Frank Vogel never promised a fast start. With seven new players on his 15-man roster and a new offensive system to implement, he expected his team to stumble on occasion.
“We’re a work in progress,” he said before Friday’s game with Miami. “I say that with a smile. We’re enjoying it. It’s imperfect at times, as expected, and that’s OK. We’re going to work through that. All the strings are going to be tied together.”
Nobody was claiming a completed product following the 90-87 victory over the Heat, but it seemed a few more strings were tightened at Bankers Life Fieldhouse as the Pacers won their third consecutive game to even their record at 3-3.
Paul George had his second consecutive more-like-him game and his best of the season, scoring 36 points while hitting 14-of-27 field goal attempts. George Hill played an error-free game and hit three-of-four 3-pointers. Jordan Hill came off the bench for his second straight double-double, with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Glenn Robinson III had his second straight meaningful outing off the bench, contributing seven points and a meaningful offensive rebound with 7.9 seconds remaining.
Of that group, Jordan Hill’s contributions might be the most relevant in the long term. No matter how much the Pacers play “small ball,” they’re going to need steady contributions from some of the big players, and Hill is presenting himself as the likeliest candidate.
The most versatile, too. So far this season he’s started three times, come off the bench twice and not played once, all while switching back and forth between center and power forward. Friday’s double-double came within 23 minutes, 44 seconds and included one of the game’s biggest plays, a tip-in of Paul George’s missed 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining that gave the Pacers a four-point lead.
“He’s as good as it comes as far as giving us extra possessions, keeping balls alive, finishing down there,” George said. “He’s been a big piece for us.”
Jordan Hill has a passive demeanor, which can give the impression he’s playing passively, but his stats have lately argued otherwise. So do his words.
“I just want to play,” he said. “I’m staying ready, having fun and doing little things to help my team.
“I can basically do it all. If I’m in for the five man I can go to the block. I have little post moves in me. If I’m in for the four I can pop and knock down mid-range. Just go out here and play basketball is all I want to do.”
So far he’s done it the best of all the Pacers’ “big” men, averaging 9.6 points and 8 rebounds. Starting center Ian Mahinmi averages 6.6 points and 5.6 rebounds and sometime starter Lavoy Allen averages 3.3 points and 5 rebounds.
“Nothing’s ever rushed about him,” George Hill said of Jordan. “He’s very poised. He can score in many ways. He’s an underrated post guy who really has a lot going for him.”
George followed Wednesday’s 26-point outing with his first game of 30 or more points since March 15, 2014, at Detroit. It also was his second this season in which he’s hit better than half of his field goal attempts. He also had three steals.
Just as in the previous game, he reported to work early, putting up a few hundred shots at The Fieldhouse Friday afternoon to prepare.
“It’s been working,” he said.
Performances such as that can make up a lot of other ills, such as poor free throw shooting (the Pacers hit just 13 of 24) and a first quarter collapse that allowed the Heat to close out the period with an 18-1 run and take a 10-point lead. They hit just 6-of-20 shots in the fourth quarter, but got 11 from George in the period.
All teams suffer through stretches of poor shooting at times, but the Pacers admit their lack of offensive flow contributes to their droughts.
“I’m not sure where it is,” Hill said of the offense. “We’re still learning. We don’t know how long it’s going to take. We’re still getting used to playing small, playing big, switching it up. Just finding our identity.
“As long as we can continue winning these mucked up games … These are the games we like – low scoring, defending well, all guys contributing – if we can continue to do that and then get into the flow of everyone being on the same page, we can be a great team down the stretch.”
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