Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers: 5 Takeaways

Indiana Struggles Defensively

It was a rough night for the Pacers, as they were coming off a rather embarrassing 94-103 loss to the Brooklyn Nets just last night. So far, they’ve allowed an average of 114 points per game, a mark that would have put them dead last in the league by a sizable chunk.

The Pacers are 1-2 on the season now, besting the Mavericks in their season opener before falling to the Nets and now the Bulls. The bright spot however is 2nd year player Myles Turner who looks spectacular so far, averaging 21 points and just over 10 rebounds per game. If Turner can keep up that kind of production, the Pacers have a bright future ahead of them, regardless of how these first three games have gone.

The defense has to get figured out somehow though. Paul George is an excellent perimeter stopper, and Turner is coming into his own as a rim protector, but Indiana is feeling the absences of Solomon Hill and Ian Mahinmi, and new addition Al Jefferson has never excelled on the defensive end.

The Pacers need one of Glenn Robinson III, Joe Young, or Lavoy Allen to step up defensively, or it could be a long season.