The rolling Indiana Pacers are now picking up bandwagon followers, including including the perennially-pessimistic Indy Star columnist Bob Kravitz (though he does take the time to pepper in a few Colts references). With last week’s lone loss coming under an abbreviated squad against the number one team in the NBA, the Pacers appear to be more of a playoff contender than a beneficiary of a cake-walk early schedule (sixth easiest through 12 games).
The next two weeks will be very revealing as to the team’s potential. The season’s only western road trip features some winnable games before the final stop in Los Angeles than a homecoming to face the surprisingly strong Orlando Magic, a team enjoying the calm before the ensuing trade deadline storm. Six of the next seven are on the road, however, where the Pacers have been a model of inconsistency.
Roy Hibbert’s Contract Year
The big man is earning himself a lot of money. With his rookie contract expiring at the end of this season, Hibbert could garner a lot of interest from around the league. It seems likely that he would want to extend his stay in Indiana, and Larry Bird will probably be willing to do what it takes for that to happen.
Hibbert is now a double-double machine and defensive menace anchoring the league’s fourth-best defense. Though his scoring hasn’t been phenomenal, his shooting percentage and points per game have improved from last season. In a match-up against a team without an effective post-defense, Hibbert could be a first or second-round nightmare in the playoffs.
Area 55 could look a lot bigger next year.
Hicks vs. Geriatrics
In my last column, I discussed the growing (and mainly fabricated on my part) beef between the Boston Celtics and Pacers after Ray Allen said that West’s “ego kicked in” and he “wanted the dollars” when deciding to sign with Indiana. That was followed up by somewhat insulting piece lauding the Boston tradition and lambasting a man that didn’t want to be a part of it.
In other news, the Pacers have man-handled the Celtics twice in eight days. With that, I would like to end each column by tracking each team through the season. You know, just to help my ego kick in. What else is there to do in these cornfields?
As of January 16:
Pacers 9-3 (4th in East)
Boston 4-8 (9th in East)
If the 2012 playoffs* started today, the first round match-up would be …
#4 Pacers vs. #5 Hawks
*Boston not present
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Indiana After Eight Games
by Ronald Eugene on January 9, 2012 at 5:23 pm · 2 comments
With the young NBA season already heating up, it appears the Pacers could be a tough opponent. So long as they don’t actually play the Miami Heat, that is. Though the season is just eight games young, the Pacers appear to be a solid playoff team: they’ll take care of business against bad teams and hold serve at home.
Of course, these are my thoughts following back-to-back wins at Boston and against the not-yet-tragic Charlotte Bobcats. Whereas last Thurdsay, I was trying to calculate how many wins it would take to notch the eight seed again this season in the East. Such is life in this shortened, compacted NBA season in which the Pacers may be a much more even keel squad than most teams based on their depth and non-reliance on one individual player.
Price Check
My displeasure with Lance Stephenson as a member of the rotation has been documented on this site. My affinity for AJ Price should also be known. Still, early performances should make this preference an easy decision. Though the numbers don’t overwhelmingly tilt in Price’s direction, simple observation does.
With Price, the offense seems comfortable and directed. He’s no Mark Jackson, and never will be. He is, however, a consummate teammate (watch him on the bench during games) and a calming force in the high-energy second unit, which has been the team’s strength in recent wins.
Price was productive in last spring’s playoff series against the Bulls, both in his back-up role and when filling in for an injured Darren Collison in game two with the starters. He’s a highly competent backup, a perfect set-up man at the beginning of the second quarter and end of the third.
Stephenson’s potential, on the other hand, is undeniable. He’s unbelievably quick and often flashy. He could, possibly, someday, maybe, be a solid NBA starter that teams have to gameplan for.
But here’s the thing: He’s not right now.
The offense stalls with him in the game. George Hill has to take on much more of the ball-handling to keep things going. Oddly, however, Frank Vogel has already said that Stephenson will return to his role as Darren Collison’s backup. I wonder how much management is pulling strings to keep Stephenson in the game?
Frank’s quotes aren’t exactly a ringing endorsement of Stephenson. He brings up the same points I just did.
On the other hand, he likes what he has seen out of Price.
For a team needing all the wins it can get now for a potential third seed in the playoffs, this seems pretty cut and dry to me. Take certainty now over future promise.
Go West, Young Man
Recently, David West has taken quite a bit of flak for his decision to sign with the Pacers rather than the Boston Celtics. Reports are that the two deals were pretty similar. This led to a quote from Celtics guard Ray Allen who essentially called West (and I’m summarizing) a money-grubbing egotistical jerk that doesn’t care about winning or a championship.
Admittedly, my avulsion for Boston’s reaction to this may be tainted by years of disdain for that city ever since Willie McGinest faked an injury on a goal-line stand against the Colts in 2004.
Another article written by a Boston-based reporter was published the day of the Pacers/Celtics game. The author essentially paints West as a man not driven by ego, but afraid of the spotlight in Boston and tradition of the Celtics. It goes so far as to print a quote from West about him not being a nightlife, party guy. The implication is that West wants to lead a ho-hum life in the “cornfields” of Indiana on an average team rather than be subjected to the scrutiny of the league’s most storied franchise.
I would like to add three sidenotes to the Pacers-Celtics debate. First of all, David West is a family man with a wife and two children. No wonder he’s not out clubbing. Second, the Celtics are not a championship contender. The team shipped out Kendrick Perkins last year and shopped around its franchise point guard this season, essentially destroying their team chemistry. The average age of Boston’s “Big Three” is 35. And lastly, the Pacers might actually be the better team. After all, they won the game, in pretty dominating fashion in Boston even with a sub-par game from West.
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