Brooklyn vs Indiana Prediction: Did the Nets draw the right conclusions from the loss to the Pacers?

Brooklyn lost to Indiana at home less than two days ago, and the club even held a team meeting following the meeting to sort out the mistakes. Did the Nets draw the right conclusions from the loss to the Pacers?

As soon as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant came to the club, the isolation era began in Brooklyn. The Nets have been among the NBA leaders in this type of possession year in and year out, and they are now 4th in the league in average points in isolation (11.5). Brooklyn is potentially one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA, and yet they play such boring basketball. There is another paradox: Kevin Durant is the Nets' biggest star, while Kyrie Irving has the biggest impact on the club's play. Kyrie is one of the most efficient players in isolation, making the most pick-and-rolls as a ballhandler and even making an average of 3 more shots than Durant!

While Kyrie is a key player for the Nets, it needs to be clarified what Ben Simmons is even doing on the club. He doesn't get involved in pick-and-rolls, shoots 6 times a game, and sometimes even scores as many points as he commits fouls. That kind of player also needs to be surrounded by sharpshooters, which has been a big problem until recently. Seth Curry is just back from the injured reserve list, but his participation is questionable against Indiana. T.J. Warren will definitely not play, and Joe Harris could also miss 1 of the next 2 games.

In their last regular-season game, Steve Nash's team lost to Indiana 115-126. It was Brooklyn's fourth straight loss. Durant had a poor game with many penalties from beyond the arc, but Irving led the way with his 35 points and 6 assists. Seth Curry's season debut was disappointingly weak, hitting 5 three-pointers and not scoring.

Myles Turner, back from injury, is playing a very important role for Indiana, and chances are we'll see a very different team with him in the lineup. Not only has Turner become the NBA leader in average blocked shots from the get-go, but he's become the Pacers' primary option in pick-and-rolls. Indiana leads the NBA in this type of offense, with Isaiah Jackson and Jaylon Smith listed in the league's individual top-10, along with Turner. Surprisingly, the Pacers score very few points from the paint while actively engaging their big men.

Another Indiana trait is good fast-break play, ranking 4th in the NBA in that regard. Their quick turnovers also played a role in the recent game against Brooklyn, although the Pacers' success was primarily due to their high three-point percentage. Rick Carlisle's men shot 23 from beyond the arc, setting a franchise record. Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, and Bennedict Mathurin were the primary contributors, with a combined 17 long-range shots. Turner was suitably replaced by Isaiah Jackson, who made 8 of 13 shots from the field and scored 18 points. The win over Brooklyn was Indiana's third in seven regular-season games.

Brooklyn still has plenty of problems, as two basketball players enter the starting five without a shot. If that's the case, the focus will shift to shooting, and the potential absence of Seth Curry could play havoc with the Nets. Indiana should be slightly stronger with Turner's back, especially on defense under the basket. Yes, it is unlikely that the Pacers will make a record number of three-pointers again, but they won't need to do so to give the Nets a real shot. Our prediction for Brooklyn vs Indiana is as follows:

• Handicap 2 (+9.5) for 1.81;
• Indiana win including overtime for 3.80;
• Total Under 237.5 points for 1.65.