The NBA season is just getting started, and some trends are already taking shape.
Early Season Observations:
Teams like Boston and Oklahoma City continue to shine as they did last year, while others like Detroit, Portland, and Washington seem destined for high draft picks. As usual, there’s a lot of average performances at the start of the season.
Indiana Pacers‘ Unexpected Struggles:
Indiana has been a surprise this season but not in a good way. Last year, they finished fifth in the East and reached the conference finals despite their shaky defense. They allowed 120.2 points per game but were explosive on offense, leading the league with an average of 123.3 points per game and shooting over 50% from the field.
This season tells a different story; their scoring has dropped by about 13 points per game, and their shooting accuracy has taken a hit. So what’s going wrong?
The Haliburton Factor:
Tyrese Haliburton’s performance has been disappointing so far. Last season he was stellar with 20.1 points per game on 48% shooting. But now? He’s averaging just 14 points with a poor 34% shooting rate. In one game against the Knicksโa team they beat in last year’s playoffsโhe didn’t score at all, and his assists have decreased significantly.
Fans hope this slump is temporary because players often take time to find their rhythm early in the season.
https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/all_star_tyrese_haliburton_gets_indirect_shot_from_former_pacers_guard/s1_17382_41140241
Challenges Ahead for Indiana:
Starting slow can be risky since catching up becomes harder as other teams improve rapidly. While Boston remains dominant in the East, teams like New York and Philadelphia have made big moves to strengthen themselves during offseason tradesโsomething Indiana didn’t do much of.
Meanwhile, Cleveland and Orlando are building on last year’s success effectively right now.
We think it’s too early to panic yet; however…
As Yogi Berra wisely said: โIt gets late early out there.โ
