Seven questions for the Indiana Pacers
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
With the new NBA season tipping off in a few weeks, here are some of the major questions for the 2014-2015 Indiana Pacers:
1. How will the team handle lower expectations?
With Lance Stephenson playing for another team, and Paul George likely out for the season, nobody expects this Pacers team to compete for an NBA title like a year ago. That doesn’t mean it has to be a completely lost season, however. The Pacers have not handled those lofty expectations very well in the past, and it’s possible that the lowered expectations will help them this year. Coach Vogel has always taken an optimistic approach and has already declared: “We’re going to be the surprise team of the NBA this year.” The Eastern Conference will still be weak overall. If the Pacers can get over the letdown of lowered expectations and just play ball, they might be able to have a similar season as the Chicago Bulls from the past few years.
2. How will George Hill’s role change this season?
George Hill is not a top caliber player by any means, but he does have the potential to score and be a solid asset to a team. In the same amount of games, George Hill attempted over 250 less shots last season than the year before. He wasn’t nearly as aggressive and it resulted in Hill averaging 10.3 points per game. Expect Hill to be closer to his 2012-2013 numbers when he averaged 14.2 points per game and was more of a focal point of the offense. He might even lead this team in scoring when all is said and done.
3. Which newcomer will have the biggest impact?
C.J. Miles will probably be the clear answer to this question. Miles had a very solid 16.03 PER (player efficiency rating) last season, which was good enough for 14th in the NBA among shooting guards. If he can repeat those numbers and bring some 3-point shooting to the team, he will be a very nice addition. Rodney Stuckey has a chance to help out as well, and might play with a chip on his shoulder coming over from Detroit.
4. How will Coach Vogel use the rotation?
Recently given a contract extension, Frank Vogel heads into this season with a different task at hand. With no star player to turn to, Vogel and the coaching staff will need to find the right combinations to give the Pacers their best chance to win games. Every player on the roster will get a chance at playing time this season and will need to be ready when their number is called. Vogel was considered stubborn at times last year with his unwillingness to try new things when the Pacers were struggling. This season, he will need to play the match-ups and the hot hand a lot more for the Pacers to be successful.
5. What style will the Pacers play?
The Pacers were known for playing “smash-mouth basketball” and winning with their defense the last few seasons. With lots of personnel changes, however, it’s unclear if that will be the team’s strength this season. Hibbert and West are still around and will provide stability down low. They will each be asked to take on more of a load on the offensive end. But the Pacers might benefit from a bit of a change in style, at least offensively. With Chris Copeland expected to play more minutes, and the additions of Damjan Rudez and C.J. Miles, expect the Pacers to shoot more from the outside. Working inside-out will benefit this team the most, rather than trying to beat the defense with one-on-one play.
6. Will David West and others be shopped at the trade deadline?
This might be the toughest question to answer heading into this season. David West has been the backbone of this team since he arrived. He is getting older, however, and he might be the Pacers best trade-chip this February. Does Larry Bird believe the Pacers will have another shot at a title next season when David West will be 35 years old? Or does he listen to offers and pull the trigger on a deal that helps the Pacers future? The answer to this question might depend on how the Pacers are doing in the first half of the season. What if the Pacers are in the playoff hunt as the 6-seed at the All-Star break? Will that be enough to hang on to a guy like West, or will Bird keep one eye on this team and one eye on the future? Time will tell.
7. What is a realistic prediction for the team this year?
Having been very accurate the last four seasons in my Pacer predictions, I have found this year’s team to be more difficult to predict. I believe their ceiling would be the 5th-seed in the Eastern Conference if they stay healthy and don’t mope about the Paul George injury. Missing the playoffs is also a real possibility if those things don’t happen. The trade deadline will also have a lot to say about how the Pacers finish. For now, I will predict the Pacers to finish 6th in the East while hovering around .500 for the majority of the season. It will still be an intriguing team to watch, and this group deserves a fan base who will stick around for the ride.
Follow Tyler on Twitter: @sports_tys_20
