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 […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Assistant Editor INDIANAPOLIS — Here are five quick impressions following the Pacers’ annual media day Friday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse: Granger: Starting doesn’t matter: Pacers forward Danny Granger, somewhat evasively but surely, indicated that whether he re-assumes a starting role does not matter when he returns this season, setting a […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent Sixty-one. Fifty-nine. Fifty-eight, twice. Those are the Pacers’ top win totals in franchise history. Lofty, without question. But heights reachable again now that they’ve assembled perhaps more talent than ever before. During the offseason, president Larry Bird spent around $58 million – not counting an impending extension for Paul George […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent One of the intriguing preseason storylines will be the integration of Nate McMillan, a very accomplished head coach, as a secondary voice in a new organization. The Pacers won’t hop over the luxury tax line to keep recently acquired Rasual Butler, Ron Howard and Darnell Jackson. Those three players are […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent If TMZ followed basketball players this offseason, would the entertainment network have noticed Lance Stephenson’s goings-on? Did they, anyway? Less than two months remain for the Pacers to extend Paul George. Otherwise, the blossoming superstar will hit free agency next summer. Make no mistake: Indy will offer, or has offered, […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent Whether it’s George Hill passing out backpacks or Paul George visiting Riley, the Pacers are to be commended for their work with young people. The Pacers, of course, rated first in regular-season defensive efficiency. But they slipped a little bit in the playoffs, finishing eighth in playoff defensive efficiency. That […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent Before NBA commissioner David Stern retires in February, will he dare venture through Indiana, where he’s still unpopular? The Pacers may not play on Christmas, but they do play on the following holidays: New Year’s Day (at Toronto), Martin Luther King Jr. Day (at Golden State) and St. Patrick’s Day […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent Despite being mostly set, there were several uncertainties on the Pacers’ plate heading into the offseason. They weren’t sure about the composition of the front office, didn’t have a lot of money to spend and needed to upgrade the bench. The one sure thing was that David West would be […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent Larry Bird’s dry sense of humor is quite amusing at times. George Hill withdrew from this week’s USA Basketball mini-camp in Las Vegas due to a scheduling conflict. Should the Pacers’ front office be disappointed? Arguably not, since it only means fewer miles on the tires and just one less […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent The Pacers don’t have much left to spend in free agency to round out their roster. They have $2.15 million of their mid-level exception remaining and the option to sign guys for the veteran’s minimum. Based on the team’s internal budget, they are only about $2.7 million away from hitting […]
Continue ReadingBy CLIFF BRUNTISL Editor Amid all this excitement about the Indiana Pacers, I consider this a good time to offer some perspective. Nearly four years ago, while I was covering the Pacers for The Associated Press, I interviewed team president Larry Bird about how he was dealing with losing, something rarely attached to his name. […]
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