How do you think the Pacers will do this season? The team has seen quite a few changes this off season. The front office made some good moves (the trade for Daniels), some solid moves (the Harrington acquisition), and some questionable moves (drafting Shawne Williams, trading away our most reliable point in AJ). There's still some time left in the off season, but I think the Pacers are more or less set for the upcoming season.
The rotation will perhaps look something like this:
Jamaal Tinsley/Sarunas/Darrell Armstrong
Stephen Jackson/Marquis Daniels/James White
Danny Granger/Shawne Williams
Al Harrington/Jeff Foster
Jermaine O'Neal/David Harrison
Obviously some guys will see time at other positions, like JO at the 4 and Jax at the 3. This team looks fairly deep to me, but there are a number of question marks, as most who follow the Pacers know. Will JO, Tinsley, and Foster stay healthy? Will we see development out of Granger, and can he be a star? Will Daniels accept the role as back up (though I think he's better than Jax, and could win the SG position out right in an open competition)? Will Sarunas progress now that he has a season under his belt? Can David Harrison keep his emotions in check and play up to his considerable potential?
Assuming JO is for the most part healthy and everyone else produces about what they did last year, I think this is a 44-48 win team that will be eliminated in the 2nd round if they get a favorable match up. I think Miami, Chicago, and Cleveland are clearly better (though I think the Pacers could beat the Bulls or Cavs in a seven game series, with a little luck). Detroit is now beatable, so the Pacers could definitely contend for the division, though I feel the Cavs are the favorites now. If things start to go right for the Pacers and a couple of the young guys (Granger, Daniels, Harrison, Williams) develop more than we can reasonably expect, the team could perhaps win 50+ games and progress to the conference finals.
i can't really see any more trades for the pacers, so i'd say the current roster is a lock. they will, however, probably be cutting up to 3 players but who will they be? will jimmy "snap" hunter make the final roster this time?
i can almost see marquis daniels being a sleeper this year. he is a defensive minded player (doesn't really have shooting skills) that has the versatility of playing the first 3 positions.
i am finally over the trading of anthony johnson, which initially had me p.o.'d. he was our most consistent pg who proved his place as a legit starter. but the pacers are geared up for a quicker running game this year so say goodbye to that half-court offense stuff.
the pacers should definitely have a better season this year. i'm excited to see our newer, faster oriented team (i've got to go see some preseason games!). harrington is back where he belongs and will help with his shooting and rebounding. foster looks to be our backup pf and rotate as our starting center. i'm not too sure about harrison. he's too foul prone and i agree with the "keeping his emotions in check". he has gotten so frustrated to the point of crying too many times. he has the size to be a dominant force down low. armstrong is gonna provide leadership and help keep our team focused. what happens to baston, edwards, powell, and marshall?
As it stands right now the Pacers have 18 players on their roster, and I personally would not be surprised if another trade went down. Hopefully we can see Foster, Tinsley, & Jermaine all play at least 70 games. If that happens this could be a team that wins a lot of games. Tinsley when healthy is a top notch point guard. If everybody stays healthy and focused this could be a great team, that could make some noise come playoff time.
if we stay healthy i think 50 games isnt an unreachable goal.........2# seed in the playoffs. but that is a big IF
i can see it happening easily. the pacers are and have always been a team that u can't count out no matter what. they're pretty resilient. i hope to see a glimpse of this new offense during preseason.
i can see it happening easily. the pacers are and have always been a team that u can't count out no matter what. they're pretty resilient. i hope to see a glimpse of this new offense during preseason.
i hope to see a glimpse of stephen jackson with a beard, thatll be weird
pacers team will be effective if they will go small, jax should be at3 along with daniels and saras. granger probably off the bench. i think granger could be the next diaw from phx, he has the talent!
Projections for the upcoming season...
