NBA Previews: Indiana Pacers
30 teams, and the first one out of the central division in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers. Larry Bird was not kidding when he said that he wanted to make this a fast-pace team that was more offensive mind prior to last offseason, and this offseason he has shown even more that he means what he says. After making the playoffs last season as somewhat of a surprise, the Pacers took the #2 seed and Eastern Conference runner-up Toronto Raptors to game seven, and had shown along they way that they are not going away after a recent stretch of dominance (including the #1 seed a few years ago). Now, the Pacers hope the new additions this offseason can help them build on what they started last season and continue to push further.
ADDITIONS: PG Jeff Teague (Trade-Atlanta), PF Thaddeus Young (Trade-Brooklyn), F Jeremy Evans (Trade-Dallas) C Al Jefferson (Charlotte), PG Aaron Brooks (Chicago), F/C Kevin Seraphin (New York), SF Georges Niang (draft)
SUBTRACTIONS: PG George Hill (Trade-Utah), SF Solomon Hill (New Orleans), F/C Jordan Hill (Minnesota), PG Ty Lawson (Sacramento), C Ian Mahinmi (Washington)
Well, the Pacers clearly don't like anybody with the last name "Hill" anymore, as they got rid of three players with that name. All jokes aside, the Pacers gains and losses seem to even out in my mind. For instance, Mahinmi is better at defense, Jefferson is better at offense. Jordan Hill is a better backup center than Seraphin, but Thaddeus Young gives them a better starting power forward than before. Jeff Teague > George Hill, but Ty Lawson at his best is greater than Aaron Brooks. All in all, the Pacers are better offensively, but are they a better team overall is the real question? My head says yes, my heart says they will still be about the same. We'll see this season.
PLAYER TO WATCH: A lot of people out there are high on second year F/C Myles Turner, and I can see why, the kid can shoot, defend, and just flat-out play ball. Al Jefferson is a good piece for now, but this Turner guy is the future. However, since he is really high on everybody's radar, I'm going with a more low-key player to watch in G Joseph Young. He is also a second year pro, but he has not had the opportunity to play as much. This kid was able to will the Oregon Ducks to the NCAA Tournament by himself a few years ago, and almost beat the eventual runner up Wisconsin Badgers single-handed, and now I want to see him get playing time. As of now, Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey, and CJ Miles are the backup guards, but Young can easily turn into an Aaron Brooks type player, or maybe even better.
BIGGEST CONCERN: Chemistry is the biggest concern with the Pacers, as three of the five projected starters are newcomers. It may take some time for this team to gel, and in a packed Eastern Conference, they may not have that much time to get things together. Paul George is a superstar and he is surrounded by quality players, but figuring things out early on especially with a new head coach is not an easy task. This team is more likely to beat itself than most due to that.
BIGGEST UNKNOWN: How will Myles Turner and Al Jefferson coexist at the center position? Will Turner start and Jefferson get the bulk of the minutes, or vice versa? Will Jefferson start and play the majority of the time, or vice versa? If I was Nate McMillan, I would give the time to Jefferson until he got hurt or Turner earned the time, as Jefferson has experience and was once one of the best centers in the game. Turner's time will come, but I'm not sure if he is capable of being a go-to guy alongside Paul George this season.
PROJECTED STARTING FIVE: C Al Jefferson, PF Thaddeus Young, SF Paul George, SG Monta Ellis, PG Jeff Teague
ROTATIONAL PIECES: C Myles Turner, G/F CJ Miles, PG Aaron Brooks, G Rodney Stuckey, F Lavoy Allen
ROUNDING OUT THE ROSTER: G/F Glenn Robinson, G Joseph Young, SF Georges Niang, F/C Kevin Seraphin, F Jeremy Evans
PREDICTION: This is a low-seeded playoff team in the East, but with how the East looks with everybody theoretically having a shot at the postseason, the Pacers could wind up as high as the four seed or out of the playoffs entirely. My guess is, the will of Paul George will guarantee them the 8 seed, but the rest of the supporting cast will determine how far they climb. This team is trending up, but they are trending up slowly.
