Indiana Pacers: 4 Things to Watch For In 2013-14
By Shane Young
Much overlooked this offseason due to the hype surrounding Derrick Rose‘s return and the Brooklyn Nets’ roster improvements, the Indiana Pacers are currently in the 2013-14 training camp as the second-ranked team on ESPN’s Marc Stein’s NBA Power Rankings. General manager Kevin Pritchard‘s recent success was, of course, the re-signing of shooting guard Paul George, which was completed Sept. 25. Now coach Frank Vogel will work to build Indiana’s chemistry with the newest additions and get the team ready for the season opener on October 29th vs. the Orlando Magic.
Before the preseason games begin, we take a look at the four biggest things to watch for during the Pacers’ regular season:
1. Lance Stephenson‘s Improved Offense
Lance Stephenson working to improve his outside shot just shows the determination of Frank Vogel’s group. (NBA.com photo)
Reports from Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski have stated that Lance Stephenson, who started 72 games last season replacing the injured Danny Granger, has been working with shooting coach Hal Wissel during the offseason. This was great news for Pacers’ fans, considering he didn’t necessarily shoot badly last season. Making 46 percent of his 7.7 field-goal attempts per game and 33 percent of his 2.4 3-point attempts per game, the results from his hard work these past two months could allow Indiana’s bench to be the absolute best in the NBA.
Stephenson is certainly on record believing that his production off the bench, rather than the starting lineup, gives them a better chance to reach the Finals.
"“If Danny (Granger) comes back, that’s great for us,” Stephenson said. “We’ll be a better team. No one can stop us with me coming off the bench as a sixth man.”"
Luis Scola will be the primary option in the second unit, however, Stephenson’s polished offense will give them more than one scoring option outside of the starting five. We all could agree that is something Indiana could have used in their recent playoff series with the Miami Heat.
2. The Point Guard Depth
Starting point guard George Hill is coming off his best season of his five-year career, averaging 14.2 points and 4.7 assists per game. While he isn’t going to supply superstar numbers, he is generally a great 3-point shooter (36.8 percent last season) and takes care of the ball better than some of the top floor generals (1.5 turnovers per game last season). In 2012-13, the Pacers relied a lot on Hill to remain healthy and stay on the floor quite a bit, as he played 34.5 minutes per night.
C.J. Watson will be the backup point guard, placing him alongside Stephenson in the second unit. Photo Credit: Mark Runyan, Basketball Schedule
This season, he will receive help from the bench as the Pacers added six-year guard C.J. Watson this offseason. Entering his seventh year in the league, Watson provides that sense of experience the second unit needed in the backcourt, as he has recently played alongside Deron Williams and Derrick Rose since the 2010-11 season. Donald Sloan, a two-year point guard recently with the Cleveland Cavaliers, will likely be the third option at this position.
3. Will Roy Hibbert Be More Consistent?
Roy Hibbert’s postseason play made everyone believe that he may be the best center in the Eastern Conference. Photo Credit: Sacramento Press Media, Flickr.com
Hibbert’s performance in the playoffs last season impressed a lot of people, as well as raised his expectations for this year. His numbers improved across the boards in his 19 postseason games compared to his production in the 79 regular season games he played. Averaging 17.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while shooting 51.1 percent from the field and a shocking 80.6 percent from the free-throw line, Hibbert proved that he can contend with any other center in the league when it matters.
In the regular season, however, he seemed to hit stretches where he couldn’t find the perfect rhythm in the post. The season prior (2011-12), Hibbert was significantly more effective with his shooting in the post, connecting on 49.7 percent of his looks. This past season, he took a dip to 44.8 percent from the field in a year that many expected to be his best due to more offensive responsibility. Defensively, he will always be one of the strongest and most aggressive forces in the Eastern Conference (2.6 blocks per game in 2012-13). For the Pacers to excel and contend for a No. 1 seed this year, we need to see the Roy Hibbert we have grown accustomed to seeing in the playoffs for a full 82-game schedule.
4. Will Danny Granger And Paul George Co-exist?
These two All-Star level talents worked well together during the 2012 playoffs, which was of course before George turned into a $18 million per year asset. Danny Granger has always been used to being the first option on offense and the team’s primary defender against the elite players such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and the like. Now, they have an opportunity to be deadlier than ever as a unit.
Danny Granger will be returning to the starting lineup, which only sounds scary considering their playoff run without him. Photo Credit: Who’s the Bet, Flickr.com
Granger’s last season of playing at least 60 games resulted in 18.7 points and 5.o rebounds per game. Coming off knee surgery and not having much game experience since George emerged as a well-rounded star, it’s going to take some time before Granger feels comfortable about returning to the same dynamic player. Together, these two versatile players won’t let any type of ego clash interfere with the team’s success. The franchise made it clear that George has the chance to become a top 10 player in the league, but only with further development and improvement. What better way to improve than to continue building chemistry on the court with an eight-year veteran? Turning the team’s 23rd ranking in offense last season into one that is feared by other title contenders will be among their top focuses.
[slider_pro id=”12″]