Stevenson wasn't even in the rotation last year (best rebounding 2 guard in the league) and George was half the player he is now, at both ends. This season in 3 games the Pacers won 2 over the Heat and outrebounded them on AVERAGE 40-29.
The Pacers are good enough to give Miami a very tough challenge. The problem is that they just aren't consistent enough offensively from game to game when it comes to actually knocking down open shots. Indiana also doesn't seem to take care of the basketball very well. Miami in six. I expect LeBron to elevate his game in this series.
I'm hoping this goes 7. And I'm rooting for a Memphis-Indiana finals! But I think the Heat win in 6 or 7. And I'm fine with that too.
too bad the Pacers don't have Granger this year. Granger is a very solid 2-way player, a healthy Granger can do wonders to improve the Pacer's offense (if i remember correctly the Pacers were one of the better teams in terms of offensive efficiency last year)
he wasn't very efficient last year against the heat in the playoffs, but he did help. by the way, any chance he can play for the pacers in this series off the bench? kind of like a david lee surprising comeback?
if i remember correctly, Granger got injured early in the Miami series last year (the same injury he's recovering from right now) but played on through it. that might be a reason for his inefficiency. i doubt he'll play in this series, he had a surgery couple of month ago.
Miami in 5 or 6. At this point thats almost a sure bet. Pacers stand a chance if they can steal one on the road, but man is their offense ugly on the road.
Similar to the Knicks series, Pacers can win if they don't choke. But this time they are clear underdogs. They will blow a couple of 4th quarter leads because their offense will tank but Lance Stephenson won't come to the rescue again.
Everyone seems to want the Pacers to put up hardly fought 7 game series, but I just don't see it. I know the NBA is about matchups, but I just don't see how a Pacers' team that lost its focus against a fairly weak Atlanta team and struggled a little to put away an aging and lackluster Knicks team is going to make a decent match for a really good Miami team firing on all cylinders.
heat in 5. if the pacers turn the ball over like they did against the knicks then it's going to be a quick series.
Heat in 6. I don't see Heat cruising through this series like a lot of folks do. Hibbert and George were terrible last year. I expect a better series from George this year.
I'm curious to know what you voted in this poll. In the LeBron thread you claimed that you did not say the Pacers would win this series, so if you don't think the Pacers will win the series then what did you vote on this specific poll?
This. It will be more of a challenge for Miami then they have had so far. And the Pacers will probably enter several 4th quarters with a lead and then Miami will chomp down defensively and finish them off with clutch shooting and execution and Pacertom will blame the refs and David Stern for a conspiracy.
