Ok I lied. I am going to get up some quick thoughts tonight but sadly (or for some of you gratefully) they will have to be cut very short.
The reason I wanted to post tonight besides the Pacers win was this. If you can get to the Chicago game on the 25th you really need to try. Of course it is the last game of the regular season and of course it is against one of our division rivals. But the single most important reason we need people there is on that night the Indiana Pacers will be honoring Hall of Fame inductee Mel Daniels and all of the ABA championship teams. I’ve hear reports that several of the ABA players are making the trip to the game including the great Freddie Lewis.
I can not emphasize enough that we do NOT want a fieldhouse full of drunken obnoxious Bulls fans booing the legends of the ABA.
So if you can make it please do, bring a friend (as long as they are not a Bulls fan), if you can get an extra ticket to give to a Pacers fan please make every effort to do so.
The current team deserves better support than they are getting for sure, but it would be just an outright pitiful shame if there was a loud coarse of boo’s when Mel Daniels is introduced.
Also for those that are familiar with the issues between Mel and the Pacers, it sounds like those have been put aside and both are moving on.
Now to tonight’s game.
Like Uncle Buck said before, its games like these that show the true metal of a team and right now the Pacers are proving to be solid steel. Are you kidding me? We go into Philadelphia for their last home game with them fighting for their playoff lives and beat them on their floor.
I know Seth has been beating on the 76ers for awhile but I’m sure even he would admit that this was a quality win for the Pacers.
How can anybody, other than just a contrarian, at this point and time question the validity of our team. Since the Barbosa trade we are 14-4, so while there was a problem that trade went a very long way in correcting the issues we were having.
Now while I am ecstatic about the win and there are a lot of great things to talk about I will issue one small concern that I have. While I love what Barbosa brings to the team and you can not argue with the record since his arrival I really think we are going to miss him playing next to George Hill. When he is playing with another point guard (I know people don’t think George Hill is a point guard but when they play together he is) he plays off the ball and is quite active in moving without the ball. When he is in with A.J. and even with Collison for a short time last night he seemed to be in love with dribbling and became somewhat of a black hole. I realize that this is his game so that is to be somewhat expected. It’s not a great concern but it’s at least something that has me thinking. But not nearly enough to think that I want George Hill back on the bench.
George Hill just takes us to another level on the defensive end and he seems to be getting better and better each game at running the offense. I know it’s not fair to Darren to lose his spot due to injury but I am not sure Frank should remove George from the starting lineup as they have been getting off to pretty good starts.
Ok like I said it has to be brief so tonight were just going to throw out some grades.
Danny Granger: A This is possibly the weirdest game from the offensive end I think I’ve ever seen from him. He was only able to hit 2 shots from inside the arc including missing several mid range jumpers that he has been hitting like layups over the past month but he hits 6 of 8 from three point land. I always hate when he takes that many three point shots with one exception, when he hits that many. He was there on the glass working both the offensive and defensive end. His defense was just ok, some have said he had a bad game but I disagree with that assessment. However you can’t deny once again when it was winning time he comes up big.
David West: B I think he suffered from the same malady that Danny did early on in that he was missing shots that he has been hitting with consistency lately. I think he was a little fatigued tonight but also like Danny he came up big in the end getting that loose ball to Roy for the and 1 play and then hitting a big time shot off of a great cut.
Roy Hibbert: A In my life I never dreamed Roy would ever be this good of a rebounder. I always held out hope that he would become like Smits in that he would be a good scorer, passer and even shot blocker but like Rik we would just have to accept that 6 or 7 rebounds was his ceiling. I mean this far into the season and Roy is basically averaging 9 rebounds a game. Double figures in scoring and rebounding again tonight, which is just becoming the norm.
George Hill: A It’s to the point that I almost feel like a broken record talking about his defense every game. He just changes our entire starting lineups ability to guard the floor because he can all by himself guard a pick and roll, in fact has that even been an issue at all since he has started? The only point guards in the NBA I don’t think he can guard all that well are point guards in the NBA that nobody can guard that well. The Westbrook’s, Williams & Rose’s of the league. Other than that there is not a point guard I wouldn’t feel comfortable playing against.
Paul George: A Best game in a month it seems like. He didn’t score a lot but the shots he hit were huge and his defense again was stellar. However the single best thing he did all night long was this absolutely picture perfect bounce splitting defenders hitting David West for a layup. I can’t remember the last time I saw that kind of an entry pass from a Pacers guard.
Tyler Hansbrough: A We got aggressive active Tyler tonight, the one that causes other teams to react to him and he was also making a very real effort on the boards even though he only came away with 4 he was in there battling away. Even on defense he was being a pain so he get’s an A for his effort on the floor tonight and he led the group in making the small comeback in the second half.
Dahntay Jones: A+ There is absolutely nothing else you can ask of a backup small forward who only played 14 min. His shot selection was sound, his defense was stellar and his overall aggressive demeanor on the floor helped focus the bench to a higher level in the second half IMO.
Leandro Barbosa: C Even though he didn’t shoot poorly it just seemed like he did. He also was making a few bad decisions on defense as well. But overall he wasn’t a bad player out there and he certainly has been more of a help than a hindrance out there.
A.J. Price: C+ Meh, he at least seemed to try and run the offense instead of looking for his own shot and his defense was decent.
Lou Amundson: C Active as always but for whatever reason tonight just didn’t have the impact that he has in other games.
The Pacers train has just kept on rolling. In my wildest dreams I never thought we’d be here today and I have to make sure to take a dose of reality pills every day because I am in serious jeopardy of getting to high. But honest to God after all of these wins, forget the 6 in a row how about 9 of the last 10 including beating the Thunder, how can you blame any Pacers fan when we start to dream the impossible dream.
But I know all of this feel good stuff can go right out the window with a crash and burn first round. But right now I just don’t think that this will occur.
Either way that is for the future now is the time for celebration.
The reason I wanted to post tonight besides the Pacers win was this. If you can get to the Chicago game on the 25th you really need to try. Of course it is the last game of the regular season and of course it is against one of our division rivals. But the single most important reason we need people there is on that night the Indiana Pacers will be honoring Hall of Fame inductee Mel Daniels and all of the ABA championship teams. I’ve hear reports that several of the ABA players are making the trip to the game including the great Freddie Lewis.
I can not emphasize enough that we do NOT want a fieldhouse full of drunken obnoxious Bulls fans booing the legends of the ABA.
So if you can make it please do, bring a friend (as long as they are not a Bulls fan), if you can get an extra ticket to give to a Pacers fan please make every effort to do so.
The current team deserves better support than they are getting for sure, but it would be just an outright pitiful shame if there was a loud coarse of boo’s when Mel Daniels is introduced.
Also for those that are familiar with the issues between Mel and the Pacers, it sounds like those have been put aside and both are moving on.
Now to tonight’s game.
Like Uncle Buck said before, its games like these that show the true metal of a team and right now the Pacers are proving to be solid steel. Are you kidding me? We go into Philadelphia for their last home game with them fighting for their playoff lives and beat them on their floor.
I know Seth has been beating on the 76ers for awhile but I’m sure even he would admit that this was a quality win for the Pacers.
How can anybody, other than just a contrarian, at this point and time question the validity of our team. Since the Barbosa trade we are 14-4, so while there was a problem that trade went a very long way in correcting the issues we were having.
Now while I am ecstatic about the win and there are a lot of great things to talk about I will issue one small concern that I have. While I love what Barbosa brings to the team and you can not argue with the record since his arrival I really think we are going to miss him playing next to George Hill. When he is playing with another point guard (I know people don’t think George Hill is a point guard but when they play together he is) he plays off the ball and is quite active in moving without the ball. When he is in with A.J. and even with Collison for a short time last night he seemed to be in love with dribbling and became somewhat of a black hole. I realize that this is his game so that is to be somewhat expected. It’s not a great concern but it’s at least something that has me thinking. But not nearly enough to think that I want George Hill back on the bench.
George Hill just takes us to another level on the defensive end and he seems to be getting better and better each game at running the offense. I know it’s not fair to Darren to lose his spot due to injury but I am not sure Frank should remove George from the starting lineup as they have been getting off to pretty good starts.
Ok like I said it has to be brief so tonight were just going to throw out some grades.
Danny Granger: A This is possibly the weirdest game from the offensive end I think I’ve ever seen from him. He was only able to hit 2 shots from inside the arc including missing several mid range jumpers that he has been hitting like layups over the past month but he hits 6 of 8 from three point land. I always hate when he takes that many three point shots with one exception, when he hits that many. He was there on the glass working both the offensive and defensive end. His defense was just ok, some have said he had a bad game but I disagree with that assessment. However you can’t deny once again when it was winning time he comes up big.
David West: B I think he suffered from the same malady that Danny did early on in that he was missing shots that he has been hitting with consistency lately. I think he was a little fatigued tonight but also like Danny he came up big in the end getting that loose ball to Roy for the and 1 play and then hitting a big time shot off of a great cut.
Roy Hibbert: A In my life I never dreamed Roy would ever be this good of a rebounder. I always held out hope that he would become like Smits in that he would be a good scorer, passer and even shot blocker but like Rik we would just have to accept that 6 or 7 rebounds was his ceiling. I mean this far into the season and Roy is basically averaging 9 rebounds a game. Double figures in scoring and rebounding again tonight, which is just becoming the norm.
George Hill: A It’s to the point that I almost feel like a broken record talking about his defense every game. He just changes our entire starting lineups ability to guard the floor because he can all by himself guard a pick and roll, in fact has that even been an issue at all since he has started? The only point guards in the NBA I don’t think he can guard all that well are point guards in the NBA that nobody can guard that well. The Westbrook’s, Williams & Rose’s of the league. Other than that there is not a point guard I wouldn’t feel comfortable playing against.
Paul George: A Best game in a month it seems like. He didn’t score a lot but the shots he hit were huge and his defense again was stellar. However the single best thing he did all night long was this absolutely picture perfect bounce splitting defenders hitting David West for a layup. I can’t remember the last time I saw that kind of an entry pass from a Pacers guard.
Tyler Hansbrough: A We got aggressive active Tyler tonight, the one that causes other teams to react to him and he was also making a very real effort on the boards even though he only came away with 4 he was in there battling away. Even on defense he was being a pain so he get’s an A for his effort on the floor tonight and he led the group in making the small comeback in the second half.
Dahntay Jones: A+ There is absolutely nothing else you can ask of a backup small forward who only played 14 min. His shot selection was sound, his defense was stellar and his overall aggressive demeanor on the floor helped focus the bench to a higher level in the second half IMO.
Leandro Barbosa: C Even though he didn’t shoot poorly it just seemed like he did. He also was making a few bad decisions on defense as well. But overall he wasn’t a bad player out there and he certainly has been more of a help than a hindrance out there.
A.J. Price: C+ Meh, he at least seemed to try and run the offense instead of looking for his own shot and his defense was decent.
Lou Amundson: C Active as always but for whatever reason tonight just didn’t have the impact that he has in other games.
The Pacers train has just kept on rolling. In my wildest dreams I never thought we’d be here today and I have to make sure to take a dose of reality pills every day because I am in serious jeopardy of getting to high. But honest to God after all of these wins, forget the 6 in a row how about 9 of the last 10 including beating the Thunder, how can you blame any Pacers fan when we start to dream the impossible dream.
But I know all of this feel good stuff can go right out the window with a crash and burn first round. But right now I just don’t think that this will occur.
Either way that is for the future now is the time for celebration.
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