Indiana Pacers Need Presents: What Players Need To Ask Santa for This Christmas
As we reach the Christmas holiday, the Pacers currently stand at 13-14 on the season. They have had some high highs (wins in Miami and L.A.) and some low lows (losses to the 76ers and the Bucks twice). That is all to be expected in the NBA.
One of the biggest surprises this season has been the defensive play by this team. Up until this past week, they had been the second-best team when it came to opponents field goal percentage. They have had more success in the paint, and the group has played well together as a whole.
If you look at the losses, they aren't all that bad. Of their 14 losses on the year so far, 13 of them have been to teams that were in the playoffs last year. The only game they have lost so far against a team that failed to make the playoffs last year, was an early game in Philadelphia. Losing to the Celtics, Magic, Lakers, Jazz, Bulls, Spurs and Thunder really isn't as bad as they seem. Almost every game has been close, and they have beaten the Heat, Lakers and Nuggets already.
As we prepare to open our presents this Christmas, we should take a look at the key players on this Pacers team, and see what exactly they should be asking Santa for, to help this team improve as the season goes along. Some may be individual gifts, while others will benefit the team more, but either way, the goal is the same. This team needs to improve, and they need more marquee wins if they expect to make the playoffs this year.
Danny Granger
1 of 7
It all starts here with Granger.
The team goes how he goes most of the time. When he is off, other guys are forced to step up and do more, when they are sometimes not capable of doing so. Danny hasn't had a bad season so far, but there are definitely areas where he must improve if he wants to lead this team into the post season.
His defense has gotten better, but he must be more consistent on the offensive end, especially when it comes to his shooting from outside. When he shoots a low percentage, they are doomed. Couple that with his rebounding, and that will tell you the end result of the game. If he shoots like he is capable of shooting, and gets seven or eight boards per game, the team has a great shot at winning. When he struggles from deep, and doesn't crash the boards, it is almost always a loss.
Roy Hibbert
2 of 7
Probably the biggest improvement of any player in the league so far this year.
Not only is his body in the best shape it has ever been, but his offensive game has really come along quite well. The Pacers now have a guy in the paint they can confidently throw the ball into, and let him work. It's been a long time since we've seen that from this team (Smits?).
His defense has been steady, but what he really needs from Santa this year is toughness and better judgement. He needs to know how to pick his spots and when to execute. Sometimes it looks like he is trying way too hard. When that happens, turnovers happen. In the first game against L.A., he owned Pau Gasol. In the second game, it was the complete opposite. He was pushed around and wouldn't do anything about it.
If he can be more aggressive and get his timing down, he could easily be one of the best true centers in the league.
Darren Collison
3 of 7
Darren was supposed to be the third piece of this small "big three" here in Indy.
While Granger and Hibbert have shouldered most of the load this season, it is Collison who has been fairly inconsistent on both ends. Not to say we should be shocked, this is his first full-time season in the NBA after doing some fill-in work for Chris Paul last year in a different system. He doesn't have that pick-and-pop guy at the PF spot to get him all of those easy assists either.
That being said, the best present Collison could ask for this Christmas is more consistency and better court vision. The reason why T.J. Ford has been taking so many of his minutes is because Ford has that court vision that everyone wishes Collison had. Ford can see the floor and knows just where the ball needs to go. His assists are way up, while Collison's have been down. His scoring has been up and down as well, but he isn't really being counted on for that, so he just needs to focus on staying on the floor and getting the ball to the open guys.
His defense has been great, and with more experience, he will be just fine.
Brandon Rush
4 of 7
We all know the story of how his season began. Perhaps it was the wake up call that he needed.
He looks like a completely different player. He has confidence and is more aggressive on both ends of the floor. He has been playing great this year, but he could use a present or two from Santa this Christmas. Probably the best present he could get, would be a mid-range jump shot. While this may seem very bland, it is the perfect gift. This has been his kryptonyte for most of his career. The worst thing a defender can do is bite on one of his pump fakes. They want to force him to shoot jump shots, because that's a weak spot in his game.
If he could spend a few hours a day just working on that, he could become even better. Regardless, glad to see Brandon starting to turn the corner.
Mike Dunleavy
5 of 7
Mike went from starter to the sixth man, but that's okay with him at his age. He is just happy to be healthy finally.
His game-winning tip-in against the Hornets on Monday night was clearly the highlight of his season so far. He is playing well this year and provides quite a lift for the team off the bench. To have a guy like this that you can turn to coming off the bench, is a really positive thing for coach Jim O'Brien.
He is playing his role to perfection, and if he can keep hitting those open jump shots and provide them with some rebounding, this team could reach it's goal of making the postseason sooner than most people thought.
Josh McRoberts, Jeff Foster, Tyler Hansbrough
6 of 7
I hope Santa has enough presents for these three. It shouldn't matter the order, because all three gifts are going to be the same—health.
Yes, the simple gift of health, like a mushroom to Mario, could help them become so much better. These guys have all been hampered by injuries this year and even more so in the past. Obviously, the PF position is the weakest spot on this team, and having health problems with the guys at that position won't help much. That being said, these guys are nowhere near "stars" when they are healthy, but they do bring some positives to this team.
The other gift these guys could think about asking for, is the ability to rebound the basketball. Coach Jim O'Brien has been frustrated with the lack of rebounding by the team, especially with the PF spot. Whichever guy is going to rebound the ball is the guy that O'Brien is going to have in the starting lineup, and on the floor in late-game situations. He has made that very clear over the past few games.
Conclusion
7 of 7
I guess everyone else on the team could ask for some more playing time this Christmas, but I don't know how much good it will do.
It looks as though O'Brien has found his core guys—the ones that will see minutes every night. For guys like James Posey and T.J. Ford, they know they are valuable to this team. They are able to give this team a spark off the bench when called upon. Just because these guys don't get minutes like the starters, they are counted on each and every night.
We know everyone on this team can play, and with everyone playing their roles, this team could really have a good season.
