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Indiana Pacers: Complete 2017 offseason grades

By Adrian Lawhorn

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 07: President of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard and Head Coach, Nate McMillan of the Indiana Pacers introduce Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Darren Collison during a press conference at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on July 7, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JULY 07: President of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard and Head Coach, Nate McMillan of the Indiana Pacers introduce Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis and Darren Collison during a press conference at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on July 7, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images /

Overall

Kevin Pritchard planned to build around Paul George, but then had to completely scrap that strategy and start over. Given the circumstances, the Pacers are coming out of the 2017 offseason in pretty good shape.

The team decided to collect a group of (mostly) younger players who they feel have talent and room for individual growth. They also targeted high-character players who should contribute to the positive culture the team is trying to build.

Indiana has overhauled the roster by bringing in nine new faces for 2017-18, and Pritchard gets good marks for obtaining players who fit the vision he and owner Herb Simon have for this franchise going forward.

The Pacers probably won’t be as good as they were in 2016-17; the team’s ceiling for the upcoming season appears to be as a bottom-seeded playoff team or one of the better teams in the draft lottery.

However, one could argue that this team may be more fun to watch with an increased emphasis on unselfish, team-oriented basketball.

In addition, Indiana has a long-term plan and for the first time in a while, it feels like the team is building toward something. The Paul George-led Pacers seemed to have peaked, so the club is now retooling and attempting to establish more balance than they’ve had in recent years.

Next: Atlanta Hawks - Complete 2017 offseason grades

This isn’t a team that will contend for a championship anytime soon, and they may not even be a contender for a playoff spot right away. However, this appears to have the makings of a team that Pacers fans can get behind — and that’s huge.

Grade: B

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