NBA Playoffs 2012: 5 Indiana Pacers Who Must Step Up in Game 2

In what was the most shocking outcome of any 2012 postseason game to date, the Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic upset the trendy favorite Indiana Pacers by a score of 81-77. In Indianapolis.

While one win does not win a series, it does take a team one step closer to advancing. It also takes one team closer to elimination.

To avoid elimination, the Indiana Pacers must improve upon the areas in which they faltered. Upon acknowledging those areas, individual players must step up on their own.

Here's a list of five of those very players in need of a major upgrade in terms of quality of play.

Danny Granger, Small Forward

When your team turns the ball over 10 times, you have to be happy with the way the players have managed the ball. When you've turned the ball over five times by yourself, however, it's fair to consider yourself a major reason for your team's loss.

With that being said, Granger did score 17 points and grab eight rebounds. That aspect of his game must continue to remain steady, but as the Pacers' 77-point total would insinuate, 17 just isn't enough from your best scorer.

Granger must take care of the basketball and score more efficiently than his Game 1 7-of-20 shooting. Should he do so, the Magic won't be able to hold the Pacers under 80 points again.

Darren Collison, Point Guard

Game 1 was nothing to remember for Darren Collison, as he shot just 1-of-7 from the floor and scored two points in 22 minutes. What's important to note, however, is the fact that he did dish out five assists, pull down four rebounds and swipe two steals.

While Collison needs to score the ball more efficiently, his all-around game is respectable. He didn't turn the ball over a single time in the Pacers' Game 1 loss and improved his defense against Jameer Nelson as the game went on.

As the Pacers' 77-point output would suggest, though, Collison must score more efficiently than 1-of-7.

David West, Power Forward

This is more an acknowledgement of David West's inconsistency than an indictment of his play.

With that being said, if the Indiana Pacers have one player to look at with confidence, it's David West. The highly-touted free agent acquisition was 8-of-14 for 19 points in the Pacers' Game 1 loss, tacking on nine rebounds, two assists and a steal.

While the common reaction will be to say that West cannot continue this level of play, he should be able to. This is what the Pacers brought him here to do on a nightly basis, and should he fail to, he'll be letting his team down.

Considering West has a very favorable matchup against the weak interior defense of the Orlando Magic, those numbers should only improve.

Leandro Barbosa, Shooting Guard

Leandro Barbosa was brought in as a midseason acquisition to offer the Indiana Pacers a true scoring threat coming off of the bench. In Game 1, however, Barbosa put up just three points on 1-of-4 shooting.

Yet another disappointing playoff performance by the speedy Brazilian.

In 65 career postseason appearances, Barbosa has averaged just 10.1 points on just 42.2 percent shooting. While history often offers a fair perspective of the future, the Pacers need their trade deadline find to snap out of this. If any history is repeated, it must be 2006 when he averaged 14.6 points on 47 percent shooting.

Paul George, Shooting Guard

Coming into the 2012 NBA Playoffs, Paul George averaged 6.0 points on 30.3 percent shooting from the field in five postseason appearances. In Game 1 of this year's series with the Magic, George shot just 4-of-11 and scored eight points.

Not the trend Indiana would like to see George continue.

The promising sign from George's first playoff series was how well-rounded his play was. He averaged 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, countering any offensive struggles with defensive production.

In Game 1, however, his five rebounds were paired with not a single block or steal. For the Pacers to be able to survive this series, the 6'10" shooting guard must step it up on both ends of the floor.