INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- The Indiana Pacers lost their preseason opener against the New Orleans Pelicans by a score of 110-105. Both teams were led by their stars in limited minutes; Paul George and Anthony Davis both tied for a game-high 18 points.

This game was the debut of the Pacers' new style of play. Indiana wants to run a pace-and-space offense that utilizes a 4-out, 1-in base set. The Pacers did well from a volume stand point, but they struggled with their efficiency. Indiana's offense was solid for the first preseason game.

Indiana struggled with their defensive production, specifically with their team defensive rotations. That was expected by the Pacers especially since they weren't able to make this a point of emphasis in training camp. A few players looked rusty against their individual defensive assignments, but the group as a whole looked lost in their team defensive concepts. Indiana expects their defensive efficiency and capabilities to improve as they get more preseason games and practices under their belt.

The team apparently didn't sell Paul George on the effectiveness of their defense when running this small-ball style of play. George believes that it will be too much of a liability moving forward. This could change after the talk that he is going to have with the Pacers' coaching staff and management. Things could get better with more practice and preseason games if the team and George come to the conclusion that small ball is the way to go. 

Paul George addressed his defensive concerns about playing the power forward position with the media after this game (via Candance Buckner):

"I don’t know if I’m cut out for a four spot. Defensively, it’s rough. It’s rough. It’s an adjustment because I’m not used to doing some of the things out there. It’s not just myself. The four other guys out there, it’s an adjustment for them. We’re all talking a couple other guys are uncomfortable with how we’re going to run it. It’s new to everyone. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it.

Paul George stated that he believes that their offensive production with small ball doesn't outweigh the defensive weakness (via Candace Buckner):

"I mean, you put four wings out there. At times we’re going to kick some ass. We’re going to look good at times. But then you know there’s going to be times when it’s not going to look so good."

Paul George gave this answer when asked whether he feels more comfortable with two big men on the court (via Candace Buckner):

“I’m not saying it but that definitely felt more comfortable."

Indiana will likely start Jordan Hill at power forward if they decide that Paul George should move back to small forward. This is very possible considering the fact that George is not comfortable about playing at the four. Hill proved tonight that he is more than capable of being an asset to the starting lineup at power forward.

With the use of Paul George at small forward, the team would be able to give more minutes to not only Jordan Hill, but to Lavoy Allen as well. Both players have size, strength, and a versatile skill set that could really pair nicely with the other players in the rotation. This is a win-win-win considering the fact that Paul George would be able to play at a comfortable position, Jordan Hill would get to start and be utilized with the starting unit, and Lavoy Allen would be able to contribute off of the bench. Of course, this is just an option, in no way is this stating that this is the best option.

The Pacers' offense and defense was most effective when they went with a traditional power forward like Lavoy Allen and Jordan Hill. After studying film and having that talk with Paul George and the other players, the coaching staff could be ready to shift back to a traditional scheme with a traditional power forward. But there is also the possibility that the team could look to try out this pace-and-space scheme throughout the preseason to make a final decision on their base strategy.

In regards to team stats, the Pacers' full stats were; 38-92 (41.3%) FGM-A, 10-35 (28.6%) 3PM-A, 19-31 (61.3%) FTM-A, 18 OREB, 44 DREB, 62 REB, 21 AST, 10 STL, 16 BLK, 20 TO, 27 PF, 105 PTS. The team's advanced stats included; 19 fast break points, 19 points in the paint, 11 forced turnovers, nine points scored off turnovers, and they allowed 25 points off turnovers.

New Orleans recorded the following team stats; 37-103 (35.9%) FGM-A, 11-42 (34.4%) 3PM-A, 25-37 (67.6%) FTM-A, 19 OREB, 36 DREB, 55 REB, 16 AST, 9 STL, 3 BLK, 11 TO, 22 PF, 110 PTS. Their advanced stats included; 22 fast break points, 42 points in the paint, 25 points scored off turnovers, 20 forced turnovers, and nine points allowed on turnovers.

Indiana's defense couldn't do a good enough job to get the win because it was too tall of a task to overcome their lack of offensive efficiency, as well as their lack of control in the turnover department. It wasn't a matter of their scheme or not knowing what they were doing, it was a matter of not properly executing the fundamental aspects like ball control and knocking down good shots. The Pelicans simply did a better job of controlling the ball and got a significantly larger amount of attempts from the field, which is important when both teams are shooting poorly from all aspects of the game. All of these bad aspects of their performance should improve as the team gets more practice and preseason game experience.