Indiana Pacers: No. 27 in NBA Watchability Rankings
2013-14 record: 56-26, No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference, lost in Eastern Conference finals
2014-15 projected record: 39-43, miss playoffs
What's new? The wings likely will be manned by newcomers Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles, veterans better off in supporting roles. Croatian rookie Damjan Rudez should help with three-point shooting.
How good will they be? The offense is going to require major work and big efforts from point guard George Hill and power forward David West. But the defensive rebuilding can't be overlooked, either. The key will be a grinding, boring pace.
What's the goal? The Pacers still can make the playoffs, but this might be a season that ends up leading to a minor rebuilding. George is the franchise star, and if things aren't working without him by midseason, Larry Bird and coach Frank Vogel will have to consider other strategies. But if they make the playoffs, George might even be healthy enough to play by season's end.
WHY YOU CAN'T MISS THEM
Someone's got to score: West was an excellent scorer in a past life, with the New Orleans Hornets, before becoming a bruiser. His backup, Luis Scola, also is an adept post scorer. But the bet here is Hill, a combo guard who didn't fit as a distributor on a balanced offense, will play the biggest part. His 37-point outburst in February against the Portland Trail Blazers was a good reminder of what he can do.
The biggest of bigs: Though Hasheem Thabeet is the tallest player in the NBA, Pacers All-Star Roy Hibbert is the tallest good player in the league. But Hibbert has a lot to answer for. Last year, he averaged 11.7 points and 7.7 rebounds a game before the All-Star break, 8.9 and 4.7 after. And he particularly disappeared during some key playoff games.
Larry Legend: Bird is regarded widely as one of the NBA's best front-office executives, rebuilding the Pacers into contenders twice in his role as team president. With general manager Kevin Pritchard and consultant Donnie Walsh in tow, Bird surely will craft a new approach this season. And if the Pacers are bad, well, few can match his eye rolls.
PROJECTED STARTERS (with 2013-14 statistics) PG: George Hill - 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists a game SG: Rodney Stuckey - 13.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists a game SF: C.J. Miles - 9.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists a game PF: David West - 14.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists a game C: Roy Hibbert - 10.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks a game
GALLERY: Projecting 2014-15 NBA records
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