Something has changed. Not only have the Indiana Pacers strung together their first multi-game win-streak of the 2016-17 season, their offense is humming. After ranking 20th offensively (scoring 102.5 points per 100 possessions) through their first 33 games, their efficiency (120.8) has been second only to the Boston Celtics over their last three, with two of their wins coming against top-15 defenses.
Minuscule sample size aside, such a dramatic surge deserves a more thorough investigation than to simply be shrugged off as the product of existing in a make or miss league.
More intriguing still is that the Pacers are actually playing slower, aren’t pulling the trigger any earlier in the shot clock, are still pounding the ball as much as ever, and haven’t measurably improved their player movement within possessions.