Last season was pretty much written off for the Pacers before it even started after Paul George severely injured his leg playing with Team USA. After the season started, it was clear that it would be a long one as they struggled on both ends of the floor, having difficulty finding offense at times, and Roy Hibbert’s game continued to nosedive as a rebounder and paint protector. Larry Bird is doing his best to make sure that last season is a distant memory. Here’s what you should know about the Pacers going into the season.
Offense won't be a problem.
Anyone who watched the Pacers face Miami in the conference finals knew that, after George, it was a mystery as to where the rest of their scoring would come from. Without George’s services last season, the Pacers were 24th in the league in points per game. To give George some help, the Pacers signed Monta Ellis, who is known for being primarily a scorer. He’s averaged 19.3 per game for his career. The signing is still making some people scratch their heads as the Pacers have been known for being a gritty, tough-it-out defensive team. In that sense, Ellis’ game doesn’t line up. While Ellis’ scoring ability is unquestioned, there have been times when he’s been taken out of games in favor of a better defender. "We're thrilled to have Monta Ellis with the Pacers," said Pacers head coach Frank Vogel. "He's proven to be one of the league's most prolific scorers year in and year out and his game fits perfectly with the style we’re going to implement going forward." There could be a total change of gameplan on the horizon, one that focuses more on offense than defense and could potentially go small, which brings me to my next point.
Change in the front court.
Hibbert being traded to the Lakers wasn’t a surprise to many Pacers fans. His game had been going downhill since the 2013 playoffs and the Pacers obviously didn’t think the situation would get any better, so they were smart and shipped him out. What was a surprise to Pacers fans, and even the Pacers, was veteran big man David West turning down an option that would have paid him $12.6 million next season to sign with the San Antonio Spurs for the veteran’s minimum of 1.5 million to hopefully win a championship. The future of the power forward position looks bright, however, as they used the 11th overall pick to select Myles Turner out of the University of Texas. He has looked good in the summer league, and I could see him making a difference from day one. He’s a great rebounder and is a better rim protector than scouts anticipated. His footwork has improved since his last college game, and he looks like a better all-around athlete because of it. I could see the Pacers going small at times and playing Turner at the center position to get another shooter on the floor, and he could even be a dark horse pick for Rookie of the Year. There has even been talk by Larry Bird that George could see some time at power forward this season. I’m not sure how well that would work, but George is a hard worker and a natural ball-player, and I could see him thriving and taking advantage of slower guy guarding him. We’ve seen the Warriors win by going even smaller, so there’s no reason it can’t work the Pacers, too.
Point guard remains a concern.
I’m not trying to blast George Hill or Rodney Stuckey at all, but in a league loaded with talented point guards, Stuckey and Hill just won’t cut it in the end. Whether the point guard is a scorer or playmaker, teams with talented point guards are the ones who succeed. A point guard was the MVP of the league this season, while another prominent point guard squared off against him in the finals. With the salary cap rising next summer, the Pacers are in great position to potentially make trades to improve the position. Around the deadline, there’s always chatter of players wanting trades to go to a contender and make a title run, and the Pacers could be one of those destinations this season.
The light at the end of the tunnel looks bright for the Pacers, and depending on how quick the new pieces progress, it could make the Pacers a top five team in the East. It meant a lot to the Pacers that George returned before the season was over, especially after some of the initial timetables for his return speculated he might be out as much as a year and a half. It speaks a lot to George’s character, too. How many players do we know in this league who, if they were going to be injured until right around the end of the season, would’ve just packed it in and got a head start on his offseason vacation? Nothing means more than basketball to George after getting within two games of the finals two years ago and one game three years ago. As great as he’s been, we’ve yet to see the best of Paul George.
