1. It’s time to start Cory Joseph at point guard

This performance was the latest example of why the Indiana Pacers should start Cory Joseph at point guard instead of Darren Collison. They have always been dragged down by Collison on defense but his offense has been a real issue too.

The main argument for Collison to start last season was that he was a highly efficient offensive player. Well, that hasn’t been the case at all this season and it certainly wasn’t against the San Antonio Spurs.

Collison scored only four points while shooting 25% from the field and missing all three of his perimeter attempts. He is now averaging only 8.9 points while producing just 0.867 points per possession (28th percentile) on scoring possessions.

The lack of defensive execution results with Collison on the floor has been problematic for the Pacers. They have just a 107.8 defensive rating with him on the floor compared to 96.7 when he is off the court.

Indiana has been unable to overcome Collison’s lack of defensive execution with their offense. They have generated a 104.9 offensive rating with him on the court and that translates to a team-worst 2.9 net rating.

One of the Pacers’ top performers in this game was Joseph. He ended the night with a season-high 18 points on strong efficiency and matched his season high for assists with seven too.

The results that the Pacers have found with Joseph are on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to Collison. With Joseph playing, they have produced a 106.8 offensive rating, a 97.0 defensive rating, and a 9.9 net rating.

The gap between Joseph’s defensive impact compared to Collison is reason enough to strongly consider switching up the starting lineup. When factoring in Collison’s offensive struggles, it’s time to make the change.