What’s next for the Pacers and Frank Vogel?
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
(Photo by Pacers Sports and Entertainment)
The Pacers season came to an end on Sunday night with a Game 7 loss to the No. 2-seed Toronto Raptors. The question now is, what’s next?
On one hand, it looks like a successful season considering the Pacers had a lot of roster changes, and they took a 56-win team to a final game.
On the other hand, Indiana blew a ton of late leads this season and probably shouldn’t have even been a 7-seed. Not to mention, the monstrosity known as Game 5 that cost them their season.
The franchise is in an interesting place at the moment. They have Paul George and Myles Turner to build on. If they can figure out how to close out some games, they could easily be a top 4-seed next season. At the same time, they have plenty of questions.
1. What happens with Frank Vogel?
Should Frank Vogel keep his job if Pacers lose to Toronto?
— Tyler Smith (@TylerSmith_ISL) April 27, 2016
Nobody even knew Frank Vogel was in the final year of his contract until Sunday night. His job status will be resolved soon and could go either way. Overall, he’s done a great job with the Pacers, making the playoffs in five of his six seasons, leading them to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances, and compiling a .580 winning percentage. On the negative side, his job was on the line two seasons ago, and it was saved by David West in the Atlanta series. Despite reaching the conference finals that year, the Pacers really struggled in the second half of the season and didn’t live up to their expectations.
Fast forward to this season- Vogel did some good things with a roster that had a lot of changes. At the same time, the Pacers lost over 20 games this season when owning a 4th-quarter lead. They were 1-7 in Overtime games. They shot a miserable 4% (not a typo) in the final 10 seconds of one-possession games, and were consistently in the top 3 in the NBA this year in close losses.
Add all of this up, and Larry Bird has a tough decision to make. This team could be close to being a contender again, or they could need a change to get back to where they want to go. Paul George has two years left on his contract, and the Pacers need to be successful if they want to keep their superstar.
One of the main factors in Bird’s decision- who could he land as Vogel’s replacement if he makes a change? The main name that comes to mind is Kevin McHale, a long-time friend of Larry Bird. He had a good offense in Houston, and has gone to a Conference Finals himself. It wouldn’t surprise me if Bird has already been in contact with McHale asking about his interest in the Indiana job. If McHale isn’t interested, it may sway Bird to keep Vogel. I’m sure McHale would prefer Indiana over Sacramento, but time will tell if there’s any truth to my speculation. Bird’s decision on Vogel will set the stage for the rest of the Pacers off-season.
2. What happens with Solomon Hill?
Larry Bird’s decision to decline Solomon Hill’s 2.3 million dollar option is going to end up looking worse than the end of Game 5. Hill will surely get offered more money elsewhere, and the Pacers are probably going to lose a player that could (should) have been a core piece. Last season looks even more like a waste of time, considering the development of Solo was supposed to be a big part of that year. It’s not like Hill is irreplaceable, but it just didn’t make any sense, and it could come back to really bite the Pacers. Other GM’s were watching the Pacers/Raptors series, and Solomon Hill will probably get paid.
3. Will the Pacers be active in free agency?
With a new salary cap coming, just about every team will be active in free agency. The Pacers will look to bring in a free-agent big, which also makes the status of Ian Mahinmi uncertain. Ian had a great year, and he has expressed that he’d like to stay in Indiana. But if the Pacers want to spend money on another big, it would be tough to also keep Mahinmi. Paul George said he’s going to try and recruit free agents this off-season. Look for the Pacers to sign one key player, to go along with other minor moves. Indiana isn’t always the most attractive destination for players who prefer bigger markets. But if a player sees the possibilities to win with Paul George and the money is there, the Pacers will have a shot to make some noise in free agency.
4. Small-ball, or Smash-mouth?
This season was kind of a mixed bag with this topic. Bird wanted small-ball, but Vogel ended up playing a more traditional style with small-ball mixed in from time to time. This will probably depend on who the Pacers bring in this summer. Myles Turner could end up being the starting 4 OR the starting 5, and that will also depend on what other moves the Pacers make. My guess is, Larry Bird will push the small-ball idea once again and will try to shape his roster (and possibly his coach) around that idea.
It was an interesting season for the Indiana Pacers, and the off-season will be just as interesting to watch. The Pacers could have a bright future and return to contention if the right moves are made. If.
