The Pacers are a very good team, similar to the Bulls with a healthy Rose. They have played very hard and focused since day 1 of the season and it is natural for there to be a bit of mental and physical fatigue. I still expect a 7 game series against Miami in the ECF.
I think they are a very good team but I wouldnt say a lock. I am hesitant to downgrade them too much after what they did to us last time. I look forward to the Rockets paying them back tonight.
The Pacers are broken and need to be fixed. Their chemistry and energy are gone. They slumped at the end of last season and came within one game of the NBA Finals. Plenty of time to turn things around.
LOL...don't think Pacers are broken. It's called a slump and is normal for most teams to go through in a season. All it needs is a couple of wins in a row, Paul George to start focusing on team again (his mental focus has been disrupted with the MVP talks a few months back) and there fundamentals will come back. TBH, i don't think the pacers are even too worried at the moment having locked the top 2 spots. Yes they are trying to get the ECF home court, but it's hard to be 110% motivated every game.
Of course they will. They are fine. Their expectations heading into this season however were superior to fine and I do not think they will reach that.
I don't like the Pacers but I think they will be in the ECF just because they are miles better than any other team in the east save Miami. The league has probably caught up to George's development so he needs to start countering the way teams are d'ing him up now. I think that they will again give Miami a difficult time in the ECF and might even end up winning simply because LeBron and co. will be dead tired by then.
NBA season is very long, and no they're not overrated since they've been to the ECF like 2 or 3 times in a row? We beat them by 30 last night, that doesn't mean much becauase it was a regular season game, lol and when was the last time we went to the WCF?
Yeah and who won the NBA title two years in a row and in what conference were they in? The east has always been weak but they seemed to always win the NBA title lately, lol.
^ still doesn't disprove R0ckets03... Playoffs in the East is a two horse race, while the West is (relatively) wide open
I don't know who has crowned them champions yet. Most people believed that ... 1. ... they were a championship contender, which they are. They are one of 6 to 7 teams who have a shot at the title this year. 2. ... they are the team that can challenge the Heat in the East, which they are. 3. ... they are one of the best defensive teams in the league, which they are. They have been very consistent. They have not lost more than 2 games in a row until last night. They are 6-4 against Miami and the top 5 West teams. (The Rockets are 6-6). I don't think they are overrated. They are right where they were expected. They are in a rough stretch and people promptly call them overrated.
I don't think they are a championship contender, but they are one of two teams that has a chance coming out of the D-League....I mean the East. They have by far the easiest schedule in the league and that's going to lead to a lot of wins, but they are a fundamentally flawed team.
