The Indiana Pacers: Putting Together The Pieces Of The Puzzle

By File:Anthony Tolliver defending Paul George.jpg: joshuak8 derivative work: Chrishmt0423 - → This file has been extracted from another file: Anthony Tolliver defending Paul George.jpg , CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31545591

While a lot of the attention in the offseason has been switched on to the Warriors and the Knick this offseason, the Pacers have been building a masterpiece under the radar. Let's take a look at the significance of the roster they've been putting together.

Jeff Teague- This point guard comes from the 2014-15 coach of the year, Mike Budenholzer who transformed the whole Hawks team. This was a team that was second in defensive rating in the league last season, only falling behind the Spurs. However, as good as this team was, they didn't have a superstar which hurt their chances dearly of scoring when it came to the playoffs. Now Jeff Teague is a guy that likes to get the offense going. He is a fast paced guard. One of the biggest things Teague brings to the floor though, is his shooting. Last year, Monta Ellis had a rough year. The paint was very tight and his offense didn't thrive. Now that Teague, a 40% 3-point shooter and a great player off the dribble, is on the team, this will open up the paint for the rest of the team.

Myles Turner- This guy made his mark in the playoffs last year. He's proven he has a place in the league. His toughness mentality is amazing and you know he'll be learning a lot from big Al Jefferson on toughness. This just might be Myles Turner's break out season as he didn't really have a chance last season to do so. Expect big things from him defensively.

Paul George: He is star of the team. Of course with Paul George, you will know what you're getting out of him, a lot of offense and a lot of defense. With a small forward that can guard guys like KD and LeBron James you know that Pacers are going to have an easier time winning against these elite teams.

Thaddeus Young: This is probably one of the most underrated acquisitions that have happened this off-season. Thaddeus Young is known to be a good solid defender. He is one of the leading power forwards in steals for a few years now. Young has a pretty good post game and can somewhat stretch the floor. But the ability to put the ball on the deck and rebound efficiently from the power forward sport is what stands out. Young is an athletic power forward. He can drive better than most of them. And to top that off, he can rebound. This left handed big men is a big piece since the Pacers lacked good big men last season. Young brings a lot to the table that a lot f power forwards don't have. He cuts and runs the floor. You know him and Teague are going to be having a great time in transition.


Monta Ellis: This year is the year that Monta Ellis has a comeback year. It was rough for him, but for two reason. Number 1, he didn't have many big men to play pick and roll/pop with. This year he has Jefferson and Young. Number 2, with more shooters the paint will be open more. I have a good feeling about Ellis this year.

The Bench: Al Jefferson is going to be the guy to come off the bench to destroy the other team. They are going to ask him to score and rebound. He will be used constantly in pick and roll with Paul George, Monta Ellis, and Jeff Teague a ton.

Aaron Brooks is the guy that I'm so happy they grabbed, besides D.J. Augstine, I think Aaron Brooks is one of the best bench players you could have. This is a guy that is know to be able to shoot and score. But not only can he score, he has a big effect on his teammates. His ability to pass is amazing. The acquisition of Brooks is very important to the success of the Pacers success.

The other players they have, guys like Rodney Stuckey and and C.J. Miles can just flat out score. Glenn Robinson III might be a guy that can really provide a lift offensively as well as Joe Young. They also have a good defensive center in Rakeem Christmas if someone were to go down. Their bench is something that they can count on.

As you can see, the Pacers are on track to win this season. If they can stay healthy, their limit is unknown.  They are going to be a very fast paced team that is going to push tempo. To me, they have a roster that has a chance at taking down the Cavs. I can't wait to see this team in action!

How Will The Celtics Do This Season?

"Al Horford Atlanta Hawks Win Over Pacers" by Hawks Hoop CC by 2.0

  The Celtics were one of the most surprising teams in the league last year finishing 5th in the east, in a four way tie for the 3rd seed, after being the 7 seed last year. Even though the Celtics had a great year, they still got eliminated in the first round just like last year, and the reason for their loss was because of the limited bigs they had. The Hawks had one of the best big men duo in Paul Millsap and Al Horford, and the Celtics just couldn't control them. But the Celtics fixed that this off season by signing Atlanta's Al Horford to the team. So how will the Celtics do this season?

  Well as mentioned before the Celtics fixed one of their biggest problems by signing Al Horford, they also drafted forward Jaylen Brown who seems like a bright talent and definitely helps their front court and bench, but took a big losses to their lineup by losing Evan Turner who was a key player for them on both ends of the floor and Jared Sullinger who was a starter for them. But overall the Celtics improved a lot during Free Agency. 

  The Celtics last year finished 48-34 in a four way tie for 3rd in the East. If we are considering the moves the other teams in the East have made, we can see the Celtics ending up in the Top 4 next season.  The Cavs expected to finish at number 1 next season, then this year it will be a fight for the 2nd spot between the Raptors who were the 2 seed last season, the Pacers, and the Celtics. The Celtics finally have that other star on their team along side Thomas which could definitely excel them in the Playoffs. Lets compare the Celtics starting lineup to the Pacers who seem like a team that will definitely be fighting with Celtics for the top spots in the East.

Pacers vs Celtics:

Thomas vs Teague: Thomas wins this matchup mostly because he averages better numbers, is more consistent, and comes up very clutch for his team.

Bradley vs Ellis

This is a very close matchup, since Ellis had an off year last season. Bradley 1 averaged more point, Ellis averaged 2 more assists, and they both averaged the same amount of rebounds. This is an equal matchup but we'll give this one to Ellis for averaging more assists since it led to more points.

Crowder vs George

George no question is the better player, an All-Star and Complete Super Star in this league. Being one of the best in the league is hard to beat and George averages much better numbers than Crowder.

Johnson vs Young

The Pacers picked up Thaddeus Young this off season which was an upgrade to their lineup, and comparing stats Young averaged better numbers than Johnson. But Johnson is bigger in height and weight which could cause a problem.

Horford vs Jefferson

Horford is clearly the better player. An All Star and a big pick up for the Celtics. Horford averaged better numbers all around then Jefferson who was playing a bench role in Charlotte before signing with Indiana.

So from the looks of it, the Lineups look very close, and could come down to who plays better at the shooting guard position. This will be a very interesting matchup during the season to find out who finishes with a better record.

 With the editions that the Celtics have added, they're not seeming like First Round exits, they look more like Eastern Conference Finals contenders and will cause some trouble to the Cavs and the rest of the East. But the Celtics still need one more piece to make them Championship Contenders, it is that one Super Star player that can do it all. That would've been Kevin Durant if they had signed him, or Jimmy Butler or DeMarcus Cousins through trade. The Celtics just need that super star push to make them contenders, and they have enough on their team to get it

What Should The Thunder Do Next?

By Keith Allison from Owings Mills, USA - Russell Westbrook, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14610581

  The Oklahoma City Thunder took a big loss this off season by losing Super Star Small Forward Kevin Durant who signed with the Golden State Warriors. Not only losing one of their Super Stars, the Thunder's future seems unclear at this point seeing that Russell Westbrook's contract also expires next year, and rumors saying that Westbrook most likely won't resign. So what should OKC do?

  Well if the rumors are true that Westbrook most likely won't resign with the Thunder, then the Thunder must trade Westbrook to get value and not be left empty if he leaves. Teams that would be interested in Westbrook would most likely be win now Championship caliber teams, that by adding Westbrook would make them even more dominant.

 Teams like these would be the San Antonio Spurs which would make the team much better and quicker. Westbrook would also give the Spurs the defense they need to guard the Elite point guards of the West, even though they already have Defensive Player Of The Year Kawhi Leonard, a Spurs team with Westbrook would definitely make them contend against the Warriors. Now to get Westbrook the Thunder most likely will ask for a lot in return and if the Spurs don't want to give any valuable assets like: Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Pau Gasol, then getting Westbrook will be very difficult. Various players like Danny Green, Patty Mills, possibly even Tony Parker, and other bench players would have to be traded along with numerous draft picks, which wouldn't be that good of picks considering the Spurs amount of success. The Spurs would be giving up a lot to acquire Westbrook which doesn't really seem worth it considering he is on a One Year Deal.

  Another suitor for Westbrook would be the Boston Celtics. The Celtics may already have All-Star Point Guard Isaiah Thomas, but even if Thomas isn't included in a deal, Westbrook could possibly fit right in the Shooting Guard position, considering his size and explosiveness, he would have no problem playing the 2. The Celtics have lots of picks, some very valuable, and also have lots of valuable role players. The Celtics have a very valuable pick in the Nets 2017 First Round pick which could very well turn into another Top 3 Pick, which would definitely interest the Thunder. Along with the various picks the Celtics would probably give up, they have valuable role players as mentioned before. The Celtics could trade Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, Marcus Smart, Amir Johnson, and or Jonas Jerebko in a deal. Including at least three of the players mentioned along with Nets pick and other picks the Celtics have, this could definitely catch the Thunder's interest in trading Westbrook to the Celtics.

  The third and final option would be the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have lots of young talent which is what Thunder would want if they are planning on rebuilding. The Lakers have high draft picks if they play like last year which would cause interest to the Thunder. Also their young talent like D'Angelo Russell, Ingram, Randle, Clarkson and others. Although the Lakers don't want to trade their future, to get Westbrook they are going to have to trade at least one of those guys, possibly two, to get Westbrook on the team. The best way for the Lakers to get Westbrook is not through trade. As mentioned before, Westbrook is a free agent next year so with all the money that Lakers have after Kobe Bryant retiring, the Lakers will have enough to sign Westbrook who went to college in California (UCLA).

The Thunder's future may seem unclear due to Durant's departure and Westbrook possibly leaving next year, the Thunder Roster still has good players like Oladipo who they traded for, Kanter who they matched an offer to last year, and they can add even more assets to the team if they end up trading Westbrook. So in conclusion the Thunder can either trade Westbrook and get valuable assets in return, keep Westbrook and let him have an MVP year and then start rebuilding from what they have on their roster, or just try their best to bring Westbrook back. The Thunder have lots of options that can definitely help them.

Chicago Bulls: Free Agency

By Flickr user Keith Allison - http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/5576308358/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18304839

Free Agency: Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls made one of the biggest Free Agency moves in signing Dwyane Wade. This making them a much better team offensively and defensively than they were before. And before signing Wade they also added Rajon Rondo to the roster replacing the former MVP Derrick Rose who the Bulls traded to the New York Knicks. Rondo adds Defense at the Point Guard position and also adds another great defender to their team. Although all this may seem good, the Bulls have also lost some people as well like All-Star Pau Gasol, Former Defensive Player Of The Year Joakim Noah, and Derrick Rose as mentioned before.

Lets look at their Starting Lineup from last season and their projected starting lineup for this upcoming season:
Last Season:
Rose
Butler
Dunleavy/Snell
Mirotic/Gibson
Gasol

Projected Lineup:
Rondo
Wade
Butler
Mirotic/Gibson
Lopez

Looking at this, it really seems like they upgraded their lineup for the most part. They will be a bit weak with the big men, from Gasol to Lopez is a big downgrade and if Mirotic doesn't start to bulk up and work on his defense then the Bulls will get destroyed up front which is definitely going to hurt them. Lets see the Point Guard position from Rose to Rondo. Rondo doesn't have the shooting and attacking to the basket like Rose, but in my opinion this is an upgrade for Chicago considering Rose being injury prone and Rondo being a great passer and defender. Shooting Guard, Butler to Wade (Butler moving to the Small Forward position). Although Butler is still on the team, Wade is a top 3 Shooting Guard All-Time and proved he could stay healthy last season by only missing 8 games last season compared to previous seasons 20 games missed. Butler did have a better season last season than Wade, it still isn't bad having Wade at the 2 and still having Butler on the team. And the Small Forward position, from many people like Dunleavy and Snell to Star Jimmy Butler. This is their biggest upgrade to their lineup, Butler is one of the best Two Way players in the League which will help when he starts playing at his new position. It may possibly be tough for Butler to adjust to a new position considering some of the players he will be playing agains will be bigger than him, but Butler being one of the best defenders and scorers in the league it shouldn't be a problem.

So comparing their lineup to last years lineup, the Bulls have upgraded, but really how good can they be in the East? A lot of teams in the East have upgraded during free agency, but I think the Bulls will end up getting between the 5-7 Seed, depending on how healthy and how good they work together.

The (New) New York Knicks

By Keith Allison - Flickr: Carmelo Anthony, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29829656

Phil Jackson transformed a team. Now, the hype around the Knicks is big. Even though Derrick Rose isn't the best player currently, he sure has a really big name when it comes to basketball, so are the Knicks all hype, or are they for real.

First, let's take a look at the players they added and the players they lost.
They added: G-Justin Holiday
                    G-Derrick Rose
                    C-Guillermo Hernangomez
                    F-Mindaugas Kuzminskas
                    G-Courtney Lee
                    G-Brandon Jennings
                    C-Joakim Noah
                    G-Sasha Vujacic
                    F-Lance Thomas
With these guys added, you also throw in Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, and Kyle O'Quinn

They Lost:   G-Jose Calderon
                   C-Robin Lopez
                   G-Jerian Grant
                   F-Derrick Williams
                   G-Arron Afflalo
                   G-Tony Wroten
                   And also possibly Lou Amundson, Langston Galloway, Kevin Seraphin, and Cleathony Early

With this being said, you can obviously see this is a different team. As of right now, they have only kept 4 of last years' players.

To start off, I'd like to propose the question of this team's health. How will they be health wise. Because out of the past 5 seasons...
Carmelo Anthony has missed a total of 99 games
Brandon Jennings has missed a total of 95 games
JoaKim Noah has missed a total of 104 games
Derrick Rose has missed a total of 163 games

All 4 of these players have proven to be injury prone in the last 5 seasons. But these injuries haven't just lead to missed games, they've also lead to a decrease in performance.
Carmelo Anthony went from averaging 28.7 PPG to averaging 21.8 last season
Brandon Jennings went from averaging 19.1 PPG to averaging 6.9 last season
JoaKim Noah went from averaging 12.6 PPG to averaging 4.3 last season
Derrick Rose went from averaging 25 PPG to averaging 16.4 last season

I'm not convinced that this team can win. Not with these 4 guys constantly having injury problems in the last 5 years. Can this team win with a guy like Kyle O'Quinn starting or Sasha Vukacic? This team could very well turn into the Memphis Grizzlies of last season or the 2012-13 Lakers. They don't have enough depth to insure them if injuries were to strike.

As you can see, this team is very, very questionable. Number one, we don't know how productive these 4 guys will be. Number 2, we don't know how healthy they'll be. And with more teams becoming more competitive, it's going to be hard if a couple player become injured.

What You Missed From Game 7

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - LeBron James, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36918817

Game 7 was quite the game. At half-time, there were Warriors fans were saying that the Warriors were going to win it all. Then came the final minutes of game 7. It was neck and neck and the Cavs pulled ahead to win it. That's when everyone went nuts and surprisingly everyone missed a lot of stats and things that happened in this game. People jumped to things saying, "Curry lost the game, LeBron James won it, Kevin Love was still horrible in the series and he'll be traded." Well, here I am, and here is what you probably missed from game 7.

Curry Lost The Game?
While Curry really did blow away any chances to win the game towards the end, did he really lose the game? Towards the end, Kevin Love was guarding Curry, and of course, Curry thought he could take advantage of it. But Kevin was on Curry tight. This left room for Curry to get to the rim, but instead of trying to drive, he was set on shooting a 3; a 3 that was well off. This was a big possession and was really the turning point in this game. Curry even said after the game he "settled". He settled for shots. While it didn't lose them the game, it really hurt their chances to get back in it. Instead of closing it out, Curry settled, and that led to the loss.

But What About Klay?
While Curry got a beating from the media, Klay left without a scratch, besides the fact that he left the game without congratulating the other team. Tell me, do you remember Klay making shots in this game? Because he didn't make many. Klay had only 14 points and shot 2-10 from 3-point range. He shot worse than Curry from 3 and didn't show up to the game, yet no one really mentioned Klay at all.

LeBron Carried The Team?
LeBron did a great job in this series, but right after the game, Kyrie's performances were forgotten. This guy was on fire throughout the whole series. While I think LeBron was no doubt the MVP, everyone seemed to forget about guys Kyrie, Richard Jefferson, and Tristan Thompson. Sure, LeBron was great, but recognition for the whole team wasn't there. After all, without these guys, would've they even come close to winning the championship?

Kevin Love Hurt The Team?
People wouldn't stop talking about Kevin Love's performance throughout the series and after it was over. What people missed was Kevin Love's amazing defense and rebounding in game 7. But if they didn't miss that, they sure didn't see his +/- advantage. Kevin Love was a +19 on the floor while Kyrie was only a +10. And LeBron James, he was a +4. When Kevin Love was in the lineup, it was extremely beneficial to the team. The fact that the guy had 14 rebounds in only 30 minutes of play alone was amazing. 

Draymond...
Everyone seemed to forget about Draymond's play after game 7. The guy had 32 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals. He also shot 6-8 from 3. However, no one said a word about it after the game.


And Last... Is Tristan Thompson Defensive Player Of The Year?
The media went crazy after LeBron's block on Iggy. Yet here is the thing, If Iggy didn't change his shot in mid-air, it never would've been blocked. It was a blocked shot. Now, LeBron was good defensively, but guess who was on Curry and Klay chasing out to the 3 point line through the whole game. It was Tristan Thompson. Let me make this clear... Tristan Thompson had 3 rebounds in game 7. Only 3. The reason why? He was chasing guys out on the 3 point line. Tristan Thompson contested 7 three point shots during game 7. That was more than anyone else on the team. He contested more 3 point shots than J.R., more than Irving, more than Shumpert, and more than LeBron. And guess who was doing it, that's right, the starting center for the Cavs. And even while he was out of the paint, he still managed to fit in 2 blocks. When your starting center can guard Stephen Curry, that does a lot. We see a block from LeBron and think he's the best defender, when people don't realize, there is a lot more to defense than that. LeBron might have saved a couple plays, Tristan Thompson might have saved the whole game.


 

NBA Finals Game 5 Preview

By Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA - Kevin Love, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36918954

The Cavaliers are down 3-1 to the Warriors. A lot of people are saying, "Hey, the Warriors came back from a 3-1 deficit this post-season, why can't the Cavs. Now I'm not saying that the Cavs can't do it, but I am going to say that what the Warriors did was totally different. The Warriors only had to play 1 game on the road while they had 2 home games left. The Cavs only have 1 home game left and have to win 2 games on the Warriors home floor. Now, this isn't impossible because 2 of the 10 teams to comeback from a 3-1 deficit only had 1 home game left after being down 3-1. One was the Celtics from the Bill Russell days, and the other team was the Houston Rockets and their clutch city team. These are two historic teams. And no one has comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA finals, so if the Cavs were to accomplish this feat, it would be a very historic moment in NBA history.

Now, if you haven't heard, Draymond Green has been suspended for game 5 of the NBA finals due to his encounter with LeBron. He will be out of the lineup. I don't know what Steve Kerr is going to do, but I have to assume he'll start Iggy at the 3 and slide Barnes to the 4. What I do if I'm the Cavs, is start Love at the 5. Now you might think I'm crazy, but I can explain. Love at the 5 would most likely match him up with Andrew Bogut and Kevin Love is a guy that can really stretch the floor. Through the whole time Andrew Bogut is on the floor, I'd suggest the Cavs go into pick and roll/pop with Love. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving should just go into pick and roll/pop with Love until Steve Kerr decides to take Bogut out of the game. With shooters like Jefferson and J.R., if the Warriors help off of the pick and roll, these guys will have wide open shots and lanes to the basket. We've seen how the Warriors do against the small line-up in pick and roll when they have Bogut or Ezeli out there; it isn't pretty. With them down 3-1, they have to try something, and Love at the 5 might actually work for at least the first quarter.

With Draymond Green out, this really takes away the Warriors' versatility and option to go small. This is going to force them to have a big throughout most of the game and what the Warriors are going to have to hope to do is out-score the Cavs. I expect Anderson Varejao to play a big role for the team because of his versatility and hustle he brings. He can also somewhat stretch the floor. Same with Speights and I think he will also get some key minutes.









Game 5 is going to be Cleveland's best chance to steal a game in Golden State and you have to think if they can win the next 2 games, they will have a good shot at winning game 7 in Golden State.