By 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 Comedian Mike Epps says he’s trying out for the Pacers. There’s a joke in there somewhere. Late last night, Yahoo! Sports reported that the Pacers agreed with All-Star small forward Paul George on a multiyear contract extension. Instead of becoming a restricted free agent next July, George is apparently close […]
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 C.J. Watson was excited for his 5-year-old daughter Ayanna to start kindergarten today. While playing in the NBA is a thrill for these guys, for many, being a good parent is their most important role. On a loaded roster, I don’t know what Danny Granger’s on-court role will be, but […]
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 ROSS WEBER ISL Correspondent Note: The author will be a senior at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis this fall. He has been a big sports fan his entire life and is the sports editor of his school’s newspaper. He has grown up in Indiana and was part of the Diversity Sports Media Institute at IUPUI […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent The quintessential dog days of summer run from about July 15 to August 15. On the NBA calendar, the lazy period is pretty much mid-August to late-September. So get ready. The lull is approaching. The Pacers limited their opponents to 52.4 percent shooting within five feet of the basket last […]
Continue ReadingBy CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent Larry Bird’s being honored with a 15-foot-tall statue at Indiana State. Turns out all his years of honing a stone-faced expression made it easy on the sculptor. I loved Saturday’s trade for multiple reasons. Not only was it a metaphoric house-cleaning of last season’s biggest mistake (Gerald Green), but they’ve […]
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 […]
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