The highlights are great. But so is the stuff between the highlights. Here are some things you may have missed from the last week (or so) of games …

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PACERS WORK OFF THE BALL

Tue. Dec. 4 – Chicago @ Indiana

Last season, the Indiana Pacers were 0-7 without Victor Oladipo. This season, they’re 5-4 (counting the game in which Oladipo was injured in the first quarter). Their win over the Bulls on Tuesday was pretty ugly, but for the most part, their offense has held up without its leading scorer. The Pacers have scored 106 points per 100 possessions over the nine games, a mark that’s well below the league average, but down less than two points per 100 possessions from their mark in 15 games with Oladipo (107.9).

Over those nine games, the Pacers have ranked second in the league in assist rate, having recorded assists on 68 percent of their buckets, up from 55 percent (24th) through their 15 games with their All-Star. Their offense is less dependent on pick-and-rolls and we’re seeing more action off the ball.

Here are a couple of examples where they got open shots on consecutive possessions via multiple off-ball screens against the Bulls on Tuesday.

On the first, Bojan Bogdanovic and Domantas Sabonis set a double pin-down screen for Doug McDermott, coming out of the left corner. Zach LaVine and Jabari Parker switch that initial screen and Parker stays with McDermott through the second screen. Then Sabonis sets another screen for Bogdanovic, who sees LaVine going under the pick and flares out to the left wing for an open three.

Cory Joseph and Bogdanovic set a pair of baseline screens for McDermott, and then Joseph screens for Bogdanovic going in the opposite direction (with Sabonis ready to set another pin-down screen). LaVine switches that Joseph-Bogdanovic screen, but Justin Holiday does not, and Joseph is left all alone under the basket.

One shooter on the move can create problems for a defense. Two shooters on the move is even better.

THE RIGHT READS FROM TURNER

Tue. Nov. 27 – Indiana @ Phoenix & Tue. Dec. 4 – Chicago @ Indiana

Myles Turner hasn’t developed into a second star for the Pacers like many expected, and he’s arguably the second best center on the roster. His pick-and-pop game still too often results in mid-range jumpers and, though he’s got a feathery touch, his 3-point shot has seemingly taken a step backward. He has shot just 21 percent on 1.5 3-point attempts per game this season, down from 36 percent on 2.4 attempts last season.

But Turner still presents a threat when he rolls to the basket, and he can make good decisions with the ball. Here are a couple of examples from the last 10 days.

On the first, his short roll draws a weak-side tag from Trevor Ariza and as he’s catching the pocket pass from Darren Collison, he’s already identifying Bogdanovic open in the corner for what was the game-winning bucket in Phoenix.

On the second play, Turner sets four screens before something opens up. He catches a Tyreke Evans pass at the left elbow, draws help from Lauri Markkanen off the weak-side block, sees Ryan Arcidiacono sinking in from the weak-side corner, and gets the ball to Collison for a corner three.

ADEBAYO DHO

Fri. Nov. 30 – New Orleans at Miami

The dribble hand-off might be the toughest action to guard in today’s NBA. And the Miami Heat have a pretty tough-to-guard DHO combo in Bam Adebayo and Wayne Ellington, a strong-and-skilled big and a shooter with a quick release.

Here are three DHOs that got the Heat three buckets in the fourth quarter against the Pelicans last Friday. The first and third involve Adebayo and Ellington. Josh Richardson takes the hand-off on the second one, but Ellington’s presence still factors in.

1. With Tim Frazier trailing Ellington, Anthony Davis (guarding Adebayo) steps out to contest a shot. Having drawn two defenders, Ellington gets the ball back to Adebayo, who draws weak-side help and finds the open shooter (Kelly Olynyk) on the opposite wing.
2. Ellington sets a screen for Richardson, giving him a head start on Jrue Holiday, who trails through the hand-off. Richardson takes the hand-off from Adebayo, attacks the paint, draws a commitment from Davis, and lobs to the rolling Adebayo, who goes untouched because Frazier is staying attached to Ellington on the left side.
3. Same play as No. 2, except Holiday does a great job of getting through the initial screen and preventing the hand-off to Richardson. So Ellington comes back for another hand-off and Davis doesn’t get out to the shooter in time.

SIMMONS RUNS INTO THE HAND-OFF

Fri. Nov. 30 – Washington @ Philadelphia

Ben Simmons’ combination of speed and strength is a weapon, not only when he attacks the paint in transition, but also when he stays on the side of the floor and runs into a dribble hand-off. Here are three examples from the Sixers’ win over the Wizards last Friday.

1. Simmons runs into a DHO for Furkan Korkmaz, with Kelly Oubre trailing. Austin Rivers (guarding Simmons) hedges and Simmons just keeps going into an alley oop, with John Wall’s weak-side help doing nothing but sending Simmons to the line.
2. Simmons runs into a DHO for J.J. Redick and Jeff Green switches the screen. That has Bradley Beal on Simmons, who draws a double-team in the post and finds Wilson Chandler in the opposite corner for an open three.
3. Simmons looks like he’s running into another DHO for Redick, catches Beal leaning that way, and attacks the paint.

BACK-SCREEN FOR McGEE

Sun. Dec. 2 – Phoenix @ L.A. Lakers & Wed. Dec. 5 – San Antonio @ L.A. Lakers

JaVale McGee’s presence on the Lakers is more about defense, but he provides one unique element (verticality) on the offensive end of the floor. If he’s given the space to launch from, McGee can catch lobs and finish like few others in the league. He has shot 74 percent in the restricted area, the seventh best mark among 58 players with at least 100 restricted-area attempts.

Here’s a couple of plays that the Lakers used to get McGee a lob this week. On both, he sets the second of two pin-down screens. On the first, he then gets a back-screen from the guard (Josh Hart) who set the first screen. On the second, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope never comes off the second screen and instead circles back to set the back-screen for McGee.

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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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