Indiana Pacers: Frank Vogel Could Quickly Find Himself on the Hot Seat

Frank Vogel was the catalyst behind the Indiana Pacers midseason turnaround that saw the Pacers, finally out from under the thick cloud of negativity and mediocrity that was Jim O’Brien, reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

After a surprisingly competitive series with the Chicago Bulls, optimism abounds in Indianapolis. Due to a combination of young talent and cap flexibility, the Pacers appear poised to take the next step.

With that optimism, however, comes expectations—expectations that, given the Pacers' early schedule, might not be easy to live up to.

Outside of the first five games, the Pacers' early schedule appears to be borderline brutal. The team opens with 15 of its first 22 games on the road. 

Last season, the players were inspired by Vogel’s positive nature and skills as a motivator, but his ability to control the locker room was called into question at times. Adding new pieces to the roster could potentially magnify this issue. The team brought in Brian Shaw as the associate head coach to help address this very problem.

If the Pacers find themselves under-performing with a record of around 9-15 or worse, and Larry Bird starts to sense that Vogel is losing his players, don’t be surprised if the Pacers make a coaching change for the second straight year.

Shaw, in all likelihood, would take over in this scenario.

This is not to say that Vogel is not the right man for the job. Both the front office and the players believe in Vogel, and it is very possible that he and the team live up to, or even exceed, expectations.

If the Pacers are able to make it through January at around .500 or better, any remaining questions about Vogel would likely disappear. The second half of the Pacers' schedule is extremely favorable and should allow the team to improve upon its eighth-seeded finish from last season.

That being said, Shaw will likely be a very hot head coaching candidate in the 2012 offseason, so if the Pacers struggle early, expect a change.

It’s difficult to imagine the Pacers letting Shaw walk if they are not 100 percent sure that Frank Vogel is the man who can lead the Pacers back to title contention.