C.J. Miles career season pacing Pacers

C.J. Miles has stepped into a big role for the Indiana Pacers this season, exhibiting an increasingly aggressive mentality on both ends of the floor.

He is averaging a career high 15.9 points, and has been red hot shooting the ball, trailing only Stephen Curry in three-pointers made per game (3.1) while hitting 46.3% of his twos and 45.1% of his threes.

Miles played well in his first term with the Pacers last season, but he's taken another step forward in his second year. The Pacers underwent offseason changes to rejuvenate their system, making the transition to a small-ball, space-and-pace approach, with the 6-6 Miles often playing at the power forward position which -- despite being undersized -- is a place where he's excelled.

"C.J. always comes out with that aggression," Pacers forward Paul George said. "It's what we need if we're going to play the small ball lineup. He has to torch those opposing four-men every time."

Miles has the versatility to either take the deep shot and draw his defender to the perimeter, or to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket. George is also putting together the best year of his career, making the duo a formidable matchup for opponents.

"We're making people try to pick their poison," Miles said. "...While [George] is aggressive, it makes the gaps even bigger for me to be aggressive, and vice versa."

On the defensive side of the ball, Miles has been just as effective despite oftentimes matching up with much larger opponents.

"Part of it is me getting used to being kind of a safety, because I'm the four-man now, so I see the game differently," he said. "I'm the one guy who is screening. I'm also the one calling out screens. I can call who can switch, or what is going on now, so it's me getting used to being in that spot."

He's averaging a career high 1.5 steals per game, which ranks third among NBA power forwards, and he has an average plus-minus of +5.2.

The Pacers are off to a 9-6 start and rank fourth in the NBA defensively, shutting down opponents just 95.1 points a game.

"We're feeling good about ourselves, and we're playing confidently," coach Frank Vogel said after a 123-106 win against the Washington Wizards. But with a trip out West up next for Indiana, Vogel stressed that they stay humble.

"We can't get too full of ourselves," he said. "Never too high after a win, and never too low after a loss."