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Indiana Pacers: What Manner Of Team Do They Want To Be?

By Josh Cornelissen

Apr 29, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) celebrates with center Myles Turner (33) and guard Ty Lawson (10) against the Toronto Raptors during the second half in game six of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers won 101-83. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 29, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) celebrates with center Myles Turner (33) and guard Ty Lawson (10) against the Toronto Raptors during the second half in game six of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers won 101-83. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Indiana Pacers pushed Toronto to the limit, but fell in Game 7. Now they look to change the tenor of their team to avoid the same fate next year.

Apr 29, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) celebrates with center Myles Turner (33) and guard Ty Lawson (10) against the Toronto Raptors during the second half in game six of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers won 101-83. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 29, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) celebrates with center Myles Turner (33) and guard Ty Lawson (10) against the Toronto Raptors during the second half in game six of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers won 101-83. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Taking the measure of a team is a difficult proposition. If a team is successful during the regular season but flames out early in the playoffs, how good were they? If a team backs into the playoffs but then goes on a run, do we evaluate them on the season or the end?

Do we look at a team that met preseason expectations as successful, or simply mediocre because they didn’t improve on them? Do you look to win totals, seed, or postseason success to say how good a team really was?

These are the sort of questions that swirl around the Indiana Pacers after their first round loss to the Toronto Raptors. Coming into the season, prognosticators were unsure how their new offensive mindset would pan out. Moving Paul George to the 4 and spacing the court around Ian Mahinmi was an uncertain prospect at best.

Some picked the Pacers to sneak into the playoffs, while others picked them to finish just outside. Anywhere from 32-42 wins was a common pick. They exceeded that total, winning 45 games, but only reached the seventh seed in the playoffs. At one point the 5-seed was in reach, but then Indiana lost winnable games down the stretch to fall outside the playoff picture. Winning six of seven against the dregs of the league pushed them back in as their competitors stumbled.

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Along the way they abandoned their small-ball system for a more traditional two-big lineup, buckled down on defense, and put forth modest offensive numbers for the year. Was their season successful because they exceeded their expected win totals? Or unsuccessful because they lost in the opening round?

They almost didn’t lose in the first round, winning their first game against the Raptors en route to pushing the series to seven. The Pacers were on the cusp of becoming only the second 7-seed since 1999 to upset a 2-seed, but fell short in a tight Game 7. Are they applauded for going the distance against a superior team, or degraded for letting a 15-point fourth quarter lead fall away in Game 5?

Team president Larry Bird has to answer these questions to prepare for the offseason. And that offseason begins immediately, as Bird needs to decide who he wants steering the ship next year. To do that, he’ll have to see what philosophy is truly important for the Pacers to have.

Next: Team Identity?

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