This.
. .this is going to get ugly.
Paul George is likely done for the year with a broken legand Stephenson is grazing in purpler pastures. Down their two best perimeter players on offense and defense, the Indiana Pacers are likely to fight in a large way.
Frank Vogel nevertheless has Roy Hibbert at the middle, and George Hill will be among the NBA’s better defensive point guards. So getting stops still ought to be a strength for Indy, however, scoring will be rough.
Really rough.
Bear in mind, this team ranked 22nd in offensive performance this past year. After the All-Star fracture, only the Sixers’ scoring attack was less potent, per NBA.com. Taking away two of Indiana’s three leading scorers is going to make it almost impossible to get buckets at anything greater than a bottom-five pace.
Perhaps Chris Copeland will stretch the floor with his shooting. Perhaps Hibbert will turn into a bigger threat on the cube. David West could have yet another big year in him.
But even though all three of these things come to pass, it’s difficult to say they’ll compensate for losing 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 each game and is going to be the starter at point guard for up to three months while Hill’s left knee mends.
Oh dear.
Read more: manchesterinnews.com