Indiana Pacers: Fan Questions
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
Believe it or not, another NBA season is quickly approaching. With training camp just days away, the Indiana Pacers are setting their sights on a return to the playoffs.
There are a lot of unknowns for this franchise in the upcoming season. Here are some questions Pacer fans have asked on Twitter:
(Photo by Pacers Sports and Entertainment)
1. “Will the new small-ball be effective? Will Coach Vogel be able to emphasize defense with this lineup?” (submitted by @TheAndrewCrowe)
-Because of Paul George, George Hill, and Frank Vogel, I believe the Pacers will still be able to hold their own on the defensive end. Losing Hibbert will definitely hurt, but they’ll still be able to guard the wings. Ian Mahinmi is also a solid post-defender, and they’ll need him to stay healthy to soften the loss of Roy. As for the small-ball, I don’t think the Pacers will have any problems scoring. It will be quite different than the “smash-mouth” style we’ve grown accustomed to. Will it work? I think so, on offense at least.
2. “Who are the eight players who will get the most minutes?” (submitted by @emmert_joe)
-Paul George, George Hill, Monta Ellis, C.J. Miles, Rodney Stuckey, Jordan Hill, Lavoy Allen, and Ian Mahinmi would be my guess. After these eight players, it gets real interesting on how the minutes will be spread out.
3. “Who starts at the 4 and 5?” (submitted by @hometownhero_3)
-This is probably the most difficult question to answer before training camp. If I were guessing today, I would say Jordan Hill and Ian Mahinmi. Myles Turner will be groomed as the long-term starter, but probably won’t start right away. To me, Mahinmi needs to start at the 5 to at least give some defensive presence down low. At the 4, it’s wide open. Paul George will play some minutes there, and could even start there in some match-ups. I don’t expect him to start every game at that spot, though Frank Vogel has indicated it’s a possibility. Lavoy Allen showed signs last year of being capable of big minutes at that spot, and could get a shot himself.
4. “Could we see Monta Ellis some at the point, with Stuckey playing the 2?” (submitted by @hardin12)
-The backup point guard position will be another hot topic this season. Monta Ellis and Rodney Stuckey are both capable of playing there, especially since George Hill figures to get big minutes. Rookie Joe Young will have a chance to earn that spot, although Frank Vogel hasn’t always given rookies much playing time. A big factor here is how the 4-spot plays out. If Paul George plays a lot of minutes there, it will open up more minutes for the plethora of guards that the Pacers have. If he ends up playing less at the 4, I think Stuckey ends up playing the backup point guard minutes the most.
5. “What type of Paul George will we see? It’s truly uncertain.” (submitted by @Evan_Floyd03)
-I have really high expectations for Paul George this season. I was very surprised he made it back to the court at all last year. With another five months of rehab under his belt, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the old Paul George ready to rock. Whether this is wishful thinking on my part or not, we will find out. Paul George has high expectations for himself, and the team this season, stating: “I think we have a real shot of being top 3 in the East.”
6. “Do you think Larry Bird did too much this off-season?” (submitted by @ryneblaising)
-Larry couldn’t control the David West situation. He fully expected West to return. Other than that, I think Bird had a good off-season. He turned David West into Monta Ellis. He turned Roy Hibbert into Rodney Stuckey, Jordan Hill, and some cash. He also added some other interesting pieces to the mix. Though Roy Hibbert is a better player than Jordan Hill, it just wouldn’t have been a good situation with Hibbert this season. It’s always tough to have a player going into a year knowing it will be his last with the franchise. It’s tough to stay motivated and not be distracted under that scenario. For wanting to go in another direction, Larry Bird accomplished a lot in one off-season. Even if it doesn’t work out as planned, it may at least be a one-year head start on the future.
7. “I have the Pacers 6th in the East. In the worst-case scenario I don’t see them out of the playoffs.” (submitted by @franpro31)
-I agree that this will be a playoff team. ESPN’s prediction of the Pacers finishing 9th in the East is pretty surprising to me. Paul George alone could bring this team back to contention. Hibbert and West will be missed, especially on defense (Hibbert) and leadership (West). However, those guys had extremely average seasons a year ago. The Pacers could finish anywhere from 1st-4th in their division, so the playoffs won’t be a given. But when all is said and done, I see this team finishing in the 4th-6th seed range if they stay healthy.
Follow Tyler all season long on Twitter and Periscope: @TylerSmith_ISL
