5-On-5 Roundtable: First Round Eastern Conference Predictions

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(1) Indiana Pacers vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks:
Regular season head-to-head record: 2-2 all

Jan 8, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George (24) drives towards the basket past Atlanta Hawks small forward DeMarre Carroll (5) in the second half at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 97-87. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports /

Michael Dunlap, Hoops Habit Editor-in-Chief: The top seed in the East against the worst team in the playoffs isn’t going to be pretty. Yes, the Pacers have been struggling and haven’t been the elite team we thought they were a few months back, but Paul George and David West are trending the right way and they won’t need Roy Hibbert on his best game just yet. While Jeff Teague and the Hawks will fight, they will lose and it won’t be close. Prediction: Pacers in 4

Phil Watson, Hoops Habit Assistant Editor: Ordinarily a No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup, particularly with an eighth seed as poor as Atlanta, would be a slam dunk, but nothing’s been easy for Indiana over these last two months or so. Indiana shoots 44 percent against Atlanta this year, while the Hawks are hitting 48.2 percent against the Pacers, including 40.6 percent from three-point range. The surprising X-factor is how bad a couple of the All-Stars in this series have been against their opponents. Paul Millsap averaged just 8.8 points per game on 31.1 percent shooting and Roy Hibbert shot only 28.1 percent while averaging five points per game. I think both teams steal a game in the other’s arena, but Indiana survives. Prediction: Pacers in 7

Gerald Bourguet, Hoops Habit Assistant (To The Regional) Editor: Ignoring the fact that the Phoenix Suns won 10 more games than Atlanta in a much more brutal conference yet the Hawks are regrettably going to subject NBA fans to one of the worst first round playoff series of all time complete with constant and unrelentingly loathsome organ-playing for every Atlanta home game…wait, what was I saying? Oh right: the Pacers have struggled lately but are playing a team that finished 14-27 on the road this year, Paul George and David West will turn it on for the postseason, what better way for Roy Hibbert to snap out of his funk than an Al Horford-less Hawks team?, that 19-point drubbing on Apr. 6 was just a fluke, etc., etc. Prediction: Pacers in 5

Shane Young, Hoops Habit Staff Writer: If Roy Hibbert doesn’t get over these April woes, I’m beginning to believe Frank Vogel’s Pacers can get “worn down” again. Why? Because Atlanta is a sub .500 team that can still take them to seven games. Witnessing Indiana’s worst half in franchise history (23 points on 20 percent shooting) against the Hawks two weeks ago, all that ran through my mind while hearing the booing fans was how much of a train wreck this offense is. In the end, however, Paul George rises in these early series. Atlanta may have the perimeter attack, but Indy has a motor that never stops, lubricated by the oil known as Lance Stephenson and he’s driving the Pacers to June. Prediction: Pacers in 6.

Nathan Giese, Hoops Habit Staff Writer: Well this one really won’t be much of a battle. If Al Horford were healthy this time around it may be a different story but really if that were the case Atlanta would be a higher seed than eight. Indiana obviously hasn’t been playing well but they have a palette cleanser of sorts to get it together. Hopefully Roy Hibbert can finally get things figured out in the process. Prediction: Pacers in 4