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Message to the judges, there's another blog that is completely tied up - I need one more vote to break the tie and then I'll close it.
The judges determined that jalbre won the blog ...
Sense: As contending teams seem to always creep by in the West, I feel that the surprise team that will be tough in the playoffs is and will be the Indiana Pacers. These days when you talk about a tough team in the East next season, you will most likely say either the Pistons or the Heat, but there's always been a constant contender in the east before these two came along. I believe the Pacers have been overshadowed by the accomplishments the Pistons have made in the past playoff runs.
The fact is, the Pacers are contenders, and they will surprise everyone.
People seemed to have forgotten their accomplishments last season. Problems like missing Artest, starters' injuries, and Reggie Miller's constant retirement talks hurt the team throughout the season. Any other team in the same situation would've have accomplished what they did. Having Artest back, and "renewed" should have the team excited about the next season. Personally, I've always been scared of the Pacers' team when healthy, since the 2004 season. However, when your leading scorer for the playoff averages 16.1 ppg (1 more point than the Bobcats' season leading scorer) and the team gets past the first round, and shock the Pistons...that's when you know you overachieved.
I feel the team has nothing to lose, and they have nowhere to go but up...especially after drafting Danny Granger. The team will leave off from where they were early last season, except no bench and lockerroom presence from Reggie Miller. Overall, I know this team will improve dramatically, and they will surprise everyone behind the Miami vs Detroit East battle talks.
jalbre6: All apologies to Pacer Nation, but your NBA franchise will come crashing down into the middle of the Eastern Conference pack this upcoming season. That 61 win season referred to in the previous post was with Reggie Miller, Al Harrington, and Kenny Anderson scoring a combined average of 19.3 points a game. Those three guys are either toiling for another franchise or applying for a commentary job with TNT. The 44-38 record put up last season, good for third in their division behind Detroit and Chicago, will be tough to match in the 2005-2006 campaign.
Yes, I know that Ron Artest, Jermaine O’Neal, and Stephen Jackson only played seven games together last season. But Indiana is losing the soul of their team in Reggie Miller, and everyone else in their division is either standing pat or seeking to rapidly improve.
Detroit is now a perennial championship contender. The young Bulls in Chicago are rapidly climbing to the top of the Eastern pack. Cleveland, who only finished two games behind Indiana, added Larry Hughes to run with LeBron. Milwaukee signed Bobby Simmons, resigned Michael Redd, and drafted Andrew Bogut with the top pick in this year’s draft. Expectations of being a championship contender in this post-Miller fashion are absurd, especially with the improvements made by Cleveland and Milwaukee.
If Artest, Jackson, and O’Neal can behave for a full regular season, they might be able to finish fourth, get a seven seed, and go to Miami in the first round next year.
Sense: The Indiana Pacers have a lot to prove and they will. The fact that teams have gotten stronger in the East doesn't mean that the Pacers won't be contenders, it simply means they have more compe ion and I believe they will overcome it. Having the heart of the team back, Ron Artest, will definitely improve the team. Ron Artest has lead the team to where they have been, and last season's results proved it. I believe in the fact that Ron Artest ruined Reggie Miller's last season, but that will motivate him to be better.
Surely the loss of Harrington and Miller will hurt them, but it also improves them in many aspects. Losing Harrington got them a starter in Jackson, and losing Miller will improve their hunger as the season goes on. The improving teams are in reconstruction mode, meaning that you will not see a Phoenix Suns kind of team, and in the east? Not likely. A team will not become a contender if it didn't make the playoffs the previous season, in the east.
jalbre6: Scribbling about the leadership abilities of Ron Artest is ridiculous. Remember when Artest was suspended before the Palace brawl because he asked Rick Carlisle for a month off due to fatigue from promoting a music album? Or when David Stern suspended him for destroying a television camera in New York in 2003? Or later that season when he threatened to pummel Miami coach Pat Riley and Stern popped him again? What about his five separate suspensions during the 2002-2003 season?
Reconstruction involves addition and subtraction. Milwaukee and Cleveland added significant talent. Detroit and Chicago didn’t lose anyone. If anyone is reconstructing, it’s the Pacers in the Central. They have to replace one of the greatest players in NBA history.
All Indiana is without the classy Reggie Miller is Portland 2,258 miles east; a bunch of somewhat talented athletes with little leadership. Calling them a championship contender is a sham.
Message to the judges, there's another blog that is completely tied up - I need one more vote to break the tie and then I'll close it.
The Pacers being at the top or near the very top of East is no surprise - they have 2 of the top twenty players in game, a great coach, and depth. This is an obvious slam dunk.
Right now I believe they are stronger than Pistons going in.
Indy is much better right now than some care to think. I put them right up there with Miami and Detroit. Indy can take both...fully healthy of course.
Yes, but won't have the presence that Reggie brings.
That was a good blog
Unless Artest goes crazy again at some point during next season, I can't see how anyone can discount the Pacers. As it was, without Artest and with an incredible run of injuries and suspensions, they pushed the Pistons to six games (again).
The "x" factor for the Pacers isn't O'Neal, Jackson, or Artest, though. It's Rick Carlisle. I became a convert to Carlisle's coaching ability watching what he did last season. Most (including me) figured that the Pacers would be so far back by the time that O'Neal's suspension ended that they would have no chance to make the playoffs at all. That was particularly true when they had to deal with significant injuries to Tinsley and some of their other key pieces. Carlisle kept them together through all of that and cobbled together a rotation (with guys like David Harrison, James Jones, and Eddie Gill playing fairly significant minutes) that became compe ive through adaptation. It seemed like the ship was sunk again when Jermaine suffered his shoulder injury, but even with that Carlisle kept putting on band-aids that got that team into the 6 slot and into the second round. Those are some pretty big accomplishments.
Yes, they lost Reggie Miller, but in my opinion, that loss is similar to the Spurs losing David Robinson after 2003. While there was no doubt that it would have some adverse effects, nobody around here doubted that the Spurs would be a true contender in the West and in the NBA in 2003-04. They'll miss some of what Reggie brought, but that team has pieces that will allow it to be very, very compe ive if they manage to avoid any further enticements to become one with the crowd.
I think it would be very, very foolish to count out Indiana.
I agree about Indiana having a decent shot, but that actually wouldn't be a surprise to me. I actually thought they would do really well last season before the incidents in Detroit. But then, it will take the first 20 or 30 games to see how they cope without Miller to have a better idea of whether they can be top contenders.
now what do people think with their new addtion?
They're about to three peat!
Give the Jordan era Bulls a run for their money!
, they're going to 5-peat!
Or a second round knockout because they just added Shane Heal the sequel.
uhuh
Pacers may be contenders, but I don't think they can make it to the Finals or if htey do, beat a team in the West.
pacers are better then cavs right now
cavs have not proved they can play together and play d and the coach has proved nothing
the pacers would make the finals next year!
BOOK IT!
, I love Ducks hatred of the Cavs.
only a cav homer would think that cavs are better then the pacers
pacers took pistons to 7 games and pistons took the spurs to 7 games
cavs improved but to say they are above pacers right now is not right
I love how a scouting report about Granger being injury prone has now become his M.O.
Granger had minor knee surgery last season and missed three games. In the summer betweeen his junior and senior year he had shoulder surgery but didn't miss anything but a couple of weeks of off season conditioning drills.
I don't think I've ever seen a player so accused of being injury prone who has only missed 3 games during a four year college career. That report ending up costing Danny about 10 spots in the draft.
He had knee surgery. And he still hasn't recovered to the point he couldn't even play in summer league.Granger had minor knee surgery last season and missed three games.
Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said Granger's knee is at about 80 percent, and Granger will not compete in contact drills until the knee is fully healthy.
Is a battle bog the message board equivalent to a dance off?
Pacers should be very good but ...
Harrison in SL has followed in the footsteps of other Pacers showing a hothead. Jasikevicius is know as a hothead arguing with refs, etc.. What is it about the Pacers? O'Neal, Artest, Jackson, Tinsley, Harrison, Jasikevicius. Don't they know youi can't have a whole team of hotheads even if they are talented?
It's precautionary. Granger ran full contact drills for about 8 teams who were scouting him about a month ago and his knee was fine. His former college coach, Ritchie Mckay, says his knee is doing well.
He could have played in the summer league if he really wanted to. If Granger is currently 80 percent, that would mean Tim Duncan was approximately 30% through most of the playoffs this year. That's what Rick Carlisle's 80% translates to.
I believe you. But I've heard that it isn't close to 100% yet and definitely wasn't in those workouts. That's why his stock fell.Granger ran full contact drills for about 8 teams who were scouting him about a month ago and his knee was fine. His former college coach, Ritchie Mckay, says his knee is doing well.
He wanted to. I understand that the Pacers held him out because the team doctors told them not to risk it.He could have played in the summer league if he really wanted to.
Jasikevicius, having agreed to 3-yr, $12m deal, the Pacers' just become the East's top contender for the East le. Known for being a warrior and a great jumper, good size for the position and excellent court vision.
Jasikevicius thrives in pressure situations and demands and shoots the ball late in games.
In last summer's Olympics he dropped 28 points on Team USA in a Lithuania victory and 17 points in a loss.......
With Larry Brown out from Motown, Flip's Detroit might end up 3rd in the running. Next to Miami and Nets.
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