Quick Thoughts on the Pacers’ universe
By 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 ought to serve as a fresh source of fuel and motivation to keep their high standards on D this season.
Because of how much Luis Scola would help offensively if David West ever missed any extended amount of time, Roy Hibbert is the player Indiana can least afford to lose.
The summer of 2015 could be very interesting. As you may have noticed, the Pacers signed Chris Copeland and C.J. Watson to two-year deals, while Scola’s contract is off the books at that time also. It’s the offseason in which Hibbert and West have player options. Even if George is earning big bucks, the front office could position the team for serious cap space in the event that Hibbert or West leaves.
While the East is strong at the top, there’s no clear-cut favorite to come out of the West, which remains the tougher conference. That’s why Indiana’s plan to chase a championship now makes sense. If the Pacers finally break through against Miami, it’s not hard to imagine this team handling whoever awaits in the NBA Finals.
Should Danny Granger’s knee prove to be at full strength, he’ll be very helpful overall, and ISL’s Cliff Brunt made the case for Granger to rejoin the starting lineup. Granger adds some one-on-one scoring and can still beat teams from distance.
Watch out for dueling rises to super-stardom this fall in Indianapolis. Both George and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck have the potential to be truly great but aren’t quite there yet. Who’ll get there first? Luck has a head start, but George will have 82 games to work with instead of just 16.
The Pacers still need a third center, which matters because, in the event of an injury, they’ll want someone big to man the middle. Scola doesn’t protect the rim.
Larry Bird demonstrated a commitment to exploring overseas talent, creating a new position – director of international scouting – and filling it with Pete Philo, who held a similar job with Minnesota before a new boss fired Philo on May 8. One look at the Timberwolves’ roster reveals the influence of Philo’s eight seasons. There are foreign players everywhere.
Additionally, Philo, founder of the Reebok Eurocamp, wielded significant influence on the draft, as Minnesota looked to select guys they could stash outside the States. Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic and Alexey Shved were big international finds that came over and made an impact. Donnie Walsh typically did not go after foreign players, but Bird’s hire of Philo is a major indication that the Pacers intend to expand their horizons, which is exactly what Philo did for the Wolves.
Minnesota trailed only the Spurs with five international players on its opening-night roster last season and, according to league records, held the rights to another five still playing overseas. As international scouting coordinator, Philo was an advocate for foreign markets. His arrival signals a real shift in how the Pacers form their decisions.
At the very least, the Pacers continue to stockpile front-office resources. With Kevin Pritchard, Peter Dinwiddie, Ryan Carr and Walsh (around as a consultant), Bird already had quite the staff to work with. Now Philo joins the respected group as possibly fifth in command. That’s a lot of knowledge in house.
New assistant coach Ronald Jerome “Popeye” Jones will tower above the rest of the staff. The 6-foot-8 former power forward enjoyed an 11-year NBA career. After four seasons as Dallas’ player development coach, Jones was an assistant with Brooklyn for the past two seasons. He’s 43, old enough to have some perspective, but young enough to relate to guys still playing. Jones graduated from Murray State in bordering Kentucky.
It’s fitting that the Pacers will meet up in Southern California, because George, Granger, Orlando Johnson and Solomon Hill all have ties to the area. They can teach the rest about sunscreen.
