The starting lineup that has brought renewal to the Pacers' season has been together long enough now to merit analysis. Beyond the numbers, however, the best thing about it might be the room it seems to have for improvement.
The quintet of Monta Ellis, Paul George, George Hill, Ian Mahinmi and Myles Turner has started eight games now. The Pacers have won six of those, with the two losses coming in an all-around collapse against Charlotte in the last game before the All-Star break and an overtime loss at Miami that could have been avoided by one more free throw by Ellis at the end of regulation – a game in which the Pacers jumped to a 16-2 lead.