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Indiana Pacers Close To Being True Contenders

By Maxwell Ogden

Apr 23, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and forward Paul George (13) wait to be introduced before the game against the Toronto Raptors in game four of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and forward Paul George (13) wait to be introduced before the game against the Toronto Raptors in game four of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Indiana Pacers aren’t there just yet, but Larry Bird has his crew dangerously close to being a true contender.

Apr 23, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and forward Paul George (13) wait to be introduced before the game against the Toronto Raptors in game four of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) and forward Paul George (13) wait to be introduced before the game against the Toronto Raptors in game four of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

When Larry Bird announced that the Indiana Pacers were parting ways with head coach Frank Vogel, the basketball community was left in a state of shock. Vogel, 43, made the playoffs in five of his six seasons at the helm, including two trips to the Conference Finals.

Vogel is still on the right track to being one of this era’s greatest coaches, but the Indiana Pacers are far closer to contending than many expected them to be.

Bird made a shocking declaration when he told reporters that the Pacers will convert to a more offensive-minded system. Indiana has been a reliable source of defensive tenacity for decades, and it’s been a postseason mainstay because of it.

Since the 1989-90 season, the Pacers have made the playoffs in 22 out of 27 seasons, eight trips to the Conference Finals, and an NBA Finals appearance in 2000.

In 2016-17, however, Indiana basketball will be unlike it’s ever been before. The team has entirely changed its identity, with a new head coach, an improved supporting cast, and an overall makeup that could lead to previously undiscovered success.

There’s still some work to be done, but the Pacers are a very legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference—and nearly the entire NBA.

Next: The Changes

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