Central Division

Indiana Pacers Power Rankings - 2011-12

Power Ranking
WEEKRECORDRANKCOMMENT
Week 1741-236One of this season's more eclectic (and impressive) stats: Indy had only two players on the roster making more than $3 mil (Granger and D-West) before the trade-deadline acquisition of Barbosa. And one of those two (Granger) has been at his most efficient and effective in April to spark the Pacers' 11-2 month.
Week 1638-227Thanks to a 4-0 road mark this month, Indy has managed to clinch its first winning record away from home since going 27-14 way back in 2003-04. Frank Vogel's surging Pacers have likewise already racked up more wins in this 66-game season than they did in any of the five previous 82-game seasons.
Week 1534-227If we're busting on all the top contenders (Spurs aside) for their collective inability to build up a head of steam as the playoffs approach, it's only right to point out that the Pacers jumped out to a 4-0 start in April before the Celts -- having dropped three of the teams' previous four meetings -- put the clamps on 'em.
Week 1431-218How unexpected was the rally in Houston that nudged the Pacers to 10 games over .500? According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Indy had lost its previous 51 road games in which it trailed by 10 or more points at the end of the third quarter ... dating to a win in November 2008 on the same Toyota Center floor.
Week 1328-1911Collison and P-George are the NBA's only backcourt mates to start in every single game this season now that the Kobe/Derek Fisher tag team has been busted up. That's pretty much the nicest thing we could say about the slipping Pacers until they went to Milwaukee on Saturday night and unexpectedly won by 21.
Week 1225-1815Yikes: Roy Hibbert is averaging just 9.6 ppg and 7.4 rpg since repping the Pacers in Orlando as an All-Star first-timer. Yikes II: The Knicks were 0-11 in road games against teams with winning records before they went to Indy on St. Patrick's Day and made D-Granger eat his words for the second time in a space of 48 hours.
Week 1123-1611The Pacers want us to believe they're a serious dark horse to do some playoff damage, but they haven't backed it up yet in the games that matter most. With three days to focus on Friday night's showdown in Miami, Indy still couldn't avoid late mistakes in the most crushing L of a challenging week.
Week 1023-126After capitalizing on a soft schedule for six straight Ws and an edge in the race for the East's No. 3 seed, Indy goes to Chicago to see the Bulls for the first time since the Pacers' postgame celebrations on Jan. 25 so angered our No. 1. Sidebar: With one more road win, Indy matches last season's total of 13.
Week 922-129Thanks to all the uncertainty surrounding Orlando's future, Al Horford's potentially season-ending torn labrum in Atlanta, New York's slow start and Boston's losing fight with Father Time, No. 3 in the East is more up-for-grabs than anyone anticipated. Think I still like Indy best to snag it even after that recent 1-5 nosedive.
Week 819-1214The committee (of one) will not be placated by a narrow home win over the Nets and a rout of the eminently stomp-able Bobcats. Not after the Pacers came to Dallas, wowed the watching committee in person and then acted like the season ended right there by dropping six of the next seven with little fire.
Week 717-107The list of teams to avoid two losses in a row is down to one after Indy and Philly both dropped out of that exclusive club last week. The Pacers, though, get a pardon here thanks to their 8-8 record against .500-or-better teams. Ditto for the fact they've played only 10 home games so far.
Week 616-73The city is all theirs again with the Super Bowl circus leaving town. And after the show the committee (of one) was just treated to -- when Indy added the defending champs to a list of road victims that already includes the Bulls, Lakers, Celts and Magic -- our only complaint for now is that they don't call it Conseco anymore.
Week 513-65The fact they're now on the reigning MVP's hit list got all the attention -- "I will never forget how they celebrated just from winning this game," D-Rose announced Wednesday night -- but the Pacers are still on another important list: Indy, Philly and Chicago are the only teams yet to lose two in a row this season.
Week 411-46Who had Indy as one of the last two teams, along with Chicago, to be unbeaten at home? Who had the Pacers winning games like Sunday night's in Lakerland when Granger is shooting 35.5 percent? The schedule has been kind, but the truth is they could (and should) be 13-2.
Week 39-39Don't think you'll be hearing Pacer People outwardly clamoring to see the Celts in the opening round of the playoffs, but the early home-and-road wins over Boston do have Indy quietly believing that the idea of a top-four finish in the East is not so unreasonable.
Week 26-211Question: Why is Danny Granger, who's averaged at least 19.6 ppg since 2007-08, down to 14.9 ppg? Answer: These Pacers, who just rode their newfound balance to a nice little win in Boston, have a whopping seven players scoring in double figures.
Week 13-112Landing David West in free agency, at a very reasonable $20 million over two years, was an undeniable coup for the Pacers. D-West, though, has started slowly for a team that really should be 4-0, shooting 18-for-49 from the floor (36.7 percent).
Preseason37-4513The Pacers signed a marquee free agent at a bargain price in D-West and could choose to shop Granger if they really want to shake things up with P-George in place. I'd have 'em in the East's top four had they landed Jamal Crawford or O.J. Mayo, too.
Training Camp19-120The committee (of one) will not be placated by a narrow home win over the Nets and a rout of the eminently stomp-able Bobcats. Not after the Pacers came to Dallas, wowed the watching committee in person and then acted like the season ended right there by dropping six of the next seven with little fire.

Indiana Pacers