NBA Power Rankings: The Pacers are doing more with less Monta Ellis

One after another, the disappointing teams in the Eastern Conference have been sprinting up the standings. No team has done so more quietly has been the Indiana Pacers.

Back on Dec. 28, the Pacers were 15-18, a bitterly frustrating start for a team that added Jeff Teague, Thaddeus Young, and Al Jefferson in the offseason. Paul George was fuming and struggling while Indiana was stuck in a bog with any number of other East squads, including Washington, Charlotte, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Chicago.

Indiana has since gone 14-4 over its last 18 games and is currently riding a seven-game win streak into a Wednesday showdown with the top-seed Cavaliers. While the Pacers sit in the No. 6 spot, they are just two games out of the No. 3 seed. Home-court advantage is within reach.

So, what’s changed?

Monta Ellis injured his groin in early December and missed a couple of weeks. He then came back as a reserve as Glenn Robinson III took Monta’s starting spot, apparently for good. Since the change, the Pacers have the No. 8 defense and No. 9 offense in the league.

The numbers bear out on a lineup basis, too. The normal four starters — George, Myles Turner, Young, and Teague — have played roughly equal minutes with Ellis and Robinson. The starting four with Monta are -55 on the season. The starting four with Robinson are +45. C.J. Miles has played quite a bit with the standard starting four, especially recently, and that lineup (+46 over 193 minutes) has been solid, as well.

Less Monta Ellis has been a positive for the Pacers.

Perhaps this also has to do with Ellis’ reduced role, but Teague looks much better running the Pacers offense since late December. He averaged almost 10 assists per game in January, and he’s building good chemistry with George.

Losing George Hill in the trade that brought Teague to Indy has been overlooked: just look at how good the Jazz have been to see Hill’s value. Hill knew how to work with the high-usage PG-13 and still keep defenses honest. Teague is figuring that out.

Again, switching out a ball-control two-guard in Ellis for role players in Robinson or Miles helps. The more Teague, George, and Turner have the ball, the better for the Pacers.

Speaking of which ...

Turner is still just 20 years old, averaging 15-7-2 for a good team while shooting 52 percent from the floor and 38 percent on a modest number of threes. On defense, he’s not quite peak Roy Hibbert, but he’s an approximation. On offense, he’s the most talented big man George has ever played with. (No disrespect to Josh McRoberts or Tyler Hansbrough intended!)

Turner’s usage remains fairly modest, and that’s totally fine. The excellence of George coupled with Teague’s increased comfort has allowed Turner to develop organically. That’s different than you’d find on bad teams, where young players are forced to take on much more from the start and develop bad habits. (We’re seeing that with Kristaps Porzingis a bit, I fear.) This is really a perfect situation for Turner, and he’s making the most of it.

The Wizards formally announced their arrival against the Cavaliers on Monday. The Pacers could do the same against Cleveland on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, League Pass). Even if they don’t, the other teams at the top of the East had better keep an eye on the Pacers. They are coming.

And now, this week’s NBA Power Rankings based on Rating +.

No team is remotely as bad as the Brooklyn Nets. It’s not even close to being close. The Nets are 9-43; the next worse team has 16 wins. So Boston is basically guaranteed a top-four pick in the top-heavy 2017 NBA draft and will have the best chance at winning No. 1 overall. What a world.

According to Rating +, the Timberwolves are the best team right now in the chase for the West No. 8 seed thanks to a fairly average offense and defense. Their problem has been failing to win close games. Minnesota is 6-11 in games decided by fewer than five points or in overtime.

That has led to the Wolves sitting 4.5 games out of No. 8 with a bunch of teams in front of them. That’s too much ground to make up, but it does bode well for a fresh start next season, depending on what Tom Thibodeau does with the roster.

Utah has jumped three spots in the Power Rankings to No. 3. The defense has been spectacular all season, but the offense is now coming along as the team gets healthier. The Jazz are now on pace for 52 wins with a growing lead over the Clippers and Grizzlies for the No. 4 seed and a clear shot at Houston for No. 3 (which puts off a potential series with the Warriors until the conference finals).