Sizing up the Pacers’ Eastern competition
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Assistant Editor
In the Eastern Conference, on talent alone, five teams clearly rise above the rest. Jostling for those top spots in the standings should make for a hotly contested race in what has typically been the NBA’s weaker conference. Let’s take a quick look at how the Pacers match up with those clubs they’ll most closely be competing with.
Miami Heat
Last season’s series (Pacers won, 2-1): @Pacers 87, Heat 77; @Pacers 102, Heat 89; @Heat 105, Pacers 91
Scheduled meetings: Dec. 10 vs. Heat; Dec. 18 @Heat; March 26 vs. Heat; April 11 @Heat
Since we saw them last: Not much has changed, despite sharpshooter Mike Miller being cut and Greg Oden and Michael Beasley coming in. LeBron James and Udonis Haslem got married. Dwyane Wade underwent OssaTron shockwave therapy. How his knees hold up is an annual concern. Oden, of course, is an injury risk with knees, arms, legs, toes … you name it. But he provides more interior defense and much better rebounding if Miami uses him. Pat Riley made Beasley the second pick in the 2008 draft, and he has been a disappointment since.
How the Pacers match up: Up front, the Pacers still hold a significant edge and should continue to do damage on the boards. On the perimeter, Danny Granger and Paul George should be fun to watch going against James and Wade. Erik Spoelstra’s tactical maneuvers cause problems. His 3-point shooting system will again make Miami an excellent offensive team. The Pacers are better equipped to keep up with Luis Scola and Chris Copeland adding punch.
Chicago Bulls
Last season’s series (Pacers won, 3-1): Pacers 80, @Bulls 76; @Pacers 111, Bulls 101; @Pacers 97, Bulls 92; @Bulls 87, Pacers 84
Scheduled meetings: Nov. 6 vs. Bulls; Nov. 16 @Bulls; March 21 vs. Bulls; March 24 @Bulls
Since we saw them last: Hope springs eternal with the return of point guard Derrick Rose coming off the ACL injury. Without Rose, the Bulls were still good, but not a serious contender. Other players were constantly hurt. Luol Deng, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Kirk Hinrich combined to miss 62 games. Nate Robinson, Richard Hamilton and Marco Belinelli are gone. Mike Dunleavy Jr. replaces some of that punch. The big thing is turning around much of that gruesome luck with injuries. When whole, this team is deadly.
How the Pacers match up: David West clearly got the better of Carlos Boozer last season at power forward. Roy Hibbert battling Noah is worth the price of admission. Ditto for Deng and Granger. This should be an excellent series between two evenly matched clubs. Indiana is more talented and usually healthier, but Rose and coach Tom Thibodeau have a way of equalizing some of those advantages. The Pacers did have the better offseason.
Brooklyn Nets
Last season’s series (Nets won, 3-0): @Nets 97, Pacers 86; Nets 89, @Pacers 84 (OT); Nets 117, @Pacers 109
Scheduled meetings: Nov. 9 @Nets; Dec. 23 @Nets; Dec. 28 vs. Nets; Feb. 1 vs. Nets
Since we saw them last: A lot is different. Brooklyn brought in Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Andrei Kirilenko and Jason Terry to make itself way better. This might be the deepest team in basketball. The one questionable move was not renewing the contract of P.J. Carlesimo and signing Jason Kidd fresh out of retirement to be a head coach. The Nets are old and slow. If all comes together, the sky is the limit. However, Brooklyn ranked 18th in points allowed per possession last season and remains ordinary defensively.
How the Pacers match up: It would shock no one if this is a second-round matchup in the playoffs. Based on last season, at least, the Pacers might want to root for a different draw. This isn’t a good matchup for them. Brooklyn plays at a snail’s pace, so slowing games into grinding affairs does not affect them the way it does other teams. Additionally, the Nets are big all over the floor, from Deron Williams up top to Joe Johnson on the wing and Garnett and Brook Lopez inside. They have the personnel in Pierce and Kirilenko to disrupt George, which throws off the Indy offense.
New York Knicks
Last season’s series (Split, 2-2): @Knicks 88, Pacers 76; @Pacers 81, Knicks 76; @Pacers 125, Knicks 91; @Knicks 90, Pacers 80
Scheduled meetings: Nov. 20 @Knicks; Jan. 16 vs. Knicks; March 19 @Knicks
Since we saw them last: The Knicks’ most accurate 3-point shooters – Copeland and Steve Novak – were let go. Copeland now plays for the Pacers. Metta World Peace and Andrea Bargnani join an interesting cast of characters that otherwise stayed pretty much the same. The Knicks expect swingman Iman Shumpert to continue to emerge and Tyson Chandler to bounce back from injury as a defensive and rebounding force, but too much of the burden remains on Carmelo Anthony. World Peace and Bargnani are flawed players without clear roles.
How the Pacers match up: In the playoffs, the size and strength of West and Hibbert caused New York massive paint problems. Because Bargnani is a poor defender and disastrous rebounder, the Knicks are really left with Anthony, Chandler, Kenyon Martin and Amar’e Stoudemire inside: the same group that couldn’t get it done last year. George’s height and defensive skill is a major weapon against Anthony that most clubs don’t have. Plus, the Knicks are full of 30-somethings. Indiana’s talent is fresh.
