoberts' shooting efficiency has hit a lull, and he's not as offensively effective now that he's not syncing up on alley-oops and grabbing as many offensive boards as he used to. Carlos Boozer came back slowly, but is coming off two 20+ scoring games. The Pacers needs to play solid defense at the 4 spot or risk getting burned.
Center
Roy Hibbert had his birthday ruined with a loss to Atlanta. Now he looks to rebound with a good performance against Joakim Noah. Noah is a monstrous force on the boards, so the Pacers need to really pick up their rebounding slack this game.
THE BENCH
Brandon Rush is still playing solidly off the bench, and TJ Ford is not. Kyle Korver is a dangerous shooter. James Posey is not. Taj Gibson is one of the better backup 4's in the league. The Pacers bench needs to figure out how to increase its efficiency. If Granger doesn't play, Paul George will, and Paul George will have to figure out how to be effective and make good decisions.
THE COACHES
Jim O'Brien is now facing detrimental patterns because of the ineffectiveness of the combination of his rotation and his offensive scheme. Luckily, the defense is still playing decently. Tom Thibodeau has his Bulls team on an impressive winning streak which includes a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
THE INJURY REPORT
Pacers
Danny Granger - Ankle: Questionable.
Bulls
None.
THE HEAVY MATTERS
-Get to the line. The Pacers have to start being as aggressive on offense as they are on defense. If no one's scoring from inside, it makes spacing the floor useless.
-Make Rose uncomfortable. If he's allowed to do what he does, the Bulls are hard to stop.
THE TRADITION
Well done. Indy always plays the Bulls tough and they've looked great this season. Good match-ups should make for a well-contested game.
....no i didnt see the interview, how was it?