Chemistry is a funny thing.  It can make or break businesses, families and even locker rooms.  Sometimes things can be a great match on paper and just not fit when they actually get put together.  This is the situation that the Indiana Pacers have faced ever since they traded away Danny Granger.

Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen came back to Indiana in the deal and it looked like a very good fit.  What no one realized at the time is what it would do to the Pacers’ chemistry.

Indiana has a 12-11 record since the trade with the 76ers.  The brutal change in fortunes can be blamed on multiple things.  Turner is the first place to look.  After averaging a career-high of 17.4 points a game through 54 games in Philadelphia this season, Turner is averaging just 6.6 points a night in Indiana.  He is also averaging career lows in rebounds, assists and steals since the deal went down.  Not exactly what they were looking for when the Pacers made the trade.

Another very important place to look is at the loss of Danny Granger.  Granger has long since lost his status as an All-Star level player but was clearly a huge key in the locker room in Indiana.

Whatever the problem is, the team hit rock bottom on Sunday when the Pacers got absolutely crushed at home by the Atlanta Hawks.  It got so bad that Indiana trailed 33-11 after one-quarter and 55-23 at halftime.  Not exactly what you would ever imagine from a team that was once considered a serious threat to the two-time defending champion Miami Heat.

With the season coming to a close and the playoffs just weeks away, the Pacers have very little time to right the ship.  If they can’t figure it out then this years playoff run will be much shorter than anyone thought just a month ago.