Indiana Pacers Preview

Hello,
I am depressed after seeing the Nuggets put up a stinker in Philly. But it makes me happy that the Lakers suck.

INDIANA PACERS

Key Additions: D.J. Augustin (FA), Ian Mahinmi (trade), Gerald Green (FA), Sam Young (FA)

Key Losses: Darren Collison, Dhantay Jones, Louis Amundson

Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: George Hill
SG: Paul George
SF: Danny Granger
PF: David West
C: Roy Hibbert

Role Players: Augustin, Mahinmi, Green, Tyler Hansbrough, Sam Young

Comments: I can't look at this roster without thinking how similar this team is to the Memphis Grizzlies. Both teams are solid offensively and defensively at each starting position with a few all star caliber players in each. Conley and Hill are similar players. Granger and Gay are both electric scorers. West and Randolph are talented offensively, and George and Allen are talented defensively. Weird. But both teams have the "no superstar" kryptonite that will prevent each from making it to the Finals (and probably conference finals as well, although Indiana has more of a chance). This Pacer core has really no weaknesses, so this will be a very difficult team to beat during the regular season. Also, Frank Vogel is a solid young head coach, who has a defensive-first philosophy and probably should have won Coach of the Year last year.

George Hill is a former Spurs guard from IUPUI (tiny school in Indiana), who has developed into a really nice PG. He is quick, rarely makes mistakes, is good on defense, and can knock down the occasional 3. Without Collison on the team, he doesn't have to look over his shoulder to worry about the starting job. He will be this teams PG, and the team needs continual development to beat the Heat, because we have seen that the Heat struggle in terms of containing quick guards. Augustin is the backup. After a few years of being the Bobcats best player (doesnt say anything about his game), he will actually have to worry about helping his team win. He is a good shooter, but has been turnover prone. We will see how he responds to being the scoring punch off the bench.

Paul George could develop into a very good player. After being unheard of two years ago in the draft, he slowly has brought his immense athleticism and committed to being a very good defender. He also can shoot the 3, and perform some cool dunks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvtHauJMMhY (doesnt this make you wish the NBA had glow in the dark games?) Look for him to continue to develop his offensive game to become a real scoring threat (also he had 15 rebounds last night, pretty good for a wing guy). Sam Young is the backup (also Lance Stephenson). Both are defensive players with very little offensive talent. This may be a problem for the Pacers. They could really use a shooter off the bench, maybe a trade deadline possibility).

Danny Granger was the Pacers best player for the last few years. Now, I am not so sure anymore. He is a really good scorer and used to average over 20 points a game. Last year, those numbers dipped as the teammates around him got better. He is also a terrible defender, which the team makes up for by having a great wing defender in George and a shot blocking center in Hibbert. Granger is injured now, but the Pacers need his offense on what is generally considered a defensive squad. They could have knocked off the Heat last year with a few better shooting nights from Granger (although he was being defender by LeBron). Gerald Green is the backup. This dunk is ridiculous. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOzo4pHTZ-M. But seriously, this guy used to suck, disappeared from the league, and when he came back, he was a new man. No longer did he take terrible 3's and not play defense, but he was a solid defender who could be efficient on offense. They will need him to take a bigger role when Granger is out, and provide scoring when he comes off the bench.

David West is another solid Pacer. He lacks some strength defensively, but he is a very good midrange shooter, and can extend out to 20 feet. He is a good compliment to the inside post game of Hibbert, and the outside offense of Granger and George. I want his rebounding numbers to improve, but West may be the leading scorer on the Pacers some nights if he is hot. On the Hornets, I was never too worried that West was going to beat the Nuggets, but he would find ways to get his 15-20 a game anyway. Tyler Hansbrough is the backup. Everyone said that this guy would never find a role in the NBA, because he isn't athletic or that strong, and wasn't much of a shooter. But what he knew, and everyone should know, is that a 6-8 man or above that hustles and has a knack for being in the right spots, will always get playing time. He will battle for rebounds, and get his garbage buckets, and is actually an important part of the Pacers bench.

Roy Hibbert is the reason that this team went from being in the bottom tier of the East, to the top. He improved every aspect of his game, and made an all-star team. He used to be just tall, but now he is tall and strong, patrolling the paint and blocking many a shot. He has also found a little touch down low, showing some hook shots and up and unders to develop a nice little post game. He is the defensive anchor for the Pacers, and their most important player if they want to make it far in the playoffs. Mahinmi is the backup, and he is another strong center that will block shots and defend the post. Unlike Hibbert, he has no offensive game.

The Pacers are a very strong defensive team, and should be ranked in the top categories defensively. Their main problem will be finding the offense when West and Granger are on the bench. Will they have enough offensive firepower to handle the Celtics or Heat is to remain in the air, but if they are a 3 or 4 seed, they could very well find themselves in the conference finals. This is the team I will root for in the East, because they are just solid across the board with no real hateable players.

Next Up, Miami Heat