“Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking your potential.”
– Winston Churchill
The dawning of a new season in any professional sport brings both hope and enthusiasm, along with the expectations for improvement and success. Nothing could be truer for your Indiana Pacers as they begin the NBA campaign with both their nucleus intact and the addition of some fresh faces.
The off season was indeed one of change for the organization as Larry Bird finally came to terms with Pacers owner Herb Simon’s reluctance to spend more in the free agent market and tendering his resignation, bringing an end to a tenure that overall helped restore respectability to the franchise. Simon jettisoned his old friend and future Hall of Famer Donnie Walsh to again control the day-to-day operations, and all of a sudden it seems like old times again at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Walsh commandeered the obvious decision to retain (albeit overpaying for them) Roy Hibbert and George Hill, and within days working alongside new GM Kevin Pritchard the bench was totally revamped by the acquisitions of Gerald Green, D. J. Augustin, Ian Mahinmi, and Sam Young who will join first round pick Miles Plumlee and sixth man Tyler Hansbrough in the new look second unit.
However, the real questions surrounding this team remain within the starting five which did not take the floor together in the entire preseason, mostly due to nagging injuries that hopefully will not play a factor in the early stages of the regular season.
Danny Granger, George Hill and David West have all yet to be tested physically and while all indications from the Pacers is they will indeed be ready to go, it remains to be seen what kind of shape the aforementioned will be in as the season unfolds.
From the outside looking in, defensive consistency along with fostering chemistry amongst the new additions to the roster will be key for this team as they attempt to win the Central Division and make a run to the Eastern Conference finals. Prediction: Second place in the division and a second round exit in the playoffs for a team with not enough firepower to meet the expectations placed upon them.
Notes: The Pacers finished the preseason at 4-3 but more importantly were able to give their new second unit a number of minutes together in the process.
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While he was certainly a solid player at Notre Dame, the signing of Ben Hansbrough has more than just a few heads being scratched locally. The younger brother of Tyler is scrappy, but it seems as if the Pacers could have secured the services of someone more athletic and more suitable to the NBA game. While his contract is not guaranteed, the move could be viewed as an attempt to both stabilize and appease his older brother Tyler and that seems foolish to this old scribe.
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The Pacers play five of their first six regular season games on the road. This early test could tell us a lot in regards to who is in shape and who is totally healthy. Four wins, two loses sound great but the final numbers could be south of that.
The new 650-inch scoreboard at Bankers Life Fieldhouse is a top shelf addition. The long overdue marvel is more than five times larger than its predecessor and features four 1080p HD screens. It is augmented by a great new audio system and offers a totally new perspective to those seated high and away from the court. The enhancement came at no expense to the Capital Improvement Board or the taxpayers as Pacers owner Herb Simon footed the tab. Again, a phenomenal addition.
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Indiana’s home opener is Nov. 3 when the Sacramento Kings visit for a 7 p.m. tip off.
If you cannot make it in person, you can watch it on Fox Sports Indiana or tune in to the radio broadcast on 1070-AM where you can hear the best announcer in the business, Mark Boyle.
Danny Bridges, who thinks the Pacers can be a tough opponent and fun to watch this year provided they come together, can be reached at (317) 578-1780 or at Bridgeshd@aol.com.
