Zoning Out: Should the Pacers take a page from New Orleans? (Patreon)

On why the Pacers struggled to score against zone in New Orleans, and whether they should be playing zone themselves

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper 

With 6:16 to play in the first quarter, the Pacers were still within striking distance, trailing by only seven points, down 23-16, despite the fact that New Orleans had started the game shooting 10-of-11 from the field. From then on, as the Pelicans continued to fan the flames, canning all but two shots for the frame, the Pacers got outscored 25-10, going 0-of-6 from deep, while struggling to manufacture points against a zone that was being fed by the raging inferno that was the other end of the floor. 

For the game, which saw New Orleans lead by as many as 36 points, the Pacers were held scoreless on 15 of 22 zone possessions. Meanwhile, they've only played a total of 10 zone possessions for the year, most of which have come in the form of full-court press. As such, on a night when Tyrese Haliburton finished with zero points on only seven shots, perhaps there is something to be learned from how the Pacers were zoned out -- on both ends of the floor.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Well, that was certainly a game 

1:12 - Ongoing confusion with Pascal Siakam's role on defense

8:18 - Containing Zion - but at what cost?

10:48 - How the Pelicans changed the game with zone

18:30 - C.J. McCollum didn't get punished for playing at the bottom of the 2-3 zone

21:52 - Maybe, the Pacers should try this? 

Not unlike the game last night, this video probably wasn't very enjoyable, but it should at least be informative as to what led to some of the struggles that could continue for the Pacers.