Q. Some Pacers fans may recall when the best team ever got beat by the Pacers in April, 1996. This was the Bulls team that finished 72-10. Just as the San Antonio Spurs got beat by the Pacers on March 7, 2016, both of these great teams had only 9 losses coming into the game (the Bulls were 71-9 and the Spurs were 53-9).

The Bulls team in 1996 had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Toni Kukoc, who combined for 55 points, while the Pacers were without Reggie Miller (who had suffered an eye injury about a week earlier). If the Warriors get to 73 wins this April, thereby breaking the record, Steve Kerr (who went 2 for 9 in that loss to the Pacers) will need to also thank the Pacers franchise for their contribution 20 years ago, in the second-to-last game of the regular season, which prevented Jordan's team from getting 73.

My question is: Who is the better 3-point shooter: Reggie or PG?

-Joe

A. We'll have to wait until Paul George completes his playing career to truly answer that question. But if we're going to compare Miller over his 18 seasons with George to this point of his career, the obvious answer would be Miller, based on percentages and timeliness.

Miller hit 39.5 percent of his 3-pointers in his career – and 39 percent in the playoffs, if you happen to be interested in that. His playoff percentage was higher after 15 seasons, but Father Time began contesting more shots in the postseason those last few seasons.

George, now in his sixth season, if you count the six games he played last season, was a career 36 percent three-point shooter heading into this season. He's shooting 37 percent this season, so he's not moving the needle much.

I've written before that George has a chance to be a better overall player than Miller because of his superior athleticism. The most impressive thing about Miller to me was that he maxed out his potential. For a guy who really wasn't that athletic by NBA standards, he had an incredible career because of his work ethic and self-discipline (oh, yeah, and his shot-making).

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George, though, is taller, stronger, quicker and a better jumper. You were never going to see Miller execute a 360-degree dunk, such as the kind that got George on Jimmy Kimmel. That alone doesn't make George a better player, but his athleticism allows him to be a better defender and rebounder, and he likely will finish with a higher assist average than Miller as well.

George has yet to have a season when he shoots better than 40 percent from behind the 3-point line, excluding last season's six-game season. That, to me, is pretty much the dividing line between the good and great 3-point shooters. Miller surpassed the 40 threshold 10 times, including his 17th season.

And then there's the clutch element of Miller's 3-point shooting, such as he displayed numerous times in the playoffs, most notably in Madison Square Garden.

So, yeah, Miller.

Q. I was hoping to see this Pacers team get everything turned around after the All-Star break and for the first two games, it appeared they had made the proper adjustments – then came continued inconsistent play and playing at the .500 clip.

This move to get Ty Lawson seems refreshing for Ty is in serious need to clean up his image and continue to have "staying power" in this league and the Pacers were in dire straits to get a healthy point guard.

I am encouraged by this move which came as a surprise and I knew the odd-man-out would be Chase Budinger as he falls well too low in the depth charts compared to others at the wing and, for the most part, did not deem to find an identity in the game rotations.

Having a true point guard will open many doors for us and hopefully give us the needed spacing and if Ty excels with us, I could see him moving into the starting rotation and moving George Hill to a starting shooting guard, then Monta to the second unit. There are going to be some interesting dynamics in how this all works out for sure, yet the one thing we all know is that team is in serious need of some direction and better consistency throughout. Let's cross our fingers and hope this works out for all sides.

-Wayne

A. There's no question here, but you raise some points worth discussing.

I agree, acquiring Lawson was an obvious call. It was too bad for Budinger to be asked to move along, but he had a fair opportunity to prove himself with the Pacers and never took advantage. Fortunately for him he landed in Phoenix, where he can take another shot at re-establishing himself in the NBA.

Lawson, meanwhile, is established, despite his failed run in Houston earlier this season. That was a bad fit from Day One. He wasn't going to be a good match with James Harden, because both need the ball to be effective. They should have called me last summer, I would have tipped them off to that detail, and not even billed them.

Lawson's issues with alcohol also are well-established, but he is worthy of another opportunity. I've only talked with him a few times, and he comes across as a nice guy. I've met a lot of athletes with drinking issues over the years, and there's no connection between that and their character. Rick Mears and Al Unser Jr., for example. He says it's behind him, and he obviously realizes the need to finish this season strong and earn another contract.

He also seems to have no problem playing off the bench with the Pacers, and that's where I expect him to finish the season as long as Ellis and George are healthy. I don't see Lawson and Ellis having very good chemistry, as both need to have the ball to be at their best. Ellis can play off it, but he's not a catch-and-shoot guard, and neither is Lawson. I don't see Ellis moving to the bench this late in the season, but should he suffer an injury Lawson could step in.

Q. What is the ceiling for this team? In the playoffs, what round can they get to?

-Jose via Twitter

A. I've asked a few players that question, and the answer is that they believe they can get home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. I agree. The top two spots are out of reach, but the third and fourth are possible given the Pacers' schedule.

If you have home court advantage in the opening round, you certainly expect to get to the second. Anything after that would be a bonus for the Pacers, but they're capable of it. They've proven they can beat the top teams in the East, and they've defeated San Antonio and Oklahoma City as well. If they have a healthy roster and if Lawson works out as they think he can, they would be difficult to eliminate.

Q. If the Pacers are smart they'll bring in a big man coach to help Myles Turner on footwork, moves, etc. sooner rather than later.

-Joey D via Twitter

A. By Pacers I assume you mean Larry Bird, who would be the one to hire such a coach. They already have one, though, in Popeye Jones, who has been working with Turner after practice to refine his post-up game.

Turner's tutor back in Texas, Ken "Slim" Roberson, says he has skills he hasn't yet displayed. I talked with him for a story I wrote on Turner last month.

"There's a lot of things we worked on over the years we haven't even implemented," Roberson said. "As you see him get more and more comfortable as games go on, you'll see him do some back-down stuff – jump hooks over both shoulders, up-and-under-moves, you'll see a whole lot of things. The more comfortable he gets, the more of his arsenal he'll display."

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We shall see. He's still awkward around the basket, sometimes putting up off-balance shots, but he's got an impressive game for 19 and he seems to have the worth ethic to refine it for years to come.

Q. How is team chemistry? It seems fairly good but sometimes it looks like Paul George is disconnected from the squad.

-Jake via Twitter

A. If you're talking about the team chemistry in the locker room and away from the court, it's good. Great, probably. These guys get along well, and are an easy group to be around. George doesn't disconnect at all. He interacts well with everyone, including the media, and shows no ego hangups. I think he's sometimes distracted by stardom and its trappings, but that doesn't affect how he gets along with people.

I don't see a problem on the court, either. When they struggle, such as in the game at Atlanta, it's not because of chemistry. It's more because of their occasional lack of fire. This is a laid-back group, which makes them easy to get along with but sometimes leads to clunkers such as that one.

Have a question for Mark? Want it to be on Pacers.com? Email him at askmontieth@gmail.com and you could be featured in his next mailbag.

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