Game Night: The Buck Stops Here (And I Plan My Headline-Writing Pulitzer Acceptance Speech) | 8 Points, 9 Seconds

Game Night: The Buck Stops Here (And I Plan My Headline-Writing Pulitzer Acceptance Speech)

by on November 14, 2012 at 5:11 pm

Sometimes you really need a win. Other times you really really need a win. Maybe once or twice a season you desperately need a win. That’s where the Pacers are right now. They’re only 3-5 and the Central Division remains non-threatening. So “desperately” may be overstating things. But a quote from coach Frank Vogel before last night’s game against the Raptors highlights why playing some good hoops in early-season games, if not overwhelming meaningful in a standings perspective, do mean something. “Everything we do has got to be about building confidence,” said Vogel.

Right now, the 15 guys in Indiana’s lockerroom have almost nothing to hang their hats on. They stole a win from the Raptors in their season opener, they eeked out a victory in double overtime against the woeful Kings, and they snuck by the even-more-woeful Wizards team despite playing a gross second half of basketball. That’s it. Almost everything else that has happened this season stinks. And these guys know that even those “victories” stunk, too.

Beating the Bucks, even in Milwaukee, won’t change any of that. But it will at least distance them from the rank odor that has been trailing them from arena to arena like Pig Pen so far this year.

The ball goes up at 8:00 on Fox Sports Indiana.

Starters

George Hill Brandon Jennings

PG
Lance Stephenson Monta Ellis

SG
Paul George Tobias Harris

SF
David West Ersan Ilyasova

PF
Roy Hibbert Samuel Dalembert

C

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  • Realist

    Start Tyler for Roy maybe. What have we got to lose.

    Of course Vogel would never do this, but yeah, I would love it.

  • Realist

    On pace for 40 turnovers. YOU CAN DO IT

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ian-Murphy/1037267155 Ian Murphy

    Personally I’m rooting for a sub-.250 fg%

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ian-Murphy/1037267155 Ian Murphy

    I’m also impressed that they’re getting outrebounded on the offensive glass by 5 despite shooting .150 points lower.

  • Melon

    I’ve never felt less hope as a sports fan than I do right at this moment.

  • Realist

    Maybe all the “Trade Granger” clowns were on to something. 12 games ago we beat Miami by 20. Clearly he’s worth about two all-stars and a first-rounder.

  • Realist

    Wow, this is getting brutal. Vogel could resign / get sacked after one like this.

  • Melon

    Roy HIbbert has a max deal. That is all.

  • Realist

    Time to get the third-stringers in there, surely.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ian-Murphy/1037267155 Ian Murphy

    If Plumlee can’t get in the game now might as well cut him

  • http://www.facebook.com/joebetzii Joe Betz

    For game grades, give the team an F. Give jump shots an F. Give confidence an F. I’m doing that a lot this year.

  • http://www.facebook.com/joebetzii Joe Betz

    weird text changes–I will avoid less that/ greater than in the future on this site. (throws up on self again after having to think about Pacers play tonight one more time)