In an off season full of moves for the Indian Pacers, they have improved their roster tremendously. A potential starting line up of
Jeff Teague,
Monta Ellis,
Paul George,
Thaddeus Young, and
Al Jefferson sounds like a top team in the NBA. The problem lies on the defensive end for this team. Al Jefferson, Monta Ellis and Jeff Teague will hurt the Pacers on defense. But the team finally has the scoring that it did not have for over four years now.
So just how good will the Pacers be? On papers this team does have the potential to be the number two seed in the East. As for how bad they could perform, they are too talented to be any worse than a six seed. The truth is the Cavaliers will have the number one seed locked down if they are healthy all season. After them it is a toss up. Most likely the Raptors will reclaim the number two seed. Then the Pacers could sneak in at three. And the Celtics at four. After the top four it is anyone's guess who will the 5-8 seeds will be. The truth is with the East getting better and better each season the final seeding is hard to predict.
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| Chris Keane/Special to the Oregonian |
What fans can be sure of is that this Pacers team is going the most offensively talented team since Paul George was drafted in 2010. With new head coach Nate McMillan at the helm the Pacers will have a fresh start. This team is going to be much different than it was been over the last five years. In the past the Pacers have been know for slowing down the tempo and focusing on defense. From 2012 to 2015 the Pacers never allowed more than 97 points per game in a season. There defense allowed them to compete with great teams like the Miami Heat. Where the team lacked in the past was offense. From 2012 to 2015 the team never averaged higher than 97.7 points per game. Last season the Pacers allowed 100.5 points per game. They ranked eighth in the league. But on offense they scored the most points per game since George's rookie year with 102.2 points per game. This years Pacer team will be heading in a much different direction than they did in the past. The have a lot of players that are capable of creating their own shot now. The down fall is that these players are not the best defenders. In the end the Pacers are giving up some defense to receive more offense.
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| Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports |
This will be a good change for George, who in the past was the only consistent source of offense. Now George will have more breathing room on offense and could result in him being an MVP candidate. George was an early favorite last year, behind
Steph Curry, to win MVP. With a completely rebuilt team allowing him get better looks on offense he will no doubt be in the discussion. And with George's size, strength, and athleticism he can guard the opposing teams best player from the 1-3 position. Finally he could even focus on the defensive end of the floor and put in more effort on that end and have reliable scoring options to take over on the offensive end.
I am predicting that the Pacers will finish with a 50-32 record. Having a new coach and new players will be a fresh start for everyone on the roster. If everyone is learning a new system together it will help grow the players bond with the coaches and the other players. The Pacers are back on the rise.
