The Pacers have a problem at point guard.  Not because they don’t have a starter, but because it’s tough to decide who to start.  The options are George Hill and Darren Collison.  Collison started the season as the number one point guard.  His averages this year have dropped slightly, but he still averages ten points and five assists a game.  Hill is an x-factor, he averages nine points and three assists, but that’s not where his value is.  He’s managed to identify himself as a clutch three-point shooter, just as he was in San Antonio.  He struggled early on in the year, but it appears the momentum is swinging his way.

They split time Game 1 vs the Heat, but in Game 2 Hill played 35 minutes opposed to Collison’s 17 minutes.  Hill was forced to sit minutes in Game 1 because of foul trouble, a problem that plagued the Pacers in that first game.

It’s a truly tough decision for Frank Vogel that could result in both of them starting.  Collison is more of a pure point guard, he has the ability to create of the dribble and run in transition.  Hill can play the traditional point but thrives when the drives of Paul George and Danny Granger create open shooting opportunities for him.  Either way, both are going to have to get major minutes if they want to beat the Heat.

It might seem like a trivial decision in a gigantic playoff series, but against a Miami team that struggles at point guard, it will affect the rhythm of the game from minute one.  Even though I believe Collison is more effective than Hill, starting Hill for Game 3 might be just what Indiana needs.  His shooting can rile up the crowd quickly, and Collison has been an extremely effective energy boost off the bench.  Vogel might elect to start both Collison and Hill, offering them a true point and a clutch shooter on the floor at the same time.  Whatever his decision is, you can bet it will dramatically affect the outcome of the game.