Pacers’ bench may no longer be a complete dreg on the starters

The games didn’t count for anything, but Indiana’s reserves posted an aggregate bench net rating of plus-8.6 points per 100 possessions during the team’s four-game preseason slate, a mark which ranked above league average. Albeit, mediocrity typically isn’t something to aspire toward; however, for the Pacers, surpassing that threshold is noteworthy.

Think of it this way, even a modest hill can be something to behold when located amid the plains of the Midwest. While keeping that analogy in mind, consider that Indiana’s bench only managed to break even twice over the entirety of the Paul George-era, topping out at plus-2.8 during his lost season when widespread injuries blurred the lines…