Indiana Pacers: 2013-14 Season Preview
By Shane Young
2012-13 Vitals:
49-32, 1st in Central Division, 3rd in Eastern Conference
94.7 PPG/90.7 OPP PPG
Just think: Last season’s Most Improved Player could receive MVP votes this year. Photo Credit: IsoSports, Flickr.com
2013-14 Roster:
Chris Copeland – SF
Paul George – SG/SF
Danny Granger – SF
Roy Hibbert – C
George Hill – PG
Solomon Hill – SF/PF
Ron Howard – SG/SF
Darnell Jackson – PF
Orlando Johnson – SG
Ian Mahinmi – C
Luis Scola – PF
Donald Sloan – PG
Lance Stephenson – SG
C.J. Watson – PG
David West – PF
Off-Season Additions:
Chris Copeland (FA), Solomon Hill (Draft), Ron Howard (FA), Darnell Jackson (FA), Luis Scola (Phoenix), Donald Sloan (FA), C.J. Watson (FA)
Off-Season Subtractions:
D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green, Ben Hansbrough, Tyler Hansbrough, Dominic McGuire, Jeff Pendergraph, Miles Plumlee, Sam Young
Projected Starters:
PG – George Hill
SG – Paul George
SF – Danny Granger
PF – David West
C – Roy Hibbert
Season Outlook:
Bittersweet is the accurate term to describe the most recent playoff run for the Indiana Pacers. Even with a seven-win increase from the previous year, Indiana surely didn’t look as dangerous as the Miami Heat or New York Knicks entering the postseason. Nevertheless, Paul George evolved into a star and put the team in position to reach the grandest stage in basketball. Lacking offensive power due to Danny Granger’s knee injury, however, they fell one game short in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Luis Scola is the the last piece the Pacers needed to upset the defending champs. Photo Credit: Michael Dunlap, HoopsHabit.com
This season will feature something that coach Frank Vogel has needed for the last two years: bench depth. Tacked on with the added chemistry the starting unit will have together will be the additions of Luis Scola, Chris Copeland and C.J. Watson. Scola, a seven-year veteran power forward from Argentina, can score the ball as well as any big man in the league when he’s placed in the right offense (averaged 18.3 points per game in 2010-11 with Houston).
Having Scola on the floor for 24 to 26 minutes per game and leading the second unit, it’s likely that the Pacers improve their offensive rank from last season, in which they finished 23rd overall in points scored per game. In addition, Watson and Copeland definitely give the bench more of an advantage than they had with D.J. Augustin and Tyler Hansbrough as insurance.
Defensively, you only look for this aspect to improve each year Roy Hibbert and David West control the paint. Vogel’s core group of guys that have been around for his tenure have bought in to the idea of defense creating their offense. Last season’s average of 90.7 points allowed probably can’t improve, however, due to many Eastern Conference teams improving immensely such as the Brooklyn Nets and division rival Chicago Bulls upon Derrick Rose‘s return.
With that being said, this team will feel more confident than Pacers’ rosters in the past, as they know that Granger’s physical and disruptive defense on superstars can only make them better in the long-run. Their defensive rating of 99.8 last season without him (first out of 30) just proves this team knows how to win.
Everyone in Indiana’s locker room is aware that they now have all the pieces on paper. This regular season will be used to polish any weakness they have before making their championship push.
Best-Case Scenario
Granger returns in good form, averaging 17 to 18 points per game and giving the Pacers a chance to keep up with some of the better offenses in the league. Luis Scola is happy with his role, content with being placed in a backup position and makes a run for Sixth Man of the Year. Roy Hibbert shows the world why he continued to develop his left-handed post moves this offseason and challenges Dwight Howard as the best center in the league through the regular season. Paul George receives a couple MVP votes as the Pacers win 57 games. Finally grabbing that second seed in the East, they meet the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals and their depth proves to be the Heat’s weakness. Advancing the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, they fall just short against any of the possible Western Conference representatives.
Worst-Case Scenario
Bringing in Chris Copeland and C.J. Watson backfires and neither can thrive against the other benches in the Eastern Conference when it matters. Granger just doesn’t have the capability of playing 75 to 82 games and begins experiencing knee problems again. The Brooklyn Nets finally show that they can walk the walk, live up to their offseason hype, and blow by the Pacers as the clear favorites to take down Miami. Paul George doesn’t improve a great amount statistically from last season (17.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game), but still allows Indiana to have a similar year with 49 to 50 wins. Frank Vogel continues to get quality minutes from Lance Stephenson, who may have his number called more often if Granger struggles. The Pacers fall behind the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets and get themselves a fourth seed in the playoffs. However, it will lead them to being eliminated by the fifth-seeded New York Knicks since J.R. Smith can’t possibly have another meltdown like last year.
Projected Finish
55-27, 1st in Central Division, 2nd in Eastern Conference
Eastern Conference Champs, lose in NBA Finals
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