Without Domantas Sabonis, much of the focus will be on what the Pacers lose in cohesion and potentially gain in pace and ball-handling. But the changes can’t just be limited to the offensive end of the floor, where launching threes with staccato, rapid-fire bursts of drive-and-kick must suddenly serve as a replacement for inside-out craft and side-to-side fluidity; defensive tweaks will also be necessary. After starting the season with too much size to effectively chase opposing stretch fours, Indiana now faces the dilemma of not having enough size — or, rather, rock-solid sturdiness — to play up a position with small-ball.
The Pacers need to perfect the art of defending with speed
