The Indiana Pacers are in the midst of their most prolonged slump of the season and their are rumblings the addition of new guard Evan Turner could be causing chemistry issues.
The team with the NBA's best record has now lost three in a row following their 112-86 loss to Houston Friday night, prompting players to hold an impromptu meeting outside their team locker room after the Rockets' debacle.
Since acquiring Turner from the Philadelphia 76ers for Danny Granger at the trade deadline, the Pacers are just 5-3 overall, with Turner averaging just nine points and two assists. What's more. the team which all season long has openly admitted to desiring the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed appears in danger of surrendering that distinction to the two-time defending champion and arch-nemesis Miami Heat.
"We haven't talked about the No. 1 seed in a while," center Roy Hibbert admitted to ESPN. "We just need to win games at this point. Something has got to change. Something is going to be addressed."
At the head of the list would seem to be the Pacers' trademark defense, which in recent games has shown noticeable signs of slippage. Over their last 10 games, Indiana is allowing 46 percent shooting and 100 points per game, compared to their first 40 games when they allowed just 41 percent shooting and 88 points a game.
"Every team we play is playing above themselves," Pacers coach Frank Vogel told ESPN. "Our guys can talk about being the hunted but it's a different thing to feel it. These teams are coming at us with great force and we're going to have to rise to the challenge."
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