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I think Foster was talking about DC
At the end of January, Frank Vogel took over from the then Indiana Pacers head coach Jim O'Brien with a 17-27 record and watched his team beat the Toronto Raptors 104-93 at home for his first win. After a 10-5 start under Vogel, the Pacers went from one of several Eastern Conference playoff wishfuls, to a team legitimately in the playoff picture.
"I think that we are a good team no matter what coach we have," explained rookie guard Lance Stephenson. "Coach Vogel changed it around and made it a little bit easier for us. Now we just use pick and rolls and try to get everyone involved within that system."
"It's the same lineups. I don't think the change of culture made us better. It was just that we were struggling at the beginning of the season."
Since that solid start under Coach Vogel, the Pacers have started struggling again and are losers of their last six games in a row, most recently to Toronto on the road 98-108, but the team has not lost sight of their goal.
"Obviously we have hit a bit of a speed bump in the season," said the Pacers 11-year veteran Jeff Foster. "A lot of guys are playing with a lack of confidence, but we have 17 games left to go and are hanging in there for the eighth seed in the playoffs.
"Our goal at the beginning of the year was to make the playoffs and we still have that opportunity and guys still have an opportunity to bounce back and finish the season on a strong note."
"We still have our eye on (eighth)," said the Pacers' leading scorer Danny Granger. "As bad as we've been playing, it's still right there. Right now, it's ours to lose. We are losing right now but we have to make a change soon. It's very important. We've been out of the playoffs the last four years so this would be big for us. It would be big for our young guys to experience it as we build for the future."
The Pacers are making their playoff drive with at least six players on expiring contracts and a roster stocked with youth. The uncertainty for players without contracts for next season and inexperience is combining for challenging times in Indiana.
"We have two rookies in the starting lineup," said Granger. "Tyler, who didn't play last year because he was hurt, and Paul George, one's 22 and one's 19 or 20. Roy Hibbert's in his third year, he's 23 and Darren Collison is in his second year, he's 22. The only two veterans that we play are me and Jeff Foster and I play the bulk of those minutes - so growing pains, you are going to go through them.
"We are young. How many teams are in the playoffs are starting rookies and second year players – none, it's all veterans that win in this league."
"It's my fourth year," said the 24-year-old forward Josh McRoberts who is a significant part of the Pacers rotation. "My third year here in Indy. I am a free agent after this season.
"I think that it is a little bit of the CBA and I think they planned it that way. I think they planned it that way so they could go out and get guys they want. Hopefully I am part of the plan but I don't know."
There is no doubt the Pacers have set themselves up for next season under a new and uncertain collective bargaining agreement. The team has less than $35 million in player salary commitments for next year. It is also clear that most of the team's veterans are not playing very much or very often.
"(I am) thinking about getting us into the playoffs," said Vogel. "And playing the guys who we think gives us the best chance of getting us into the playoffs and that's a lot of young guys."
"(Playoffs) should be their focus, and if it's not, they shouldn't be on this team," said Foster. "We always play to get to the playoffs, that's the only reason you play, and to someday win an NBA championship, and if that's not a guy's ultimate goal, they have no place on this franchise.
"There are highs and lows with young guys but if you are going to continue to put them out on the floor, you have to have more highs than lows. Some guys are progressing and having really good years and other guys are like a roller coaster. It's part of the growing pains and we are experiencing a growth spurt right now.
"There are certain guys who are focused on right now and there are certain guys who are looking forward and getting out of here. You have to find a way to even that out and just come out and do your job every night. Our job is to win basketball games and do what we are coached to do by the coaching staff and if we don't achieve it, it's our fault and our fault alone."
That the Pacers as a group want to be in the postseason is a certainty, but even if this group of talented young players falls short of their goal, the team will still gain a lot from this experience.
"It's a big preview," said Granger. "We can be a force. Tyler is really good. Roy is really good and Darren. As we get it together and grow together, we will be good."
"We have a lot of young talent on our team just waiting to have a breakout year," said Stephenson.
"Paul George has an opportunity to be a great player in the NBA," said McRoberts. "He could be scary good in just a short time."
"The future is bright for us," said Roy Hibbert. "We are young and need time to mature but we need to win now and we are in a place where we can win now.
"We know the schedule comes around," said Vogel. "We have been on the road a lot and playing tough teams and (the players) know that they are still the eight seed. We looked at the standings and it's a one-eight matchup with Boston, we know that it's right there."
Even on an extended losing streak, Coach Vogel still has his Pacers in contention and none of the teams that are chasing them has done better than 5-5 over the past 10 games. So whoever takes the eighth seed in the East this year will have traveled a very rocky road on the way there, but as Granger points out, "Right now, it's ours to lose."
"I think that we are a good team no matter what coach we have," explained rookie guard Lance Stephenson. "Coach Vogel changed it around and made it a little bit easier for us. Now we just use pick and rolls and try to get everyone involved within that system."
"It's the same lineups. I don't think the change of culture made us better. It was just that we were struggling at the beginning of the season."
Since that solid start under Coach Vogel, the Pacers have started struggling again and are losers of their last six games in a row, most recently to Toronto on the road 98-108, but the team has not lost sight of their goal.
"Obviously we have hit a bit of a speed bump in the season," said the Pacers 11-year veteran Jeff Foster. "A lot of guys are playing with a lack of confidence, but we have 17 games left to go and are hanging in there for the eighth seed in the playoffs.
"Our goal at the beginning of the year was to make the playoffs and we still have that opportunity and guys still have an opportunity to bounce back and finish the season on a strong note."
"We still have our eye on (eighth)," said the Pacers' leading scorer Danny Granger. "As bad as we've been playing, it's still right there. Right now, it's ours to lose. We are losing right now but we have to make a change soon. It's very important. We've been out of the playoffs the last four years so this would be big for us. It would be big for our young guys to experience it as we build for the future."
The Pacers are making their playoff drive with at least six players on expiring contracts and a roster stocked with youth. The uncertainty for players without contracts for next season and inexperience is combining for challenging times in Indiana.
"We have two rookies in the starting lineup," said Granger. "Tyler, who didn't play last year because he was hurt, and Paul George, one's 22 and one's 19 or 20. Roy Hibbert's in his third year, he's 23 and Darren Collison is in his second year, he's 22. The only two veterans that we play are me and Jeff Foster and I play the bulk of those minutes - so growing pains, you are going to go through them.
"We are young. How many teams are in the playoffs are starting rookies and second year players – none, it's all veterans that win in this league."
"It's my fourth year," said the 24-year-old forward Josh McRoberts who is a significant part of the Pacers rotation. "My third year here in Indy. I am a free agent after this season.
"I think that it is a little bit of the CBA and I think they planned it that way. I think they planned it that way so they could go out and get guys they want. Hopefully I am part of the plan but I don't know."
There is no doubt the Pacers have set themselves up for next season under a new and uncertain collective bargaining agreement. The team has less than $35 million in player salary commitments for next year. It is also clear that most of the team's veterans are not playing very much or very often.
"(I am) thinking about getting us into the playoffs," said Vogel. "And playing the guys who we think gives us the best chance of getting us into the playoffs and that's a lot of young guys."
"(Playoffs) should be their focus, and if it's not, they shouldn't be on this team," said Foster. "We always play to get to the playoffs, that's the only reason you play, and to someday win an NBA championship, and if that's not a guy's ultimate goal, they have no place on this franchise.
"There are highs and lows with young guys but if you are going to continue to put them out on the floor, you have to have more highs than lows. Some guys are progressing and having really good years and other guys are like a roller coaster. It's part of the growing pains and we are experiencing a growth spurt right now.
"There are certain guys who are focused on right now and there are certain guys who are looking forward and getting out of here. You have to find a way to even that out and just come out and do your job every night. Our job is to win basketball games and do what we are coached to do by the coaching staff and if we don't achieve it, it's our fault and our fault alone."
That the Pacers as a group want to be in the postseason is a certainty, but even if this group of talented young players falls short of their goal, the team will still gain a lot from this experience.
"It's a big preview," said Granger. "We can be a force. Tyler is really good. Roy is really good and Darren. As we get it together and grow together, we will be good."
"We have a lot of young talent on our team just waiting to have a breakout year," said Stephenson.
"Paul George has an opportunity to be a great player in the NBA," said McRoberts. "He could be scary good in just a short time."
"The future is bright for us," said Roy Hibbert. "We are young and need time to mature but we need to win now and we are in a place where we can win now.
"We know the schedule comes around," said Vogel. "We have been on the road a lot and playing tough teams and (the players) know that they are still the eight seed. We looked at the standings and it's a one-eight matchup with Boston, we know that it's right there."
Even on an extended losing streak, Coach Vogel still has his Pacers in contention and none of the teams that are chasing them has done better than 5-5 over the past 10 games. So whoever takes the eighth seed in the East this year will have traveled a very rocky road on the way there, but as Granger points out, "Right now, it's ours to lose."
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