Indiana Pacers Player Power Rankings: Stacking Up the Full Roster in December
The most recent installment of the Indiana Pacers player power rankings is skewed in a way it has never been before.
This is because so many unsung heroes have risen to the occasion for Indiana, a crippled team which just concluded the month of November with a 7-10 record and four of its five starters from a season ago not around. Only veteran David West—who scored 18 points in his season debut against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 28 after missing the first 15 games with a sprained ankle—and center Roy Hibbert been playing as of late.
That being said, George Hill and Paul George can't come back soon enough.
In spite of their absence, guys such as Lavoy Allen, Solomon Hill and Donald Sloan have come to the rescue. These no-name players are the ones who have kept the Pacers in a position to boost their playoff seeding as the the team slowly but surely returns to full health.
These rankings won't include A.J. Price, a hero in his own right for playing heads-up basketball in C.J. Watson's absence. Indy waived Price, who averaged 10.5 points and 2.7 assists in 10 outings for the Pacers, on Nov. 28. According to Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears, the Cleveland Cavaliers claimed Price off waivers on Sunday.
Thank you for everything, A.J.
We will also include only those Pacers who have played in at least one regular-season game in 2014-15. As such, let's hope both PG-13 and George Hill will be around in the next Pacers player power rankings.
Players will be ranked according to their stats and the impact each one of them has made so far.
Nos. 13-11
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13. Shayne Whittington
2014-15 stats: 3.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.2 BPG, 0.6 SPG
As expected, rookie center Shayne Whittington hasn't seen much action. He was known to be a player with a deft shooting touch during his college days with the Western Michigan Broncos. He can even stroke the three-pointer if you dared him.
He could be a potential stretch 5 a la Sam "Big Smooth" Perkins, who often made opposing defenses pay during his days with the Pacers. However, Whittington will have to wait.
He described one of his first "holy crap" moments when he faced Washington Wizards center Nene Hilario on Nov. 8 to MLive.com's David Drew:
"When I got in the game and I was guarding Nene. I'm just like, 'Oh (expletive). I'm not used to people being the size of a mammoth.' Nene is one of the biggest people I've been around. Strength-wise, he was as strong as an ox. That was a holy crap moment.
"
There will be more, Shayne. A lot more.
Whittington has yet to make a significant impact with Ian Mahinmi and Lavoy Allen doing well as Roy Hibbert's backups, which is why the rookie center checks in at No. 13. Let's just hope he won't turn out to be another Miles Plumlee, who has been thriving with the Phoenix Suns since he left Indy.
12. Damjan Rudez
2014-15 stats: 4.9 PPG, 0.6 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.3 BPG, 0.1 SPG
Going into the 2014-15 NBA season, Pacers fans were hoping Damjan "Damo" Rudez could possibly be as good as Detlef Schrempf, another European sensation.
It hasn't been that way...yet.
During his first 17 NBA games, Rudez has shown he can hit timely threes and perimeter shots off the bench. But that's just about it.
It's pretty obvious Rudez has to work on the other aspects of his game. He is strictly a spot-up shooter who even shows hesitancy on occasion. His post game and medium-range game are virtually nonexistent. His rebounding and defense also leave much to be desired.
Rudez also must work on his free-throw shooting (.643) and his tendency to commit silly fouls.
Damo is still adjusting to the NBA game. He will learn under head coach Frank Vogel and veterans David West and Luis Scola. Give Rudez some time, and he should be a better player as his NBA career wears on.
11. C.J. Miles
2014-15 stats: 6.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.3 BPG, 0.5 SPG
There's no question C.J. Miles has been the Indiana Pacers' biggest disappointment.
His 6.7 points-per-game average is his lowest since 2007-08, his third pro season as a member of the Utah Jazz. His 10th NBA season—his first in Indiana—has been his worst so far; he has been averaging a career-high 1.4 turnovers and his shooting has been beyond atrocious.
Twenty-four percent through Dec. 1.
Miles missed seven contests during an eight-game stretch in November due to a calf injury. He also had a "devitalizing illness" that started off as a migraine during that month, per the Indianapolis Star's Candace Buckner.
Miles told Buckner, "I don't know how to put it but it's tough right now. It's probably the toughest since I've been in the league."
It couldn't have happened at worse time, when several other Pacers were dealing with their own injury issues. Miles misses plenty of open looks and takes a lot of bad shots—reminiscent of Gerald Green when he was still in Indiana.
Even guys such as Paul George, who endured a two-point showing against the then-Charlotte Bobcats last season, can have a rough go of it. It's how you bounce back that counts. George has shown he could.
Let's hope C.J. Miles—who got off to a good start in December with a 17-point game in a 116-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, does sooner than later.
10. Ian Mahinmi
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2014-15 stats: 5.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.6 BPG, 0.4 SPG
Ian Mahinmi is not the rim protector that Roy Hibbert is, but he's done all he can to keep the Indiana Pacers' ship afloat.
In the four games Hibbert has missed with a sprained left ankle, Mahinmi has averaged 7.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 0.5 blocks. Those are Dale Davis-like numbers.
However, Mahinmi has been shooting an abominable 33.3 percent from the free-throw line.
That's a Dale Davis-like number too.
Mahinmi has made a solid impact in terms of his offense (however limited it may be) and board work. He also has shown an ability to score with a running baby hook shot with either hand.
The thing is, he must develop a back-to-the-basket and medium-range game—both of which he doesn't have—in order be more effective.
And oh, those free throws.
Nonetheless, he and Lavoy Allen have been developing into a solid backup center rotation for the Pacers.
9. Lavoy Allen
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2014-15 stats: 7.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.9 BPG, 0.3 SPG
Meet the Indiana Pacers' new chairman of the boards.
Nobody would have thought Lavoy Allen, who hardly saw action in Pacers blue and gold in 2013-14, would be the NBA's sixth-leading offensive rebounder through Dec. 1, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Not only does Allen crash the boards hard, he somehow gets to the ball before everybody else does. He simply has a nose for it.
And because of that, he has helped the Pacers immensely this season. You can say he's like a combination of Antonio Davis and Jeff Foster for his tenacity on the boards and ability to keep possessions alive.
Allen has some nice post-up moves. He can also hit the medium-range jumper, just like Davis did in his Indiana heyday back in the mid-to late 1990s.
Allen has made great strides in 2014-15. He could be somewhere higher up in these power rankings. It's just that several other players have made a bit more of an impact.
It shouldn't be too long before Allen moves up and gives the others a run for their money.
8. C.J. Watson
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2014-15 stats: 8.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.0 BPG, 0.5 SPG
Welcome back, C.J. Watson.
Watson missed the first 15 games of the regular season with a bruised right foot. He has gotten off to a decent start and has chipped in 8.5 points and 3.5 assists per game on a 60 percent shooting clip from the field during his first two games back.
His good showing comes on the heels of starter Donald Sloan's recent shooting slump. Since Sloan torched the Dallas Mavericks for 29 points on Nov. 24, he's shot a miserable 21 percent during the three games that followed. Had he performed better during that stretch, Indy would have had a better chance of beating the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.
As for Watson, the challenge is to exceed expectations placed on him during A.J. Price's brief stint with the Pacers. Price was great in his backup role, averaging 10.5 points in 10 games. Indy rallied around his off-the-bench heroics, refusing to implode when they had every reason to.
It is now on Watson, who had 14 points against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, to make fans forget about A.J. Price. So far, he's done a decent job.
7. Donald Sloan
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2014-15 stats: 11.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 5.1 APG, 0.0 BPG, 0.5 SPG
If nobody knew who Donald Sloan was prior to this season, then he's made quite an introduction.
He averaged just 2.3 points in 48 games in 2013-14, with a season high of nine points. Now, just 17 games into the 2014-15 campaign, Donald Sloan has more than quadrupled his scoring output. What's more is he has already scored 31 points and 29 points in two games this season.
It's easy to credit Sloan's rise to unfortunate circumstances (the Pacers' vast number of injuries this year), but the guy has responded to the call. There's no question he can score when his game's on.
However, it's been off lately.
Since dropping 29 points on the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 24, Sloan has scored a combined 11 points on 21 percent shooting in three games. The challenge for him is to be more consistent from here on out.
Sloan, who is earning $948,163 in 2014-15, will be an unrestricted free agent next season, per HoopsHype.com. It seems he's done more than enough to stick around for another season or two. What's more, he's given C.J. Watson stiffer competition as George Hill's chief backup.
6. Rodney Stuckey
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2014-15 stats: 12.7 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.1 BPG, 0.6 SPG
In some ways, Rodney Stuckey has made the Indiana Pacers look good in spite of the fact they lost Lance Stephenson to the Charlotte Hornets in free agency last summer.
The only downside was Stuckey missing seven games in November due to a sore left foot.
For the most part, Stuckey's 12.7 points-per-game average nearly matches that of Stephenson's in 2013-14 (he averaged 13.8 points, per Basketball-Reference.com). Stuckey has come on strong, averaging 18.3 points on almost 49 percent shooting in his last three games. He has really meshed well with his new teammates.
As good as Stuckey has been, he has a tendency to force the issue (as was the case when he committed an offensive foul on the Spurs' Manu Ginobili on a fast-break situation with 3:12 remaining in the fourth quarter of Indy's 106-100 loss on Nov. 26). This is something he has to keep in check.
Stuckey is currently on a one-year, $1.23 million contract, per HoopsHype.com. When Paul George returns, the Pacers hope to have Stuckey back, as he would be great playing behind Solomon Hill at the 2-spot.
5. Luis Scola
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2014-15 stats: 8.8 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.4 BPG, 0.8 SPG
Veteran forward Luis Scola may not dazzle you with his stats, but it has been his on-court savvy which has been making the difference for the Indiana Pacers.
Scola has been hitting the medium-range jumper. He has also been scoring in transition. In his last eight games, he has averaged 10.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists. However, the Pacers were just 4-4 during that span.
Nonetheless, what's impressive about Scola is the way he's been defending—he and David West are the team's best big men when it comes to poking the ball away from opposing players who are a half-foot shorter and infinitely quicker.
Scola found himself in the starting rotation during Indy's first 15 games as West sat out with a sprained right ankle. It's a role he's accustomed to, as he was a starter for his first six seasons with the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns before coming off the bench for Indy in 2013-14.
He's in the last year of a two-year contract with the Pacers. It's still anybody's guess if he'll still be around next season. It hasn't looked good for the Pacers thus far, but if they can get their act together and battle for a playoff spot, Scola figures to be in the equation in 2015-16.
4. Chris Copeland
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2014-15 stats: 12.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.2 BPG, 0.4 SPG
Optimus Cope has officially arrived.
Indiana Pacers forward Chris Copeland finds himself in the same situation as point guard Donald Sloan—both were fixtures on Frank Vogel's bench in 2013-14 but have risen to the occasion this season.
Copeland has been averaging a career-high 12.3 points per game through Dec. 1. He has a quick release on his three-pointers and knows how to to post up and take it to the hoop.
He hasn't exactly been a force on the defensive end, but he's no slouch, either. The knock against him are his turnover numbers, a team-high 2.3 per game.
Nevertheless, he's shown what he could have been for the Pacers last season: a consistent scoring threat off the bench. In 2014-15, he's responded whether he's started or not.
Should Indiana find itself in a legitimate position to make the playoffs, expect Optimus Cope to make a lot of noise.
3. David West
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2014-15 stats: 16.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.0 BPG, 0.5 SPG
So far, so good for Pacers veteran power forward David West.
As the above numbers indicate, West has produced decent numbers for Indy after sitting out the first 15 games of the season with a sprained right ankle. His numbers are solid across the board except for his field-goal percentage (44.4 percent through his first three games in 2014-15) and free-throw percentage (.500 through Dec. 3).
Luis Scola and Lavoy Allen have both responded to the call of duty when West went down. With West back in the fray, he gives Indiana a solid power forward rotation few teams can match.
Pacers.com's Mark Montieth discussed West's toying with retirement in his Nov. 29 article:
"He had never really planned to go beyond 10 (seasons), and in fact had only signed on with the Pacers—twice—because he saw the potential for a championship. Now, it appeared he was stuck with a fading team in the twilight years of his career.
He had consistently stated he would retire after his contract expires at the end of next season, and he felt more certain than ever. In fact, he later acknowledged he probably would have retired in 2013 if the Pacers had won the championship then.
Oh, but look at him now.
"
West has done well after being out for quite a stretch, but the player who checks in at No. 2 has had more of an impact in a lot more games.
2. Solomon Hill
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2014-15 stats: 12.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.2 BPG, 0.9 SPG
It's not only Rodney Stuckey who has helped offset the loss of Lance Stephenson—it's also the latter's replacement as Indy's starting shooting guard for the foreseeable future, Solomon Hill.
Nobody in Indianapolis really knew much about Solomon Hill during his rookie year. After all, he was mired in head coach Frank Vogel's doghouse for the entire 2013-14 NBA season. With so many players limping early in 2014-15, that has changed.
Solomon Hill finally got an opportunity, and he's made the most of it.
Hill is not in Paul George's stratosphere just yet, but he is as versatile as they come—he can shoot the medium-range jumper, make three-pointers and drive fearlessly to the basket with either hand. He can also rebound, although his passing game is just beginning to pick up.
Hill also hangs tough on the other end of the floor and can play lockdown defense on the opponent's best wing player.
Among his best games to date are the ones against the Washington Wizards on Nov. 8—where he scored a game-high 28 points—and against the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 15—where he was one of three Pacers who scored 21 points. However, his signature moment came on Nov. 19 when he made a buzzer-beating, back-to-the-basket putback against Stephenson's Hornets.
Hill told the Indianapolis Star's Candace Buckner in the game's aftermath that it was all about hustling for a full 48 minutes:
"At the moment it went in, it shows you play the whole game, 48 minutes, it comes down to that. Just to be able to mentally stay in it no matter how many shots you made, how many shots you missed. Just stay with it. I could've easily given up on the play and let the ball drop but it goes to show you that we have to battle for 48 minutes.
"
Make no doubt about it, Solomon Hill has made a solid impact—and the best is yet to come.
1. Roy Hibbert
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2014-15 stats: 13.1 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.8 APG, 2.8 BPG, 0.2 SPG
Indiana Pacers fans have been wondering the past few seasons when the real Roy Hibbert would finally stand up.
After all, this is the same Roy Hibbert who was named an All-Star for the second time in his career in 2013-14 yet floundered badly as that season wore on. (Nobody will ever forget several zero-point, zero-rebound games he registered during the 2013-14 playoffs.)
In the 2014-15 NBA season, he has gotten off to a strong start just like he did a year ago. But it seems like he's finally settled in. Hibbert is producing career highs in three statistical categories as of Dec. 3: points (13.2), blocks (2.7) and free-throw percentage (83.1).
There's no question Hibbert is a tremendous force in the post on both ends of the floor whenever he's dialed in. So far, he has shown an uncanny ability to make the open medium-range jumper.
Let's all hope the sprained left ankle injury which forced him to sit out four games in late November won't slow him down one bit.
The most important thing is for Hibbert to work himself back into the groove he was in. The one thing that has eluded him is consistency, as he has flip-flopped from being "The Great Wall of Hibbert" to "Plain 'Ol Roy" and vice versa in the past few seasons.
Indy's fans will always want him to be "The Great Wall of Hibbert" each and every time.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are current as of Dec. 1 and are courtesy of ESPN.com.
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