Indiana Pacers Season Preview – NBA Predictions
The Indiana Pacers gave the Miami Heat a run for their money in the postseason last year, coming within a single win of the NBA Finals, and are now the sexy pick to make it to the NBA Finals out of the East this year.
Indiana Pacers
Eastern Conference
2012-2013 Record: 49-32
Odds to win title: 10 to 1
Odds to win conference: 5 to 1 from [dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Indiana Pacers
Key Losses
Tyler Hansbrough – Hansbrough brought a heck of a motor night in and night out for the Pacers in his time in Indiana, but he’s gone now and the team will have to get its energy from somewhere else.
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D.J. Augustin – Augustin took a big step forward in Indiana after a poor start to his career with Charlotte.
Top Newcomers
Luis Scola – One of the more underrated players in basketball, Scola can create offense from the low post while rebounding well and playing good defense. He’ll be a strong asset off the bench.
Chris Copeland – Copeland won’t get as many chances to shoot from beyond the arc in Indiana as he did in New York, but his ability to stretch the floor is something Indiana sorely lacked last season.
C.J. Watson – Watson is another player that doesn’t get the credit he deserves. He’ll get a chance to show off his skills filling in for Augustin at the point.
Top Players
Paul George moved climbed into the elite ranks with his outstanding performance in the playoffs last season, going nose-to-nose with LeBron James. He won’t be able to catch anyone by surprise after that performance, but expect him to remain in the elite ranks. Roy Hibbert and David West have established themselves as one of the better big-men combos in the Association. Getting Danny Granger back at full strength will be a tremendous boon. [ad-6571516]
Strengths
The Pacers were the best defensive team in basketball last season. Getting better at the other end was a priority over the summer and they did that. The team greatly improved their bench in the offseason with the additions of Scola and Copeland.
Weaknesses
Considering they made it to the final four last season, the Pacers really struggled to score points, finishing 23rd in the NBA in points per game. Getting back Danny Granger will help, as do the new additions off the bench, but they may not climb the ranks all that much given their pace of play.
2013-14 Prediction: 52-30
The Pacers again appear poised to make a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, even if that means getting knocked out by the Heat again. LeBron James still remains between them and the NBA Finals, but there aren’t many more obstacles for them to get past in the East, so a trip to the semifinals is all but a lock.
How effectively they can transition Danny Granger back into the lineup will determine how well they perform in the regular season, as will the effectiveness of their new weapons on the bench. Scoring points may not be a top priority though, particularly if they can play the type of smothering defense that they demonstrated a year ago.
Roy Hibbert is a strong candidate for defensive player of the year, while Danny Granger could make some noise for Sixth Man of the Year.
