Been a lot of fun articles about the Pacers lately. I'm sure most have read them, but thought maybe some might want to do some reading on their favorite team since we're finally getting some love around the country.
First Slam Magazine Paul George saying we should win a championship
http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba...-championship/
Luis Scola about coming off the bench 'Its all about Winning.'
http://www.indystar.com/article/2013...nclick_check=1
Luis Scola has not had much interaction with his new Indiana Pacers teammates yet — but he was with one of them when he learned he was traded.
He was standing next to newly-signed Chris Copeland on Saturday at a clinic as part of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Program in Scola’s native Argentina when he got a tap on the shoulder telling him he needed to take a phone call.
The Phoenix Suns had traded him to the Pacers in exchange for forwards Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee and a lottery-protected first-round pick in the 2014 draft.
“We didn’t get to speak after that,” Scola said of Copeland. “I had to get home and six hours later, I was on a plane.”
(Copeland, who was interviewed Saturday by the Indianapolis Star about his participation in the event, did not want to say much until the trade was officially announced. “I will say that if we can get him, it would be awesome,” Copeland said at the time.)
On Tuesday morning, Scola was in Indianapolis for his formal introduction with the Pacers, who are expecting the 6-9, 245-pounder to provide a strong offensive option off the bench.
“He’s one of the smartest players this league has ever seen,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “He’s one of the savviest players ever at the power forward spot. With all his international experience, he’s just a guy that really makes his teammates better and makes the offense flow.
“It’s just a great addition and an upgrade for our club.”
Video: Pacers coach Frank Vogel talks about Luis Scola
Scola played just one season in Phoenix after playing his first five in the NBA for the Houston Rockets. The Suns went 25-57 this season and figure to struggle again next season as they embark on a rebuilding project.
Scola will be playing for a team in a cold-weather city for the first time and joked that his first reaction was that he was going to have to buy a coat and a new wardrobe.
One of his first tweets following the trade included “Necesito abrigo.” Translation: I need a coat.
There was some sadness, too.
“I’ve got four kids (ages 7 and younger) and a family,” he said. “The moving part is really hard and that was my first reaction, ‘Oh, my God. We’ve got to go through that again.’ ”
But he also realizes he’s joining one of the NBA’s best teams. The Pacers are hoping moves to upgrade their bench — including the addition of Scola — this summer will be enough to push them to an NBA title.
“I’m 32 years old,” Scola said. “I don't know how many more years I’m going to play. We all know the older we are, the more you know and we all know it’s about winning. People won’t care about all the numbers you have if you play on a bad team. It’s all about winning. I know that. The older I am, the stronger I believe that.”
Luis Scola: ‘This is all about winning.’
Scola will have to make one major adjustment. He’s been a starter in 410 of the 468 NBA games in which he’s played. (Scola came off the bench 15 times last season in Phoenix, the first time he had come off the bench since his rookie season of 2007-08.) But for the Pacers, he’s being counted on to back up David West.
“It’s not my choice, but I am going to embrace my role,” he said. “It’s a different role, but I think we’ve got a bunch of new players that can make a difference in the role they play. I will try to be one of those players.”
Vogel added: “A guy like Luis Scola can not play the entire game, come in, and make game-winning plays. You can start him and he’s going to make winning plays. He’s just that kind of basketball player. I really don’t have a lot of concern about that.”
Scola has tasted basketball glory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse before. He played for Argentina when it beat the United States and went on to win the silver medal in the 2002 World Basketball championships there.
Luis Scola: ‘It’s a grea situation. It’s a great team.’
“I have a lot of memories here and it was great,” said Scola, who has played for Argentina in the past three Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in 2004. “But it happened 11 years ago, so I’m happy for some new memories.”
Celebrating an NBA title with his teammates at the fieldhouse next June certainly would qualify as that.
“I’m not here to break anything,” Scola said. “I know this team has great chemistry. I am very, very happy to have an important role on a good team.”
Why Pacers are the biggest threat to Heats 3-peat
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...-title-in-2014
.......and for Fun, Ranking the best Jersey's
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...pacers-history
First Slam Magazine Paul George saying we should win a championship
http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba...-championship/
#SummerIsSerious Highlight Reel (VIDEO)Chris Paul Re-Considers Playing for Team USA in 2016 Olympics
Monday, July 29th, 2013 at 11:30 am | 31 Comments and 0 Reactions
Paul George Says Indiana Pacers ‘Should Win a Championship’
The Indiana Pacers continue to load up this summer, and Paul George’s confidence in his squad continues to grow. PG says that the Pacers are positioned to dethrone the Miami Heat and win an NBA title. Per HoopsWorld: “This year, despite the fact that the two-time NBA champion Miami Heat are once again the overwhelming favorites to win it all again next season, George believes the time is now for Indiana to take their turn at winning a ring. ‘We’re positioned really well,’ George sayd. ‘The only thing we really needed was the experience, and with everyone coming back together again, there’s no doubt in mind that we should win a championship.’ In this case, ‘everyone’ fortunately includes David West, whom the team re-signed this offseason to a three-year, $36 million contract. With him, the Pacers are one of the toughest teams in the NBA, and everybody on the Indiana roster knows that. Without him, it’s hard to imagine this team making their way back to the Conference Finals. Everybody on the Indiana roster knows that, too. ‘It shows how important the front office thought it was to get our whole starting five back together,’ George said. ‘It was a great experience for us to learn to play without Danny (Granger), but now with Danny coming back, he’s obviously proven to be an All-Star, a 20-points-per-game player who can play multiple positions and defend multiple positions. We’ve really got a lot going on right now, and I think our whole team mindset is solely on winning a championship this year.’ Granger’s return is equal parts enthralling and frightening for Pacers fans, some of whom are eagerly anticipating what those extra points will do for Indy’s often-stagnant offense, and others who already are worrying that Granger’s return will stunt George’s growth. George, however, doesn’t seem particularly concerned. ‘Even my second year in the league and my rookie year, we were still able to play off one another,’ George said. ‘I didn’t have as big of a role as I do now, but we still did a good job playing off one another.’”
Monday, July 29th, 2013 at 11:30 am | 31 Comments and 0 Reactions
Paul George Says Indiana Pacers ‘Should Win a Championship’
The Indiana Pacers continue to load up this summer, and Paul George’s confidence in his squad continues to grow. PG says that the Pacers are positioned to dethrone the Miami Heat and win an NBA title. Per HoopsWorld: “This year, despite the fact that the two-time NBA champion Miami Heat are once again the overwhelming favorites to win it all again next season, George believes the time is now for Indiana to take their turn at winning a ring. ‘We’re positioned really well,’ George sayd. ‘The only thing we really needed was the experience, and with everyone coming back together again, there’s no doubt in mind that we should win a championship.’ In this case, ‘everyone’ fortunately includes David West, whom the team re-signed this offseason to a three-year, $36 million contract. With him, the Pacers are one of the toughest teams in the NBA, and everybody on the Indiana roster knows that. Without him, it’s hard to imagine this team making their way back to the Conference Finals. Everybody on the Indiana roster knows that, too. ‘It shows how important the front office thought it was to get our whole starting five back together,’ George said. ‘It was a great experience for us to learn to play without Danny (Granger), but now with Danny coming back, he’s obviously proven to be an All-Star, a 20-points-per-game player who can play multiple positions and defend multiple positions. We’ve really got a lot going on right now, and I think our whole team mindset is solely on winning a championship this year.’ Granger’s return is equal parts enthralling and frightening for Pacers fans, some of whom are eagerly anticipating what those extra points will do for Indy’s often-stagnant offense, and others who already are worrying that Granger’s return will stunt George’s growth. George, however, doesn’t seem particularly concerned. ‘Even my second year in the league and my rookie year, we were still able to play off one another,’ George said. ‘I didn’t have as big of a role as I do now, but we still did a good job playing off one another.’”
http://www.indystar.com/article/2013...nclick_check=1
Luis Scola has not had much interaction with his new Indiana Pacers teammates yet — but he was with one of them when he learned he was traded.
He was standing next to newly-signed Chris Copeland on Saturday at a clinic as part of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Program in Scola’s native Argentina when he got a tap on the shoulder telling him he needed to take a phone call.
The Phoenix Suns had traded him to the Pacers in exchange for forwards Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee and a lottery-protected first-round pick in the 2014 draft.
“We didn’t get to speak after that,” Scola said of Copeland. “I had to get home and six hours later, I was on a plane.”
(Copeland, who was interviewed Saturday by the Indianapolis Star about his participation in the event, did not want to say much until the trade was officially announced. “I will say that if we can get him, it would be awesome,” Copeland said at the time.)
On Tuesday morning, Scola was in Indianapolis for his formal introduction with the Pacers, who are expecting the 6-9, 245-pounder to provide a strong offensive option off the bench.
“He’s one of the smartest players this league has ever seen,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “He’s one of the savviest players ever at the power forward spot. With all his international experience, he’s just a guy that really makes his teammates better and makes the offense flow.
“It’s just a great addition and an upgrade for our club.”
Video: Pacers coach Frank Vogel talks about Luis Scola
Scola played just one season in Phoenix after playing his first five in the NBA for the Houston Rockets. The Suns went 25-57 this season and figure to struggle again next season as they embark on a rebuilding project.
Scola will be playing for a team in a cold-weather city for the first time and joked that his first reaction was that he was going to have to buy a coat and a new wardrobe.
One of his first tweets following the trade included “Necesito abrigo.” Translation: I need a coat.
There was some sadness, too.
“I’ve got four kids (ages 7 and younger) and a family,” he said. “The moving part is really hard and that was my first reaction, ‘Oh, my God. We’ve got to go through that again.’ ”
But he also realizes he’s joining one of the NBA’s best teams. The Pacers are hoping moves to upgrade their bench — including the addition of Scola — this summer will be enough to push them to an NBA title.
“I’m 32 years old,” Scola said. “I don't know how many more years I’m going to play. We all know the older we are, the more you know and we all know it’s about winning. People won’t care about all the numbers you have if you play on a bad team. It’s all about winning. I know that. The older I am, the stronger I believe that.”
Luis Scola: ‘This is all about winning.’
Scola will have to make one major adjustment. He’s been a starter in 410 of the 468 NBA games in which he’s played. (Scola came off the bench 15 times last season in Phoenix, the first time he had come off the bench since his rookie season of 2007-08.) But for the Pacers, he’s being counted on to back up David West.
“It’s not my choice, but I am going to embrace my role,” he said. “It’s a different role, but I think we’ve got a bunch of new players that can make a difference in the role they play. I will try to be one of those players.”
Vogel added: “A guy like Luis Scola can not play the entire game, come in, and make game-winning plays. You can start him and he’s going to make winning plays. He’s just that kind of basketball player. I really don’t have a lot of concern about that.”
Scola has tasted basketball glory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse before. He played for Argentina when it beat the United States and went on to win the silver medal in the 2002 World Basketball championships there.
Luis Scola: ‘It’s a grea situation. It’s a great team.’
“I have a lot of memories here and it was great,” said Scola, who has played for Argentina in the past three Summer Olympics and won a gold medal in 2004. “But it happened 11 years ago, so I’m happy for some new memories.”
Celebrating an NBA title with his teammates at the fieldhouse next June certainly would qualify as that.
“I’m not here to break anything,” Scola said. “I know this team has great chemistry. I am very, very happy to have an important role on a good team.”
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...-title-in-2014
Close calls have become the calling card of the Miami Heat since LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all decided to join forces in South Beach during the summer of 2010. They've played in six elimination games—including three Game 7s—in their three years together.
One came against the Indiana Pacers this past spring.
If not for a particularly fateful play (and the decision that preceded it) in Game 1, the roles between the two Eastern Conference Finalists might've been reversed.
The Heat escaped that series in seven and went on to win their second consecutive title. If the past is any standard by which to predict the future, extending their current run to a three-peat will be anything but easy, even with the vast majority of Miami's roster set to return.
And especially after an offseason in Indy during which resting on laurels wasn't an option.
Larry Bird wasted no time restocking the Pacers' roster following his one-year hiatus from the team's front office.
He brought back David West by way of a three-year, $36.6 million deal; used the Pacers' mid-level exception to sign Chris Copeland and CJ Watson; parted ways with D.J. Augustin, Tyler Hansbrough and Sam Young; and, most recently, unloaded Miles Plumlee and Gerald Green on the Phoenix Suns (at the price of a first-round pick) in exchange for Luis Scola.
Throw a (hopefully) healthy Danny Granger into the mix, and the Pacers' bench, once the team's most glaring weakness, becomes yet another source of strength for Naptown's finest. Indy's reserves ranked 29th in the NBA in scoring and efficiency last season, per hoopsstats.com.
Which is to say, the Pacers' second unit was awful in 2012-13.
D.J. Augustin was borderline unplayable at the point, as was Sam Young on the wing. Tyler Hansbrough offered little more than six fouls, a pair of flailing arms and his goofy face in frontcourt support. Gerald Green parlayed his encouraging comeback with the then-New Jersey Nets in 2011-12 into a three-year, $10.5 million deal with the Pacers...and an all-too-frequent spot on the end of Frank Vogel's bench.
Hi-res-6265946_crop_exact Michael Hickey-USA TODAY Sports
The Pacers will be glad to have Danny Granger back next season.
Only Ian Mahinmi proved to be anywhere near consistently useable, particularly in the playoffs, thanks to his length and defensive acumen. But even he would've been overmatched as any team's top sub.
According to NBA.com, the Pacers featured 11 five-man lineups, other than their starting unit, that logged at least 50 minutes apiece last season.
Those 11 combined to outscore the opposition by a total of 69 points in 1,037 minutes—not a bad number by any stretch, but hardly worth comparing to the 284-point advantage piled up by the starting five of Roy Hibbert, Paul George, David West, George Hill and Lance Stephenson in 1,217 minutes of action.
The drop-off was even steeper in the 2013 playoffs.
Keeping in mind the perils inherent in evaluating small samples, the Pacers fielded just one five-man unit (Hibbert-George-Hansbrough-Hill-Stephenson) other than its starting arrangement that played at least 20 minutes and logged a positive plus-minus rating. In fact, Indy was outscored by 123 points in total when its starting five wasn't out there, as opposed to topping the opposition by 126 points when it was (per NBA.com).
In the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals alone, Indy posted a rating of plus-46 when its starters were together against the Heat and minus-74 when they weren't.
Don't expect ghastly splits like those to pop up during the coming campaign. C.J. Watson's a clear upgrade over D.J. Augustin at the backup point, as are Chris Copeland and Luis Scola over Sam Young and Tyler Hansbrough. Granted, Copeland and Scola aren't exactly "plus" defenders, but at least they can hit shots and grab rebounds with regularity.
At the very least, they can be counted on not to make boneheaded plays from the moment they step onto the court.
That's really all Indy needs out of its reserves: not to be total drags on the team. The starting unit is good enough to carry the Pacers into title contention, so long as the backups can offer their more prominent counterparts the brief respites they need.
To be sure, this group should be able to do much more than just not stink, especially if Danny Granger is healthy enough to compete.
As Paul George recently noted, Granger has shown himself to be a top 20-caliber player on both ends of the floor when his knees aren't giving him fits. He's averaged better than 18 points per game in his career, been an All-Star, and handled the hype of being the best player on a team, albeit one that spent four seasons in the doldrums of the NBA draft lottery between 2006 and 2010.
Slotting a player of Granger's caliber into a more focused role off the bench would, hypothetically speaking, make Indy's second unit one of the league's best. Rare is the occasion that a club can count an All-Star as its sixth man.
Which Eastern Conference contender should the Heat be most concerned about?
Pacers
73.8%
Bulls
16.6%
Nets
6.1%
Knicks
2.3%
Other
1.2%
Total votes: 3,723
Then again, Granger may be a far cry from his former self if and when he returns. He missed all but five games last season after undergoing not one, but two surgical procedures to alleviate the patellar tendinosis in his left knee. Fox 59 in Indianapolis reported that Granger would be ready in time for training camp in October.
Even if Granger isn't himself, the Pacers have already done enough to assert themselves as legitimate challengers to the Heat's throne atop the East. They'll have to compete with the Chicago Bulls, the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets for the right to once again make Miami sweat.
But if the Pacers and the Heat should meet in the playoffs, don't be surprised if the outcome is decided by more than a single (unfortunate) play.
Because, after a busy start to the summer, the Pacers now sport the pieces to not only take the two-time defending champs to the brink of elimination, but also push them over the edge once there.
One came against the Indiana Pacers this past spring.
If not for a particularly fateful play (and the decision that preceded it) in Game 1, the roles between the two Eastern Conference Finalists might've been reversed.
The Heat escaped that series in seven and went on to win their second consecutive title. If the past is any standard by which to predict the future, extending their current run to a three-peat will be anything but easy, even with the vast majority of Miami's roster set to return.
And especially after an offseason in Indy during which resting on laurels wasn't an option.
Larry Bird wasted no time restocking the Pacers' roster following his one-year hiatus from the team's front office.
He brought back David West by way of a three-year, $36.6 million deal; used the Pacers' mid-level exception to sign Chris Copeland and CJ Watson; parted ways with D.J. Augustin, Tyler Hansbrough and Sam Young; and, most recently, unloaded Miles Plumlee and Gerald Green on the Phoenix Suns (at the price of a first-round pick) in exchange for Luis Scola.
Throw a (hopefully) healthy Danny Granger into the mix, and the Pacers' bench, once the team's most glaring weakness, becomes yet another source of strength for Naptown's finest. Indy's reserves ranked 29th in the NBA in scoring and efficiency last season, per hoopsstats.com.
Which is to say, the Pacers' second unit was awful in 2012-13.
D.J. Augustin was borderline unplayable at the point, as was Sam Young on the wing. Tyler Hansbrough offered little more than six fouls, a pair of flailing arms and his goofy face in frontcourt support. Gerald Green parlayed his encouraging comeback with the then-New Jersey Nets in 2011-12 into a three-year, $10.5 million deal with the Pacers...and an all-too-frequent spot on the end of Frank Vogel's bench.
Hi-res-6265946_crop_exact Michael Hickey-USA TODAY Sports
The Pacers will be glad to have Danny Granger back next season.
Only Ian Mahinmi proved to be anywhere near consistently useable, particularly in the playoffs, thanks to his length and defensive acumen. But even he would've been overmatched as any team's top sub.
According to NBA.com, the Pacers featured 11 five-man lineups, other than their starting unit, that logged at least 50 minutes apiece last season.
Those 11 combined to outscore the opposition by a total of 69 points in 1,037 minutes—not a bad number by any stretch, but hardly worth comparing to the 284-point advantage piled up by the starting five of Roy Hibbert, Paul George, David West, George Hill and Lance Stephenson in 1,217 minutes of action.
The drop-off was even steeper in the 2013 playoffs.
Keeping in mind the perils inherent in evaluating small samples, the Pacers fielded just one five-man unit (Hibbert-George-Hansbrough-Hill-Stephenson) other than its starting arrangement that played at least 20 minutes and logged a positive plus-minus rating. In fact, Indy was outscored by 123 points in total when its starting five wasn't out there, as opposed to topping the opposition by 126 points when it was (per NBA.com).
In the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals alone, Indy posted a rating of plus-46 when its starters were together against the Heat and minus-74 when they weren't.
Don't expect ghastly splits like those to pop up during the coming campaign. C.J. Watson's a clear upgrade over D.J. Augustin at the backup point, as are Chris Copeland and Luis Scola over Sam Young and Tyler Hansbrough. Granted, Copeland and Scola aren't exactly "plus" defenders, but at least they can hit shots and grab rebounds with regularity.
At the very least, they can be counted on not to make boneheaded plays from the moment they step onto the court.
That's really all Indy needs out of its reserves: not to be total drags on the team. The starting unit is good enough to carry the Pacers into title contention, so long as the backups can offer their more prominent counterparts the brief respites they need.
To be sure, this group should be able to do much more than just not stink, especially if Danny Granger is healthy enough to compete.
As Paul George recently noted, Granger has shown himself to be a top 20-caliber player on both ends of the floor when his knees aren't giving him fits. He's averaged better than 18 points per game in his career, been an All-Star, and handled the hype of being the best player on a team, albeit one that spent four seasons in the doldrums of the NBA draft lottery between 2006 and 2010.
Slotting a player of Granger's caliber into a more focused role off the bench would, hypothetically speaking, make Indy's second unit one of the league's best. Rare is the occasion that a club can count an All-Star as its sixth man.
Which Eastern Conference contender should the Heat be most concerned about?
Pacers
73.8%
Bulls
16.6%
Nets
6.1%
Knicks
2.3%
Other
1.2%
Total votes: 3,723
Then again, Granger may be a far cry from his former self if and when he returns. He missed all but five games last season after undergoing not one, but two surgical procedures to alleviate the patellar tendinosis in his left knee. Fox 59 in Indianapolis reported that Granger would be ready in time for training camp in October.
Even if Granger isn't himself, the Pacers have already done enough to assert themselves as legitimate challengers to the Heat's throne atop the East. They'll have to compete with the Chicago Bulls, the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets for the right to once again make Miami sweat.
But if the Pacers and the Heat should meet in the playoffs, don't be surprised if the outcome is decided by more than a single (unfortunate) play.
Because, after a busy start to the summer, the Pacers now sport the pieces to not only take the two-time defending champs to the brink of elimination, but also push them over the edge once there.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...pacers-history
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