[drk3351Participant]

Unless this is a ESPN scoreboard glitch, the Pacers are down 55-23 (32 point lead) to the Atlanta Hawks (Yes the team trying to not make the playoffs). At Home. Wow they have made 7 field goals on 20% shooting (7-35). If I was at the game I know I would be booing the Pacers.

Don’t see how anyone still thinks they can beat the Heat, or even make it to the ECF.

 

[Ny2daDeathOFmeParticipant]

is going on with pacers?? it seems like they’ve been in a downward spiral since the danny granger trade. chemistry issues maybe?

[Ny2daDeathOFmeParticipant]

is going on with pacers?? it seems like they’ve been in a downward spiral since the danny granger trade. chemistry issues maybe?

[The Scare Crow RisesParticipant]

 The cancer is spreading. 

He killed Philadelphia and Cleveland internally, got 2 GM’s fired in the process and now has the Pacers looking for answers…

[The Scare Crow RisesParticipant]

 The cancer is spreading. 

He killed Philadelphia and Cleveland internally, got 2 GM’s fired in the process and now has the Pacers looking for answers…

[thricethefunParticipant]

You can just about stick a fork in the Knicks after the Hawks win this one.

[thricethefunParticipant]

You can just about stick a fork in the Knicks after the Hawks win this one.

[DondiJohnParticipant]

So much for their chances against Miami in the East Finals with no home court advantage 

[DondiJohnParticipant]

So much for their chances against Miami in the East Finals with no home court advantage 

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Something happened in that locker room for sure. Lots of characters there especially Stephenson and Bynum.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Something happened in that locker room for sure. Lots of characters there especially Stephenson and Bynum.

[omphalosParticipant]

Yeah its really looking like the Evan Turner trade was a dud move. He does basically thr same things as Stephenson except worse, and he can’t defend well at all. Granger should have been kept on board for chemistry reasons, you shouldn’t just trade away one of your key vets for another young guy (who was on a terrible Sixers team). 

Really disappointed that the Pacers have seemingly imploded, classic case of counting chickens before they hatch.

That said, I think the Pacers suit being the underdog a lot better, and they remain very well constructed to beat Miami, who seem to bring out the best in them.

[omphalosParticipant]

Yeah its really looking like the Evan Turner trade was a dud move. He does basically thr same things as Stephenson except worse, and he can’t defend well at all. Granger should have been kept on board for chemistry reasons, you shouldn’t just trade away one of your key vets for another young guy (who was on a terrible Sixers team). 

Really disappointed that the Pacers have seemingly imploded, classic case of counting chickens before they hatch.

That said, I think the Pacers suit being the underdog a lot better, and they remain very well constructed to beat Miami, who seem to bring out the best in them.

[samosasParticipant]

 The mental toughness it takes to stay on top of your grind for an entire season is no joke.  When I saw the Pacers play earlier in the year I thought they’d beat Miami.  Now, it looks like the Kings would beat the Pacers.  Gotta have the mind of a champion.

[samosasParticipant]

 The mental toughness it takes to stay on top of your grind for an entire season is no joke.  When I saw the Pacers play earlier in the year I thought they’d beat Miami.  Now, it looks like the Kings would beat the Pacers.  Gotta have the mind of a champion.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Zach Lowe recently wrote an article about the Pacers and I think he nailed it. Here’s the link here: grantland.com/the-triangle/how-to-fix-the-pacers/

I’ve been to or watched every Pacers game this season and here’s what I think:

1. Offensive execution – The Pacers don’t do the little things well. They don’t set good picks, lack understanding about spacing, turn the ball over (Paul George and Lance Stephenson), dribble too much (Lance Stephenson, Paul George and now Evan Turner) and take poor shots (Paul George). And when they try to play unselfish, they over pass the ball and pass up open shots. 

2. George Hill sucks – This hurts to say because he’s a good dude I’ve known since high school, but he sucks. We call him "the sloth" because he’s slow and is so passive. He’s slow getting the team into it’s sets. He doesn’t put any pressure on the defense. And defensively, he’s overrated and can’t seem to keep guards out of the paint. Even backups are lighting him up. He’s not a starter. 

3. Frank Vogel – He’s gotten a pass, but I don’t see how. His offensive sets aren’t good. They’re very basic and predictable. Teams have figured the Pacers out. Either try to play bully ball with David West in the low post or hope that Paul George is making all of the difficult shots he takes, which he’s been missing now for months. Vogel’s offensive sets don’t consist of easy baskets. And since the Pacers play so slow, they don’t get a lot of transition points and defenses are able to set up in the half court. 

4. Roy Hibbert – He’s not bringing it. He’s had mental problems before in the past with his confidence, etc. Maybe he needs to go back to a sports therapist because he’s played like crap for awhile now. It’s one thing to have bad games. It’s another to just not bring it. I was happy to see him benched vs the Hawks. I know he wants more offensive touches (and I agree he should get them), but he can’t let that impact his effort/intensity at the defensive end and on the boards. I’d hate to see if the Pacers face the Bobcats… Al Jefferson will average 35. Hibbert was my front runner for DPOY, but not anymore… 

5. Defensively – The Pacers HAVE to make adjustments defending the pick and roll. It’s being exploited every game. This also falls on Frank Vogel’s shoulders. 

6. Bench play – The Pacers were supposed to have upgraded their bench lol. It’s funny because three of the players the Pacers let go are having career years. DJ Augustine, Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee. I understand players thrive in different situations, but damn… 

I think the Pacers still have enough time to turn it around, but it’s looking pretty bad right now. I think it may be a blessing to fall to the #2 seed so they can avoid the Bulls/Nets in the second round. I’d much rather see the Raptors or Wizards in the 2nd round. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Zach Lowe recently wrote an article about the Pacers and I think he nailed it. Here’s the link here: grantland.com/the-triangle/how-to-fix-the-pacers/

I’ve been to or watched every Pacers game this season and here’s what I think:

1. Offensive execution – The Pacers don’t do the little things well. They don’t set good picks, lack understanding about spacing, turn the ball over (Paul George and Lance Stephenson), dribble too much (Lance Stephenson, Paul George and now Evan Turner) and take poor shots (Paul George). And when they try to play unselfish, they over pass the ball and pass up open shots. 

2. George Hill sucks – This hurts to say because he’s a good dude I’ve known since high school, but he sucks. We call him "the sloth" because he’s slow and is so passive. He’s slow getting the team into it’s sets. He doesn’t put any pressure on the defense. And defensively, he’s overrated and can’t seem to keep guards out of the paint. Even backups are lighting him up. He’s not a starter. 

3. Frank Vogel – He’s gotten a pass, but I don’t see how. His offensive sets aren’t good. They’re very basic and predictable. Teams have figured the Pacers out. Either try to play bully ball with David West in the low post or hope that Paul George is making all of the difficult shots he takes, which he’s been missing now for months. Vogel’s offensive sets don’t consist of easy baskets. And since the Pacers play so slow, they don’t get a lot of transition points and defenses are able to set up in the half court. 

4. Roy Hibbert – He’s not bringing it. He’s had mental problems before in the past with his confidence, etc. Maybe he needs to go back to a sports therapist because he’s played like crap for awhile now. It’s one thing to have bad games. It’s another to just not bring it. I was happy to see him benched vs the Hawks. I know he wants more offensive touches (and I agree he should get them), but he can’t let that impact his effort/intensity at the defensive end and on the boards. I’d hate to see if the Pacers face the Bobcats… Al Jefferson will average 35. Hibbert was my front runner for DPOY, but not anymore… 

5. Defensively – The Pacers HAVE to make adjustments defending the pick and roll. It’s being exploited every game. This also falls on Frank Vogel’s shoulders. 

6. Bench play – The Pacers were supposed to have upgraded their bench lol. It’s funny because three of the players the Pacers let go are having career years. DJ Augustine, Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee. I understand players thrive in different situations, but damn… 

I think the Pacers still have enough time to turn it around, but it’s looking pretty bad right now. I think it may be a blessing to fall to the #2 seed so they can avoid the Bulls/Nets in the second round. I’d much rather see the Raptors or Wizards in the 2nd round. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[Edgecat20Participant]

 I do not root for the Heat at all, but i have to admit they are going to embarass the Pacers in the postseason. It will be a rematch of the 2012 or 2013 finals no doubt about it. 

[Edgecat20Participant]

 I do not root for the Heat at all, but i have to admit they are going to embarass the Pacers in the postseason. It will be a rematch of the 2012 or 2013 finals no doubt about it. 

[the I in winParticipant]

The West isn’t as clear cut.

[the I in winParticipant]

The West isn’t as clear cut.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

For as poorly as the Pacers have played this season, they are still 2-1 vs the Heat this season. 

They seem to rise up to the challenge of playing the Heat and giving them a tough time. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pacers beat them. 

It’s crazy… Think the Pacers could potentially still beat the Heat, but I also could see them getting beat by like the Bobcats or something. 

 

 

 

 

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

For as poorly as the Pacers have played this season, they are still 2-1 vs the Heat this season. 

They seem to rise up to the challenge of playing the Heat and giving them a tough time. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pacers beat them. 

It’s crazy… Think the Pacers could potentially still beat the Heat, but I also could see them getting beat by like the Bobcats or something. 

 

 

 

 

[halfdecayedParticipant]

Dont count out the clippers, they can ball, it will all depend on the matchups

[halfdecayedParticipant]

Dont count out the clippers, they can ball, it will all depend on the matchups

[Ghost01Participant]

 I think the Pacers slide is pretty amazing, and I don’t see them having any shot against Miami in the playoffs.

Let’s look at the Vogel era Pacers resume:

2011: Lost to Bulls first round

2012: Beat Magic with no Dwight, lost to Miami

2013: Beat Hawks, Knicks, and lost to Miami

I think the narrative that they are some battle tested contender is false. They haven’t beaten any really good teams in playoffs series. Yes, they have played Miami well in the playoffs, but there is a thin line between winning and losing, and I just think the fact they have "almost" beat them is overrated. 

Now most of that argument is one I could have given you a month and a half ago. Right now? Well I just think they aren’t playing good. Hibbert, George, and Stephenson have to play at a high level for them to win, and really none of them are right now. I still think George Hill is nothing more than a marginal PG who really does nothing to win games, they still run a terrible offense, and they still have no bench (Funny how Augustin and Gerald Green are greatly outperforming any current Pacer bench player this year). I know they play damn good defense, but I just don’t see it. Even if they miss the Bulls somehow in the 2nd round, Toronto or Brooklyn may be even a worse matchup because those two teams both can get to 100 points pretty easily, something the Pacers cannot do to save their lives.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they still made it to the conference finals, but I think that is their ceiling. A first round major collapse is still possible, and I think a 2nd round loss is more than likely at this moment in time.

[Ghost01Participant]

 I think the Pacers slide is pretty amazing, and I don’t see them having any shot against Miami in the playoffs.

Let’s look at the Vogel era Pacers resume:

2011: Lost to Bulls first round

2012: Beat Magic with no Dwight, lost to Miami

2013: Beat Hawks, Knicks, and lost to Miami

I think the narrative that they are some battle tested contender is false. They haven’t beaten any really good teams in playoffs series. Yes, they have played Miami well in the playoffs, but there is a thin line between winning and losing, and I just think the fact they have "almost" beat them is overrated. 

Now most of that argument is one I could have given you a month and a half ago. Right now? Well I just think they aren’t playing good. Hibbert, George, and Stephenson have to play at a high level for them to win, and really none of them are right now. I still think George Hill is nothing more than a marginal PG who really does nothing to win games, they still run a terrible offense, and they still have no bench (Funny how Augustin and Gerald Green are greatly outperforming any current Pacer bench player this year). I know they play damn good defense, but I just don’t see it. Even if they miss the Bulls somehow in the 2nd round, Toronto or Brooklyn may be even a worse matchup because those two teams both can get to 100 points pretty easily, something the Pacers cannot do to save their lives.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they still made it to the conference finals, but I think that is their ceiling. A first round major collapse is still possible, and I think a 2nd round loss is more than likely at this moment in time.

[Author]

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