Credit Where Credit Is Due; Indiana Pacers Offseason 2010 Overview

Flashback to June and I was struggling to hide my disdain for the Pacers and in particular GM Larry Bird.  On the back of the disappointing 2009/10 season it was extremely hard to be encouraged about the future of the Pacers.  All the optimism from the previous off-season had been tarnished.  Highly regarded rookie Tyler Hansbrough was the victim of a season-ending injury, Western Conference finalist Dahntay Jones’ bright start and offensive prowess quickly turned into mediocre performances off the bench and, despite the impressive Earl Watson, the lack of a stable point guard had evolved from a dilemma into an emergency.  Add to that Danny Granger’s numbers dwindling thanks to some unfortunate injuries and Brandon Rush continually frustrating and you can get some kind of idea why optimism was hard to come by in Indiana. 

 

This had two very serious implications; 1) mediocre does not sell tickets and Indiana were in the bottom 5 in attendance numbers, 2) without attractive pieces and fans in seats, how did Larry Bird intend to make a splash in the 2011 free agency; part of his Stalinistic 3 point plan?  The future was bleak and I anticipated more bloated contracts, the Conseco Fieldhouse as empty as my boudoir and Larry Bird’s GM reputation well and truly screwed.

 

Well, as always, my esteemed opinion was proved wrong once again.  Never before has there been such a transformation from Villain to Hero as Larry Bird this summer.  Ok; that’s a massive exaggeration and Pacer fans have to keep their feet on the ground but for a franchise so removed from excitement and the Holy Grail that is the playoffs; it’s hard to not get carried away.

 

Draft excitement for me focused on two players; the obvious John Wall and, on recommendation of Yahoo Sports extraordinaire Marc Spears, the relatively unknown Paul George.  The two players were polar opposites.  Wall was a lock first pick with a stellar college season under his belt and successful trip deep into the Final Four.  George, however, was from the little-known college of Fresno State, a player who before workouts wasn’t even predicted to be taken in the first round.  A common British trait is to love an underdog; to me that’s exactly what George was.  He didn’t go to a renowned college and worked his ass off pre-Draft to build up his stock.  All I had to see was a short youtube clip highlighting George’s dunking capabilities and I was sold. 

 

In addition the Pacers drafted Lance Stephenson, the Big East Rookie of the Year.  That alone was enough to invoke a little sense of fortuity in him dropping so far in the 2nds round.  Then he destroyed the Orlando Summer league.  A fearless guard with a knack for getting to the line is exactly what the Pacers need.  Rush flirted with this approach towards the end of his Rookie year but too often settles for the mid-range jumper.  Hopefully Stephenson can add some bite to the backcourt.  (NB - This article was created before Stephenson's latest issues and hence his value has subsequently dropped somewhat...)

 

Then Collison arrived.  Literally out of nowhere.  I’d been pretty disappointed earlier on in the Summer when reports suggested a deal for Collison was dead in the water; a player who had cemented a place in my heart with some fearless displays for the Hornets last season (and a stellar season as PG for my Pacers 2k10 team…).  So news of the trade left me in rapture.  Just look at this stat line; (in 37 starts) 18.8 points, 9.1 assists and 1.4 steals with a .485 FG%.  Insanity.  Of course adjusting to a new system under Jim O’Brien and starting throughout the entire season are going to mean his numbers take a hit but with the effort levels and natural ability Collison has already shown, it’s hard to argue that his impact is going to be anything other than overwhelmingly positive.  Even if some warped twisted reality occurs and Collison turns out to be a more ‘Sean May’ than ‘Chris Paul’, he’s only on a rookie deal so his contract can easily be absorbed into the wage structure.

 

An objective analysis of the offseason has to discuss the gaping whole left in the roster by Troy Murphy’s departure.  Murphy was a regular double-double provider and defensive rebounds will definitely take a hit without him on the floor.  However, Murphy was never in the long-term plans for the Pacers and although useful for this season, he had become nothing more than trade leverage.  Given the future promise of Collison, Granger’s versatility at the 3 and 4 spot and the return of Hansbrough; losing Murphy is not something I’m going to lose sleep over.  One should retain some awareness though that the power forward position is a trouble spot; Granger isn’t going to cut it against the league’s more physical 4’s and both Hansbrough and McRoberts need to step up their games dramatically if they are to fulfil the starters role.

 

James Posey also came along with Collison and, in all fairness, looks nothing more than a bloated contract.  Obviously it was worth the price and the contract only runs for two seasons but It’s understandable to hear rumours of a contract buyout circulating.  If they fail to come to fruition, Posey offers some solid defense and playoff experience that could potentially prove invaluable for the relatively young roster if the Pacers challenge for a playoff spot.

 

Obviously next season should be viewed as a ‘work in progress’.  Collison needs time to adjust and gel and Hibbert is still maturing as a center.  Granger will yet again lead the offense and be responsible for the teams successes and failures.  Predictions are a fools game, it would be unwise to expect playoffs for such a young roster.  Still I wouldn’t be surprised if come April 2011 Indiana are taking their talents to South Beach as the number 8 seed (so I made a prediction… sue me.)