It has been a little slow over here today (Some issues with LPBB and a new Mac leading to a lack of productivity), but the latest edition of The Clipboard, my weekly series on Basketball Prospectus is up, so check it out.  Here is a quick taste:

Sitting seventh in the Eastern Conference at 9-9, the Indiana Pacers might be the most surprising team in the NBA as the first quarter of the NBA season comes to a close. While the Pacers have seen great improvement from guys like Roy Hibbert and Josh McRoberts, there is just one reason why the Pacers are now in a position to make a play for the playoffs: Defense.
The Pacers rank eighth in the NBA in Defensive Rating, having allowed 105.3 points per 100 possessions. The Pacers’ biggest strength on the defensive end is protecting the paint and the area around it. Opponents’ shooting percentages in the three shot locations inside 15 feet (according to HoopData.com) are all below the league average. They are holding opponents to 58.7 percent shooting at the rim (2nd in the NBA), 41.1 percent shooting from less than 10 feet (sixth in the NBA), and 28.5 percent shooting from 10 to 15 feet (which leads the league). The main reason Pacers are able to protect the paint because they do a great job defending opponents’ post-ups and pick-and-rolls.

If you click over there you will find all the video and picture goodness that you have come to expect from these.  So head on over, check it out, and let me know what you guys think.