Have Pacers hit rock bottom this time?

Coming off a four-day NBA Cup break, the Pacers have had time to work on what ails them. Did they find answers to all of their questions?

As the remaining seconds ticked down in Brooklyn last week, waiting to finalize another disappointing loss for the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton sat briefly alone on the bench, head in his hands as he started to absorb another disappointing night.

Could it get any worse? This certainly seemed like rock bottom even if it was just 23 games into the season.

The bounce back appeared in process with the Pacers win over the Bulls two days later in Chicago. A hardcore walk thru shifted the focus of the team and they responded with a fast-paced, high scoring win before heading home.

The question was obvious: Would this win be looked on as a turning point in the season? Did they have to hit rock bottom before getting better? Would this springboard the Pacers forward as they enjoy improved health?

The answers were quick to come and all the same: Nope, nada, not this time.

Amazingly, the Pacers were able to break up the rocks and dig a little deeper in a home loss to Charlotte on Sunday.

Considering the Hornets were missing several vital players in their rotation and a monster effort by the Pacers would be rewarded with four days off and a chance to practice to continue building on what worked in Chicago, it was prime time to keep the good times rolling.

Instead, the Pacers hit a new rock bottom, somehow finding a way to alter the definition of rock bottom. More to the point about looking back late in the season to recall a turning point -- this loss to Charlotte was a new turning point, in the wrong direction.

If they can't respond for more than one day at a time, changing the rotations and/or the players in the rotation will be an obvious move by the trade deadline in early February, if not sooner.

TJ McConnell scored a career-high 30 points off the bench against the Hornets, but Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner were strangely impotent. The trio combined for 28 points, none more than 10 points. Turner only played 21 minutes but Haliburton and Siakam logged normal mid-30s starters’ minutes.

Haliburton took just two shots in the first half. Siakam took eight shots the whole game and only one shot with zero points in the fourth quarter of a four-point loss. The passivity of these two was noticeable with only a couple of bursts of urgency to try to change things. The elite offense of last season is now ranked 19th in the league in offensive efficiency, while the defense is ranked 24th in the league which results in a net ranking that is 23rd in the league.

What is wrong with the two leaders of this team? Inconsistencies abound throughout the playing rotation but it starts at the top.

Siakam started the season playing at an All-Star level, averaged over 21 points per game in November. He's averaging under 15 points in the five December games so far. Is he worn out from carrying a heavy load earlier in the season? Or is he worn out by frustration?

In Chicago, with less than a minute to play and the W secure with a 10-point lead, Siakam went to grab an uncontested rebound with three other teammates (Myles, Tyrese and TJ) near the ball. Before the ball bounced off the rim, Siakam yelled, "I got it. I got it. Get the fuck out!"

Not a huge thing in the grand scheme of things surrounding the Pacers, but it seemed odd and made me raise an eye brow. Siakam wouldn’t be the first player looking to pad some stats in a decided game and I'm all for communication, just seemed a tad aggressive, no? Myles Turner also called off teammates on an earlier rebound, making sure they knew it was his, although not nearly as harsh.

These minor examples seem to be an indication of how the team chemistry has deteriorated a bit since last year. Again, over communicating is great considering it often appears there is little to no communication on the defensive end. But from a chemistry standpoint, there has been much speculation that there are issues among the team off the court. That won't be revealed or even denied, but those chemistry issues have been undeniable at times as the team's struggle to connect ON the court.

Regardless, the effort and success the group as a whole put forth in Chicago seemed like a weight was lifted off the collected group and fun had returned. The fact they couldn't sustain that good feeling for even one game doesn't bode well for digging deep together to work out of this early hole. Particularly since that next game was against a severely short-handed team (Charlotte) with just five wins against teams other than the Pacers. Former Pacers two-way player, Isaiah Wong had 7 fourth quarter points to help put his former team away. What?

The Pacers don't seem to be getting the leadership they need from Haliburton and Siakam nor have enough guys on the rest of the roster willing to follow and play their part. This magical NBA Cup break with four days off and just two games over an 11 day stretch, should give the Pacers plenty of time to practice on the court while also having the opportunity to share film study and man-to-man conversations off the court to work through the issues that ail them.

At 10-15, the Pacers have to find answers to all of the questions mentioned above, along with others, in order to find sustainable solutions before the front office is forced to make roster altering moves in their quest for the same answers.

Photo: @Pacers