Five observations from the Pacers' preseason loss to the Hawks

The Pacers suffered a 131-130 defeat in their preseason opener to the Hawks on a last-second 3-pointer by Atlanta's Seth Lundy, which would have been a heartbreaking way to start the season if the game actually counted.

Of course, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle used all the freedom that comes with games in which the results don't matter. He played his starters 16 minutes in the first half but didn't use them at all in the second half, even when the Hawks were playing starters. He kept the second unit together for extended minutes in both the first and second halves, getting work for a group that played smaller than it usually would due to injuries to centers Myles Turner and Isaiah Jackson that led power forward Obi Toppin to taking on work as the 5 man. And Carlisle used the fourth quarter to evaluate players at the end of his bench, using just one member of his second unit and getting work for all three Pacers who are on two-way contracts.

So keeping in mind that the purpose of this exercise for the Pacers was to get a better sense of what they have with 15 days before the opener, here are five observations.

James Wiseman can carry out the assignment

It was, of course, mentioned more than once on the NBA TV broadcast that James Wiseman was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, that his ceiling is high and that if he reaches his potential he can raise the Pacers' ceiling significantly. This narrative gained more focus because Wiseman started with Turner (right knee contusion) and Jackson (strained right hamstring) out and scored eight points on 4 of 4 shooting and grabbed four rebounds including two on the offensive glass.

But for the Pacers, and perhaps for Wiseman himself, it's probably best -- as Carlisle suggested in his media day press conference -- to forget about where Wiseman was drafted and set him up for success by keeping his assignment simple. He was asked to do only what is expected of reserve centers on a veteran minimum contract, run the floor, finish easy looks around the basket and rebound. Don't think about what it will take to perform like a focal point of the offense and become a franchise centerpiece worthy of the investment the Golden State Warriors put in him. Just do the basics.

Because at this point, it sure seems like Wiseman can do the basics. If you count Fan Jam, he's 8 of 10 from the floor so far in his first two games in a Pacers jersey (that didn't count). His 7-1, 240-pound size stands out even in a league populated by giants, he's in good enough condition to maintain the pace that Indiana runs and he moves well without the ball to find space around the rim while others are driving to be there for easy dump-offs.

And that's all Wiseman has to do to make himself a bargain and a trust-worthy center option off the bench. He'll certainly be in some kind of rotation behind Turner with Jackson, and there will be times the leaner, high-leaping Jackson is the better option. And, of course, Turner is the undisputed starter. But Wiseman can be a force by just staying within himself.

Andrew Nembhard continues to attack

Andrew Nembhard said after Fan Jam that he feels a lot more confident now that he knows how effective he can be when he looks to score. He doesn't have to take every shot. He doesn't have to get in anyone's way or take the ball out of Tyrese Haliburton's hands. But if he plays with enough aggression to make himself an offensive threat, that makes the Pacers that much harder to guard.

His performance on Tuesday was another sign of how many different ways he could make an impact. He was slippery on the dribble drive, sliding into spots in the paint or just outside of it for pull-ups and floaters. But he also showed how helpful he can be moving without the ball with an eye on scoring. When Pascal Siakam was being double teamed along the baseline in the first quarter, Nembhard cut down to the block so Siakam could hit him with an easy pass for a layup. Nembhard finished with 10 points on 4 of 7 shooting with three assists, maintaining his momentum heading into his second preseason game.

Pascal Siakam looks more comfortable

Pascal Siakam was comparatively quiet in Fan Jam, but was dominant in his 16 minutes of work on Tuesday, scoring 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting, knocking down 3 of 4 3-pointers and dishing out four assists.

Siakam's spin move is still as much of a problem as always. He's dynamite in the midrange, and, of course, when he's on point from 3-point range he's an almost impossible cover. Going through a preseason camp with his teammates is clearly giving him more comfort in the offense and he has an even better sense of how to play off of them. The Pacers knew they could depend on him already but he might be even more of an efficient weapon than he was last year.

The defense is still hit or miss

For the game's first six minutes, the Pacers' defense looked like it might be starting from an advanced position to where it was last year. Indiana took a 22-5 lead as the Hawks scored all of two field goals in that period. Jalen Johnson hit a driving pull-up and Dyson Daniels got an easy cut for a layup, but the Pacers were nearly flawless otherwise. Nembhard was fighting through screens to stay in Trae Young's face and the rest of the Hawks weren't doing much to take advantage.

And after that the Hawks outscored the Pacers 30-9 for the rest of the quarter, finishing the first period 12 of 20 from the floor with 1.37 points per possession.

Some of that was on the second unit which was -13 in its time on the floor, but the first unit was -8 after the first six minutes.

The Pacers had other stretches where they put up strong resistance, such as the 11-0 run to start the second quarter. They held the Hawks to 10 of 29 shooting in the second period including 1 of 11 shooting from 3-point range. But in the third quarter they allowed 41 points on 14 of 18 shooting, a gaudy 1.39 points per possession. That was, in part, because the Pacers' second unit played the Hawks starters and the Hawks' second unit was on the floor when the Pacers dug deeper.

Still, the Pacers would hope their second unit could stop another team's starters from shooting 78% from the floor with 22 points in the paint in a single quarter. The Hawks hit two 3-pointers and one mid-range jumper in that period, but everything else was in the lane with most of those shots coming at the rim. Two buckets were on fast breaks, but for the most part the Hawks were able to get open looks in the half court.

Again, there's only so much to be taken from a preseason game in which each team approached the exercise differently, but there will be a lot on tape that they won't be thrilled about.

Cole Swider has started strong

Cole Swider figured the best way to make his case for the final roster spot would be to make 3s and be the kind of movement shooter that fits the Pacers' needs. That's true and he's shown positive signs in that department, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers on Tuesday.

But that might be enough for him to hold off Kendall Brown, who had a pair of steals in Tuesday's game. Swider has to produce at least a little bit more and the six rebounds he grabbed were a pretty good start. He also made a mid-range jumper and got a bucket close to the rim, showing that he has an offensive game outside of the 3-ball. Anything he could show would be helpful especially as Carlisle has indicated that he's also considering the players on two-way contracts for the last spot. Quenton Jackson has had arguably the best performance of anyone near the bottom of the bench when you combine Fan Jam and the first preseason game, and Swider has to use his size to his advantage to prove he deserves the spot.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Five observations from the Pacers' preseason loss to the Hawks