TJ#11 | nbadimensions.net

The recent moves made by the Indiana Pacers mean just one thing, they are finally rebuilding. With the trade of Jermaine O'Neal, it signals the passing of the torch from O'Neal to the young but capable Danny Granger. They seem to be trying to put together both a good team on the court, but most importantly a good team off the court. The last three players that have been in the negative news are Jamaal Tinsley who is likely to be dealt or discarded before the season (this coming from the mouth of both coach Jim O'Brien and general manager Larry Bird). Shawne Williams is another player that has had his name in the papers. He is on "thin ice" with the team. That thin ice might have broken with his latest problem with yet another bad friend who had possession of marijuana. The other and last player is Marquis Daniels. He has been clean since getting involved in a bar fight alongside Jamaal Tinsley. Now without further delay let's take a look at the current starters on the roster.

Jeff Foster: Everyone knows his name. Basically he rebounds, and rebounds, and rebounds some more. He has developed some good offensive skills since coach O'Brien has taken over. He has learned to pass from the top of the key much better than he had in the past. He also can shoot the ball now. Finally he has the confidence to shoot the open 17-footer. He made a lot of teams pay for leaving him open last season and this year the defenders will probably have to honor that shot. His defense is another thing that sets him apart as a starter. Foster gets up into the opponents body, unfortunately he does get in foul trouble because of it, but he also forces turnovers and a lot of bad shots.

Troy Murphy: Another interesting player on the Pacers roster. He rebounds well, but seems to have lost a little bit of that skill over the last few years. He has a very good 18-foot baseline jumper that he is almost automatic at making. He also has a very good three point shot. His free throw shooting has improved since he was first traded here. Murphy leaves a lot to be desired on defense. He isn't very aggressive, therefore letting the opposing big men back him down and get easy looks at the basket.

Danny Granger: A very interesting wing player. A great three point shooter, yet he also is a great drive to the hoop player. His three point shot is almost perfect. A little awkward though because he spins the ball in his hands while in the air about to take the shot, it works for him though. Granger is a very good free throw shooter as well. Last year he broke Reggie Miller's most consecutive free throws made record. I don't remember how many he made but it was a lot. He gets to the free throw line a lot because he loves to drive to the hoop. Granger will be the team captain this year after trading Jermaine O'Neal. I hope he can bring that leadership that Jermaine never could.

Mike Dunleavy Jr:An interesting player that seems to be very inconsistent at times, but very consistent at others. One game he will score 36 points (I believe 4 times last year but I'm not positive about that), and the next night he will not make it to double figures. He did fairly well last year in all stat categories. His main game is shooting the ball. He's a good three point shooter, and was the second team leader in PPG last season. Dunleavy is another good free throw shooter. His rebounding is something that the Pacers really like about him. He is pretty tall for the shooting guard position at 6-9 so he has a pretty big height advantage. His defense is not that good though. He can make up for some of his slowness with his smartness but that is the only thing that he has going in his favor.

T.J. Ford: A very good point guard for the Pacers system. He's fast, which helps with running the break for the Pacers offense. Three point shooting is not one of his forte's but he can hit them every now and then. The best part of his game on the offensive end of the floor is his ability to create shots for others. He's incredibly good at penetrating the lane and kicking the ball out for a three point shot. That is one of the biggest parts of the Pacers game plan, shoot the three-ball. Ford can hit the mid-range jumper very well so that is another plus to his game. Another good thing on the offensive end for him is that because he is so fast, he can get to the basket pretty easily. Being a good free throw shooter helps a lot to because he gets fouled a lot on the way to the basket. His defensive game is pretty good as well. He is quick with his feet, and that makes it very difficult for the opposing point guard to get past him.

The Bench:The Pacers have finally done something about their depth. They have added some good young players to it. Maceo Baston will get some playing time because he knows how to play defense. He is very good at blocking shots and loves to run the floor on offense. Marquis Daniels is another good player off the bench. He brings scoring from the inside as he slashes through the lane and makes shots that seem impossible. Travis Diener is a good young point guard who had a very good assist to turnover ratio last season when he got the nod as the starting point guard. Stephen Graham showed some very good flashes last year. I have heard good things this year that he came to the team in great condition and a much better player. He also brings everything he has on defense which is something that has made him sort of a fan favorite here in Indy. Roy Hibbert will be a nice young force off the bench. He should get some easy looks at the basket from the post. Hopefully he can come in and help on defense and in the rebounding categories. Jarrett Jack is just a great player to have. He can come in at point guard or shooting guard. Also, he is a great guy to have in the locker room as he always has a good attitude.

Josh McRoberts? Don't know to much about him, but I know a lot of the fans like him because he is a local product. I've heard he has a good range shot but I'm not entirely positive about that. Rasho Nesterovic is a solid veteran that will help us up front. He's not the best rebounder but he is always solid. The mid range shot is one of his specialties which will help him in the Pacers offense. Brandon Rush might actually start from what I've been reading but I personally believe he would be better coming off the bench as the sixth man. He brings a lot of good shooting and nice rebounding for his position. In college he proved he can play well on the defensive end to. Shawne Williams if he does end up staying on the team will be a nice player off the bench. Shooting is his main game as well. When he comes into the game he always seems to make at least one three-pointer. If he can get his act together he will easily become a fan favorite.