pacertom, I'm sure you know we all feel horrible about what happened to PG and are pulling for him to come back stronger than ever. Where do you think the Pacers go from here?
I disagree. I think he still comes back stronger and continues to develop. He basically had no ligament damage only a full bone break..The bones will heal and will be stronger.
I think that they will play with what they've got. Basically using CJ Miles, Rodney Stuckey, and a greater role for either Chris Copeland or Solomon Hill to fill the void left by PG out and Lance leaving. So, basically, they are screwed. But it's the East, and a 0.500 record may be a 6th seed! But the excitement level plummeted about 99%.
Any rumors of blowing it up? Trading Hill, West, Hibb while re-tooling awaiting the PG return. Pacers with Lance were way short of winning it all. Now without him and PG, I don't see why they continue this route...
Hmm, so you seem pretty sure that they'll stay the course and avoid tanking? Definitely admirable. It would be unwise to disassemble a contending roster just because of one year of futility. This increased playing time could be very valuable for the young guys and Hibbert could develop further as the focus of the offense.
That's my issue really. Is this really a contending roster? Even with the do it all Lance Stevenson, Pacers were well short last season. Now without him, even if PG were fit, Pacers IMO would be 3-5 in the East which is not really a contending roster. Even with PG, I would have ranked them 5th in the East this season 1. Bulls 2. Cavs 3. Heat 4. Wizards 5. Pacers
imo, the bobcats are ahead of the pacers. Hawks too if healthy. Healthy Hawks were 3rd best team in the East last year
That all makes sense. It could be a blessing in disguise if you guys slipped to the lottery and got some real help from next summer's draft. And then PG comes back with a fully healed leg, a little rust, but a revving motor. Just a terrible stroke of luck.
The team that was 33-7 and (for example) routed the Spurs in their own building definitely was a contender. The team that was 23-19 after that was definitely not a contender. And the Pacers players are still insisting that it was not some monumental locker room fiasco /interpersonal problem that changed everything. In my opinion the main cause of them falling apart was selfish play on Lance's part that came right after he didn't make the all star team. At that point he started playing more me-ball, as if to show everyone that he belonged.
The blow-up option gives you pennies on the dollar the way the season ended. Hibbert killed his trade value with his last postseason. No GM is thinking of him as a top 5 defensive player (which he is) but rather as the guy who had 0 point, 0 rebound playoff games. So the smart money, even if you want to get rid of him, is to hold him and hop he plays better for long enough to regain value. West is too old to get an equitable return. Hill is not your prototypical point, so his value is limited as well. Lance's increased offense last year came directly from Hill's reduced opportunities, though. I could see Hill scoring 15-17 a game and gaining trade value thisd year, but as of right now it isn't there. So I think that if they decide to blow it up, then that will come only at the trade deadline and not now. But does Larry Bird seem like a blow it up and start over kind of guy? I don't think so.
One thing about many NBA teams is that their default response to any positive or negative news seems to be to not do anything significant-- they tend to err on the side of under-reacting rather than over-reacting. For example, Morey is as aggressive a GM as any out there, but even he ended up keeping Asik after months of rumors and drama. He just decided to held the course and only made a deal after the end of the season. So my guess is that the Pacers don't do anything big this offseason. They might do something in-seasons but only if things totally goes fubar.
You make a good point, but I feel like the Pacers are in a unique situation. It just seems like losing PG was just another hit in a long line of wounds they have had to suffer recently. Not only did they lose Lance, but they seemed to have lost a huge advantage in Hibbert's confidence, the amazing chemistry these guys had, belief in Vogel and have Charlotte, Cleveland, Washington and Miami all (possibly) supplant them. I'm not saying they should or would blow it up, but I wouldn't blame them.
The Pacers should use this season to get some cap flexibility, develop and critique their young players, and test the market for Hibbert. I would definitely keep a close eye on Hibbert and see if he has the mental toughness and drive.
