/ laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"
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With all the cynicism and I told you so's surrounding a team that for all its inconsistencies is still just a few of games out of the 3 seed, I thought it would be nice to acknowledge some players who have been a pleasant surprise. Here's my list:
1. CJ Miles. I was probably beating the "this guy sucks" drum the loudest ever since he was signed here, but I have to say I've done a total 180. Some of it is me giving him a little bit more credit but a lot of it is him stepping it up. He's not taking the YOLO shots he took the past 2 seasons, he's taking quality shots. He's taking it in when it's there. He's playing defense. He's sometimes playing out of position and still doing a solid job on that side of the ball. He's always had a good attitude, but this season he's emoting a lot more (in a good way). He's got the fire/energy/passion to win that we need to see infect the rest of the roster. Good on you, CJ. You've made me a fool, a fan and a believer!
2. Myles Turner. I was a big fan and one of the people who laughed at 80% of PD saying he was an awful pick and Bird didn't know what he was doing, etc, so him playing well isn't a surprise. However, he's made even more improvement on the offensive side than I anticipated. He's the best "pure shooter" on the team and he would be on many teams. I actually want him to at least double his 3pt attempts per game (he's currently at 1.6). I'd like him to be a better rebounder but he's actually quite solid; 7.3 in 29mpg is hardly "bad." And of course his shot blocking is just a thing of beauty.
3. Jeff Teague. I know for some reason he doesn't quite get the credit he deserves, but he's quickly gaining on Myles Turner for the highest PER on the team (PG is 3rd) and this is in a brand new environment, new coach/system, etc. He's not a physical defender but he's still a good one, mostly because he's got very active hands. He's the best all around point guard we've had (IMO), and while his outside shooting has been spotty I think it's worth remembering that he essentially spent his entire summer rehabbing and that he was getting into game shape in the first couple weeks of the season. He's getting to the line (and converting) at a high rate. I'd like to see him be more of a floor general and I think he should stay in sometimes when coach puts the bench in (since he's the only point guard we have besides Joe), but overall he's been a pleasant surprise and I hope we lock him up long term.
4. Thad Young. I really didn't know what to expect and I'm not saying he's great, but I certainly didn't think he'd be a more than capable stretch 4. Outside shooting was the last thing I thought he'd bring to the table, but he's shooting 46%. I do think we need to ask him to bang in the paint more and he needs to rebound a bit better, but for a guy who has almost always been on truly awful teams he's been good. He's the guy who gets the leftovers and he does so at a fairly efficient rate. His FT shooting is inexcusable though.
So, let's hear your picks for pleasantly surprising Pacers.
1. CJ Miles. I was probably beating the "this guy sucks" drum the loudest ever since he was signed here, but I have to say I've done a total 180. Some of it is me giving him a little bit more credit but a lot of it is him stepping it up. He's not taking the YOLO shots he took the past 2 seasons, he's taking quality shots. He's taking it in when it's there. He's playing defense. He's sometimes playing out of position and still doing a solid job on that side of the ball. He's always had a good attitude, but this season he's emoting a lot more (in a good way). He's got the fire/energy/passion to win that we need to see infect the rest of the roster. Good on you, CJ. You've made me a fool, a fan and a believer!
2. Myles Turner. I was a big fan and one of the people who laughed at 80% of PD saying he was an awful pick and Bird didn't know what he was doing, etc, so him playing well isn't a surprise. However, he's made even more improvement on the offensive side than I anticipated. He's the best "pure shooter" on the team and he would be on many teams. I actually want him to at least double his 3pt attempts per game (he's currently at 1.6). I'd like him to be a better rebounder but he's actually quite solid; 7.3 in 29mpg is hardly "bad." And of course his shot blocking is just a thing of beauty.
3. Jeff Teague. I know for some reason he doesn't quite get the credit he deserves, but he's quickly gaining on Myles Turner for the highest PER on the team (PG is 3rd) and this is in a brand new environment, new coach/system, etc. He's not a physical defender but he's still a good one, mostly because he's got very active hands. He's the best all around point guard we've had (IMO), and while his outside shooting has been spotty I think it's worth remembering that he essentially spent his entire summer rehabbing and that he was getting into game shape in the first couple weeks of the season. He's getting to the line (and converting) at a high rate. I'd like to see him be more of a floor general and I think he should stay in sometimes when coach puts the bench in (since he's the only point guard we have besides Joe), but overall he's been a pleasant surprise and I hope we lock him up long term.
4. Thad Young. I really didn't know what to expect and I'm not saying he's great, but I certainly didn't think he'd be a more than capable stretch 4. Outside shooting was the last thing I thought he'd bring to the table, but he's shooting 46%. I do think we need to ask him to bang in the paint more and he needs to rebound a bit better, but for a guy who has almost always been on truly awful teams he's been good. He's the guy who gets the leftovers and he does so at a fairly efficient rate. His FT shooting is inexcusable though.
So, let's hear your picks for pleasantly surprising Pacers.
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