For the first time under interim coach Frank Vogel, the Indiana Pacers have lost three consecutive games. Prior to this losing streak, they had gone 10-5 following Jim O’Brien’s firing in late January.

With 20 games remaining in their season, the Pacers have a narrow one-game lead over the Bobcats for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks and Pistons are within striking distance behind them. The Knicks and 76ers have pulled away from the Pacers with .500-plus records.

Vogel had re-energized Indiana’s offense, but after scoring at least 100 points in his first 12 games, they have reached the mark just three times in their last six games. They have won just one of those half-dozen contests.

Offense Lost

In their last six games, the Pacers have shot just 40.9% from the field, including 32.2% from three-point land. That includes strong efforts against Dallas (9-for-19) and Phoenix (11-for-23) from deep.

When you consider those shooting percentages, it’s amazing even won a single game -- they beat the Warriors last Tuesday while shooting 42.5% from the field.

Defensively, they have remained strong, but they will leave themselves vulnerable to squandering their playoff bid if they keep missing shots.

Their last six opponents shot a collective 45.8% from the field and 36.6% from three. Those numbers, when put against the league’s season averages, make their defense above-average.

Therefore, even an average offense would make Indiana’s record incrementally better. Only Minnesota, Cleveland and Milwaukee have lower shooting percentages this season. Their offensive rating (104.6) ranks 24th and they continue to employ one of the league’s fastest paces.

Mr. Hibbert’s Neighborhood

He still hasn’t returned to the Roy Hibbert we saw back in November, but he continues to be rejuvenated under Vogel. After averaging 9.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 38.8% shooting in January when his minutes were reduced, he put up 15.3 points, 7.4 boards and 1.8 blocks on 49.7% shooting last month.

Although his scoring is down, his percentage is in the mid-40s and his rebounding and block numbers are up.

It is imperative that Hibbert draw enough defensive attention to free up the likes of Danny Granger and Darren Collison.

The Biggest Indicator

Granger’s numbers have been the biggest indicator of Indiana’s success this season. It’s no coincidence that the Pacers had their best month (8-5) in February as Granger had his most efficient offensive stretch.

His attempts were down slightly, but he shot 48.9% from the field. He hit just 41.5% of his 690 shot attempts over November, December and January. Go figure, Indiana is 1-3 this month as Granger has averaged a season-low 18.5 points on 36% shooting.

Despite his hot month, Granger’s TS% (55.8) is still at a five-year low. In fact, only his rookie season (54%) was lower. It’s worth noting that he has played 61 games this season, one fewer than he did all of last season and a touch below the 67 games he appeared in during the 2008-09 campaign.

Critics don’t view him as a viable No. 1 option on a playoff contender, but if the Pacers are going to make the postseason he’ll be the main reason why.

The Spark Plug Struggles

While Hibbert and Granger posted strong Februarys, Darren Collison has struggled since the early part of the month. He’s shooting under 40% over his last 15 games and his assist-to-turnover ratio (1.88) needs to improve, but that has been an issue for him dating back to UCLA. Collison's court vision is unlikely to suddenly improve and it is up to Indiana's system to limit his liabilities.

In their last five losses, the Pacers have averaged 16.8 turnovers. For the season, they rank 27th in the league. As their point guard, Collison needs to minimize their propensity to give away possessions. If you aren’t going to shoot the ball well, possessions become even more valuable.

Collison is a blur and a capable scorer, but he needs to defer more to help make the offense more efficient. Putting Granger and Hibbert in better positions to score would be a fine start.

Showing Their Hand

Indiana nearly acquired O.J. Mayo from Memphis in a trade that would have sent Josh McRoberts and a first-round pick to the Grizzlies prior to last month’s deadline. It was also reported that Brandon Rush would have been sent to New Orleans to help complete the deal.

Unfortunately, because the deal wasn’t completed, president Larry Bird and general manager David Morway showed their hand publicly.

Their pursuit of such a deal revealed a number of things about the way Bird and Morway view the construction of the team. For one, they were willing to gamble on a player like Mayo, who has a checkered past on and off the court. Earlier this season, they reiterated their desire to build a team with model citizens.

It was also a shock to see that they would have dealt McRoberts without getting a big back in return. They were already short on size and would have been left with Jeff Foster, Tyler Hansbrough, Roy Hibbert and Solomon Jones in the frontcourt. McRoberts isn’t an untradable type of player, but he adds rebounding and an ability to hit a jump shot while extending the floor moderately.

Rush’s reported inclusion in the deal cements the belief that he is the wing man the Pacers would prefer to move. They still have a logjam at the position, even though Mike Dunleavy’s injury has made Vogel’s life slightly easier.

Rush began the season serving a five-game suspension after violating the league’s anti-drug policy, but is averaging a career-high 12.9 points per 36 minutes with a 54.6 TS%.

Ironically, the best time to deal Rush may have passed.

Time will fix their wing-heavy roster with Dunleavy coming off the books at season’s end, giving them a very strong trio of wingmen consisting of Granger, Rush and George.

In addition, they’ll have James Posey, Dahntay Jones and Lance Stephenson for spot minutes and specialty roles -- barring a likely summer deal.

Head to Conseco Fieldhouse on March 18th

It has been a while since my last installment, but regular RealGM readers will recall my ‘NBA for MS’ campaign.

The Pacers will become the second team, after the Milwaukee Bucks, to take my small idea and run with it. On March 18th, when the team hosts the Bulls, they will hold their first ‘MS Awareness Night’

You can purchase tickets to the game (https://www.pacersgroups.com/tickets/530/) for a discounted price when using the password ‘MS’.

If you attend, drop me a line – Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. My wife and I will be in attendance.