2012 and Beyond: Why the Indiana Pacers May Never Contend for an NBA Title

The Indiana Pacers are a team that is one or two roster-moves away from being a contender in the Eastern Conference, but they are unable to do so given the current state of the NBA and it's big-name players.

Since proclaiming himself an "easy target," LeBron James is right to call himself an "easy target," and his decision from two summers ago shares some of the blame. But the trend that sees stars teaming up in big markets for maximum salaries may hold the Pacers back from ever getting over the hump.

It hasn't always been this way. People will argue that Michael Jordan had a top-five player by his side in Scottie Pippen, but the truth is that Pip was overrated based on his pairing with His Airness for all those titles.  

The league's talent being centered in a few major cities leaves Indianapolis and all the other small-markets to fight over mediocre talent when it comes to trades and free agency. Case in point: Dwight Howard wants out of Orlando, but will only go to a few certain places.

David Stern and league management support this lack of parity, with the doctoring of the Chris Paul trade being a perfect example. Paul going to the Clippers instead of the Lakers added a big-market contender to the league while keeping another from being too strong and continuing to over-power its crosstown rival.

Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks is the latest player to want to go big, telling ESPN.com that he's considering options. In his own words, "I'm doing my homework on big market teams.

Kevin Durant and the Thunder can contend out of Oklahoma City, especially with Russell Westbrook recently signing an extension. But if they don't win, how long is it before their stars get too big for their britches and move to a big city with other stars?

With the money available, the Pacers could make solid moves to improve their roster, but if the mindset of today's NBA star is that he's selling himself short by playing in a smaller city, teams will continue to be handicapped. Long gone are the days of a Reggie Miller fighting to make his team the best it could be.