Tracking the Pacers

[Randolphkeys]

Marc Stein @ESPNSteinLine 9 hours ago
Early word on this Pacers-Suns deal is that Phoenix will receive Gerald Green and draft considerations in exchange for Indy-bound @Luis Scola

They retained David West, snatched Cavaliers FA target CJ Watson, now they are making a definitive win now move. I see them likely winning our division this year.

 

[Hydroponic3385]

Hibbert
West / Scola
George / Granger
Stevenson
Hill / Watson

That's a very solid 8-man playoff rotation along with spot minutes for Mahinmi, Copeland, O. Johnson and Plumlee. Granger, Scola and Watson are all upgrades to the guys they're replacing, especially if Granger can hault his decline and be a very nice 6th-man. But I'm not confident in their PG rotation - I think they would really benefit from having a more solid vet PG at the helm (someone like Andre Miller, although he may be too old to count on and isn't a strong shooter, but that type of vet presence would be huge).

 

[Adam]

It's shooting that is still their Achilles. Granger needs to be a threat from deep and George hill needs to continue to improve

 

[Rich]

It's shooting that is still their Achilles. Granger needs to be a threat from deep and George hill needs to continue to improve

THat would be the purpose of CJ Watson and Copeland. Both very reliable 3-point shooters.

 

[oasis05]

Pacers still look like a middling contender. They still lack a top player. No one to run the offense. Cavs can knock them off if healthy. They have more finishers, but lack the creators the spurs and heat have.

 

[czvo]

Pacers still look like a middling contender. They still lack a top player. No one to run the offense. Cavs can knock them off if healthy. They have more finishers, but lack the creators the spurs and heat have.

Yeah, coming within two seconds of making the finals was a fluke.

 

[Numbers Guy]

Pacers still look like a middling contender. They still lack a top player. No one to run the offense. Cavs can knock them off if healthy. They have more finishers, but lack the creators the spurs and heat have.

The Pacers came within 1 game of knocking off the Champs, 1 game away from the Finals. The Cavs probably wouldn't beat this team come postseason.

 

[Rich]

Pacers still look like a middling contender. They still lack a top player. No one to run the offense. Cavs can knock them off if healthy. They have more finishers, but lack the creators the spurs and heat have.

No. No. No. No. And no.

No on all accounts.

 

[oasis05]

The pacers got lucky bosh and wade were struggling. Game 7 was the reality of the talent disparity between the pacers and heat. Had bosh and wade played decently it would of been a sweep.

 

[getBUCKED]

Cavs can definitely beat the Pacers if healthy. Kyrie is a better player than anybody on their team, as is Bynum if he's healthy. Add in Waiters, Varejao, Bennett, Thompson, and Jack and we can definitely compete with them. Stevenson is still overrated from the playoffs, and Hill is a very average point guard. They would likely beat us due to experience, but I wouldn't call the Cavs upsetting them impossible.

 

[Rich]

The pacers got lucky bosh and wade were struggling. Game 7 was the reality of the talent disparity between the pacers and heat. Had bosh and wade played decently it would of been a sweep.

You just make stuff up and run with it. Bosh struggled because David West and Roy Hibbert beat his ass up and down that court. That was the Pacers that did that to him.

 

[Randolphkeys]

I'm impressed that the trade gives Indiana the best player as well as more cap flexibility in two years. The first rounder should end up being in the late 20s and Miles Plumlee looks like a career fourth big. The one entity that may be missed in Psycho-T and his physical presence with the bench.

 

[Tlyons]

A move to balance out the flopping of Shane Battier.

 

[mds]

Pacers are gonna be good. Lack of depth was their biggest issue. They'd make a run and then lose it with their bench. Scola is gonna be great off the bench.

 

[Tlyons]

So we can beat the Pacers if healthy now? Even if everyone is healthy we still have to put the product together and gel. My goodness.

They just picked up a giant upgrade over DJ with Watson at backup pg. They get another skilled big man, which remains a weakness for the heat. Stevenson is only going to get better. That was his first ever playoff series. He just needs to be coached up and let that experience sink in. I'm not sure what regular season Hibbert is going to do but he certaintly will give teams with undersized Bigs(heat) fits next year. PG might get mvp consideration this year. Granger should have some kind of chip on his shoulder if he remains with the pacers. They need his shooting and he's not a bad defender either. You know what you're getting out of David West, very solid post up and mid range game. Scola adds another skilled big with above avg passing ability. Scola defense is pretty shaky but its nice to have Roy anchoring the D. George Hill just needs to keep his damn dribble when getting pressured and make good decisions.

This team is stacked. If they get the shooting they need this year, I wouldn't be shocked to see them as the #1 seed and repping the east in the finals.


The Cavs are on the right track but the pacers are in a different class right now. Maybe year 2 of the Bynum experiment we could compete with a team like this after he's proven he is healthy( as I don't think he will be close to 100% this year). Oh, and we need to see the progression of pretty much our entire unproven team.