Pacers say “good riddance” to 2021
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — On New Year’s Eve of 2020, the Indiana Pacers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to improve to 4-1 on the late-starting season. Things were looking pretty promising under new Head Coach Nate Bjorkgren. But a lot can happen in a calendar year. Since that day, this “little team” has gone just 45-60, T.J. Warren hasn’t played a game, and the Pacers have lost their identity.
Re-living a dreadful year isn’t much fun. But if nothing else, maybe this timeline will help us recognize how much has happened in these past 12 months, and maybe it will give some hope that a lot can happen in the next 12 as well.
•January 14th- Pacers trade Victor Oladipo in a 4-team trade, and acquire Caris LeVert.
To me, it’s still hard to believe how quickly things changed with Victor Oladipo. He was on his way to becoming one of the all time Pacer fan-favorites. We will always have the 2018 season in our hearts as we reminisce on what fun basketball used to look like. As for Caris LeVert, only time will tell if he will be a Pacer long term or not. He’s a good player and has a lot of potential, but if the Pacers finally choose to rebuild or retool, he makes a lot of sense as a trade piece once again.
•April 27th- For the first time in 32 seasons, the Pacers clinched a losing season on their home court.
Not only did they have a losing season at the Fieldhouse, they went 13-23. The smaller crowds didn’t help their cause, but the Pacers had no problem winning on the road (21-15) that season. The worst part about it- Indiana was only a few seasons away from breaking the all time record.
•May 5th- Goga Bitadze and Assistant Coach Greg Foster get into a heated exchange during a game against the Sacramento Kings. Foster would be suspended for a game, while Bitadze got fined.
These kind of altercations probably happen all the time behind closed doors at practice and in locker rooms. When it happens during a game, especially for a struggling team, it’s not a good look.
•June 9th and June 24th- Bjorkgren out, Carlisle (back) in.
Three coaches in three years, but a lot of the same issues have remained. They’ve tried the up-and-comer option. They’ve tried a future Hall of Famer. Maybe it’s time they try a new roster.
•August 4th- Pacers draft Chris Duarte and acquire the rights to draft Isaiah Jackson in the Aaron Holiday trade.
One of the few good days on the 2021 timeline. Chris Duarte was great value at the 13th pick and Isaiah Jackson has a ton of promise. Both players should be valuable pieces for the Pacers for years to come.
•August 6th- Pacers sign T.J. McConnell to a 4-year deal
McConnell is a good piece to have as a backup point guard. For his limitations, he still brings plenty to the table. Even so, we may always wonder if keeping Doug McDermott would have been the better option in this 3-point heavy league.
•October 20th and 22nd- Pacers start the new season in historic fashion, losing each of their first two games by one point. It would be a sign of things to come, as the Pacers would go on to lose another eight games by four or less points in the next few months.
•December 7th- The story in The Athletic drops about the Pacers rebuilding. Even when Kevin Pritchard and Rick Carlisle addressed the players and the media, somewhat downplaying the story, they never squashed the reports and even said “it doesn’t mean trades can’t happen” several times. A fan base that is desperate for change was largely excited when this story came out, as the speculation began.
•December 17th- Herb Simon then meets with the media and claims he doesn’t want to rebuild. He “loves this little team” and “if he doesn’t want to see a rebuild, he knows fans don’t either.” For whatever Pacer fans that were still hanging by a thread, Simon’s comments pushed them over the edge once and for all.
•December 31st- A fitting end to a really bad calendar year for the blue and gold:
Here’s the good news: This team has a lot of solid trade targets for other teams. Kevin Pritchard has made some great trades over the years, and it might be time for him to go to work again. If this team could get a top 10 draft pick next season (and hit on the pick), and make a couple of savvy trades, they could find themselves in a much better (and more exciting) position as soon as next season. Let’s put 2021 behind us, and look forward to better days in 2022.
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