Candace Buckner

candace.buckner@indystar.com

This is the first installment of a five-part positional breakdown of the 2013-14 Indiana Pacers. Today, we examine the point guard position.

GEORGE HILL

As the Indiana Pacers ascended to the top of the league, and all the spoils of this newfound popularity were thrown at their feet, one starter remained in the shadows.

While the four others claimed their identities, fully entrenched in their roles, point guard George Hill often took the floor as the forgotten man. As the offense flowed through Lance Stephenson and All-Star Paul George, Hill finished with his worst statistical season as a regular starter (10.3 points and 3.5 assists per game).

Hill, who never made a public fuss about his decreased role, could not figure out the delicate balance of staying aggressive on the floor while operating as the fourth or fifth scoring option. Even so, Hill could have carved himself out a necessary niche in the Pacers' offense.

From a statistical perspective, he was one of the best spot-up shooters among the rotational players. Hill made 39.5 percent of his 3-point spot-up attempts this season and while moving off screens, he was even better at 48.4 percent (15-of-31). And yet, therein lies the conundrum with Hill — he only created 31 3-point opportunities all season with a play that clearly was successful. And he never consistently presented himself as a threat to space the floor.

Hill started and played in 76 games and on nearly half of those nights (35), he scored between zero and nine points. On March 26, Hill logged his second highest minutes of the regular season in a slim victory over the Miami Heat and during his 41:07 time on the court, he attempted four shots. Hill shot an air ball four minutes into the game, then remained gun shy until the third quarter when he finally attempted another shot — a layup, blocked at the rim. Hill finished that game with four points. All told, he played 40-plus minutes four times this season and only once scored more than 10 points in those games.

Just as puzzling, there were nights when the Broad Ripple High School version of Hill surfaced. Hill, who led the state in scoring as a local high school product, played his most aggressive game on Feb. 7 when he scored a career-high 37 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. In highlights of that game, Hill looked more like the All-NBA point guard Damian Lillard — his matchup that night — than the passive fifth option of the shaky Indiana offense. Hill excelled in the pick-and-roll game, assertively coming off screens to fire in open perimeter looks. He even showed his rare post-up game and roamed the shot clock early for good shots. It was a refreshing change of pace for Hill, who followed that night by scoring in double figures in five of the next seven games.

However, after the All-Star break, much like his teammates, Hill's production waned. He attempted less shots, less free throws, pulled down fewer rebounds and averaged just 8.8 points through the final 27 games of the regular season. Several reasons factored into the Pacers' offense losing its way — half-hearted screening by the bigs, bad movement around the floor and poor passing — but because someone had to take the blame, the forgotten starter shouldered much of it.

Hill, who will be the first to admit he is not a point guard, ranked 26th in player efficiency among NBA point guards who played more than 30 games this season. While Hill fits in well into the Pacers' defensive identity, he has struggled to influence the other end on a consistent basis.

"I love how he defends. You ain't going to find any better defending the point," said team president of basketball operations Larry Bird. "I would like him to be more active on the offensive end. I think George turns down a lot of opportunities to score. And with Lance out there, a lot of times Lance brings the ball up the court, he initiates a lot of the offense.

"Lately, I've been hearing a lot of talk about our point guard situation. I like George. But you never know what's going to happen in the summer," Bird continued. "I love the way he defends. He plays the hardest position on the court. Would I like him to be more aggressive on the offensive end? Yes."

C.J. WATSON

Watson, who much like the man he backed up all season, dealt with a secondary role on the bench unit. While the reserves played through the early stages of the second quarters, Stephenson, a starter, would anchor that five-man unit. So with Stephenson often bringing the ball up, and sometimes even Evan Turner for a while, Watson played off the creators of the offense and made his mark beyond the open arc or provided the Pacers a boost in their most sorely lacking department, transition plays.

More than any other rotational player, Watson was involved in 135 potential scoring plays in the fast break. According to Synergy Sports, when Watson got out in transition, it resulted in a score 45 percent of the time. However, as Watson missed 17-of-18 games with elbow and hamstring issues through March and April, the second unit struggled, placing more pressure on the starters to contribute. During that span, the Pacers went 7-11.

Although Watson returned with three strong games before the playoffs, his production decreased as the postseason wore on, much like the rest of the bench. Watson averaged 8.1 points against Atlanta in the first round but finished with a 3.7 point-per-game average against Miami in the conference finals.

DONALD SLOAN

Sloan usually performed as the third-string point guard who stepped on the floor late in a Pacers' blowout win. Fan favorite Chris Copeland might have drawn the loudest cheers but Sloan fit right in with the "Jack Boys" crew, so named because those players would try to jack up as many shots as possible once finally released from the sideline.

Sloan did get a legitimate opportunity, stepping into the second unit while Watson was hurt. However, even with only two point guards on roster, Sloan did not get the full backing as Hill's backup.

Through March, as Watson sat, Sloan averaged 10.1 minutes. During that same month, Hill spiked to 36.2, nearly seven minutes more than he had played in February.

Sloan was a shaky shooter (23.8 percent from the 3-point arc) and a defender abused by the pick-and-roll (the play resulted in an opponent's score 45.5 percent of the time). So the Pacers will have to make a decision on whether or not he should return as the third option. Last summer, Sloan signed a two-year deal however the Pacers can waive him this August to forgo guaranteeing his second season.

Call Star reporter Candace Buckner at (317) 444-6121. Follow her on Twitter: @CandaceDBuckner.