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Larry Bird, Indiana Pacers Are Building Something Special

By Maxwell Ogden

Oct 10, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Larry Bird during the game between the Indiana Pacers and the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. the Orlando Magic beat the Indiana Pacers by the score of 96-93. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Larry Bird during the game between the Indiana Pacers and the Orlando Magic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. the Orlando Magic beat the Indiana Pacers by the score of 96-93. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Larry Bird and the Indiana Pacers are in the most favorable of unfavorable positions. The stress of a rebuilding process can be overwhelming, but very few teams rival Indiana’s comfort level in an uncomfortable situation.

Despite stripping away the continuity down low, the Pacers are building something special.

Indiana traded starting center and defensive anchor Roy Hibbert to the Los Angeles Lakers. It also lost David West to free agency when he took an $11 million pay cut to sign with the San Antonio Spurs.

In turn, the Pacers took a significant step backwards in their immediate readiness to contend.

What Indiana has, however, is something that very few teams, let alone rebuilding squads can claim: a borderline superstar.

The Paul George Effect

Paul George is 25 years old. He won’t turn 26 until roughly halfway through the 2016 NBA Playoffs, which spells out one clear story: he still has years to improve.

That’s bad news for the rest of the NBA.

George is coming off of a gruesome compound fracture in his leg. Thus, there are legitimate concerns about his ability to return to borderline elite form.

Fortunately, George did not suffer any ligament damage and is already on the path to reclaiming his spot amongst the NBA’s best.

At 25 years old, George already has two All-NBA Third Team appearances. He’s also a two-time All-Star, owns two All-Defensive Team selections and won Most Improved Player in 2013.

Perhaps most importantly, PG13 has already led the Pacers to two Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

An outstanding on-ball defender and dynamic scorer with elite size for his position, George is as tough a matchup as any. He can lock down the best of scorers, create offense off the bounce, shoot from anywhere on the floor and erupt at the rim with tantalizing explosiveness.

George is also a proven postseason performer, an established leader and the type of player whom an organization can build around. Indiana may need other pieces, but most rebuilding teams are searching for a player of George’s caliber.

Indiana already has him.

A New No. 2

The Indiana Pacers lost David West and Roy Hibbert, which is much bigger than most are readily acknowledging. West was the go-to player in late-game scenarios and Hibbert is an elite rim protector, whether people want to admit it or not.

Fortunately, the Pacers’ change in identity is being facilitated by the arrival of Monta Ellis.

Without a shred of hyperbole, Ellis is one of the most dominant slashers in the NBA. His body control is unparalleled and his finishing ability is all-time incredible.

Exhibit A:

According to NBA.com, Ellis led the league in points per game via drives in 2013-14. He was No. 13 in 2014-15, per NBA.com.

Without a Rajon Rondo to limit his dribble-penetration, Ellis should torment defenses in 2015-16.

Not only is Ellis an imposing scorer in volume, but his efficiency—49.0 percent on drives in 2014-15 and 49.4 percent in 2013-14—is remarkable. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a skilled facilitator who’s averaged at least 5.0 assists in five of his past six seasons.

If Ellis can efficiently support George as the No. 2 scoring option, Indiana will experience a smooth transition to developing a more high-octane offense.

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Myles Turner (Texas) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number eleven overall pick to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Myles Turner (Texas) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number eleven overall pick to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The Promise of Tomorrow

The key to the Indiana Pacers’ future is not Paul George or Monta Ellis. Both players perform at a star-caliber level, and that will bring on some measure of success, but that alone is not championship-worthy.

Indiana’s future will be built on just that: the future.

The Pacers lucked out by selecting Myles Turner at No. 11 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. They also selected reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year Joseph Young at No. 43 overall and traded for Rakeem Christmas.

Coupled with the promise of Solomon Hill, who shot 36.2 percent from beyond the arc after the 2015 NBA All-Star Break, the Pacers have an intriguing core to build with.

Turner has all of the potential in the world. He’s an outstanding shot-blocker and a quality rebounder with the size, length and athleticism to be a true rim protector in the NBA.

Turner also has 3-point range on his jumper, the semblance of a post game and true superstar potential.

Christmas erupted with a well-rounded offensive game and supreme shot-blocking numbers in 2014-15. Young took over games as a scorer, displaying a similar style of play to Ellis.

If both players were to live up to their full potential, they’d go down as the steals of the 2015 NBA Draft.

The question is, how far can Frank Vogel lead this new and potentially improved roster? There’s no shortage of talent or potential, but helping each player become as good as they can be will be the ultimate challenge.

If Vogel is able to work his magic, thus bringing the team together and developing the stars of tomorrow, Indiana’s rebuild would result in genuine championship aspirations.

Next: Will the Pacers make it back to the NBA Playoffs in 2016?

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