FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.Not long ago, the Indiana Pacers were said to have a character problem, what with players such as Stephen Jackson, Ron Artest and Jamaal Tinsley. That issue, we know, has been taken care of.
Now the Pacers have a talent problem. As in, not enough of it.
One quick scan up and down the Pacers' roster reveals a team bereft of anyone resembling a go-to guy, franchise player, true No. 1 option, whatever you want to call it. There's nobody who commands a double-team and perhaps the only player capable of making teammates better, Mike Dunleavy, won't be available for the start of the season.
Coach Jim O'Brien, who was recently given a contract extension despite leading Indiana to back-to-back 36-win seasons, wants to compensate for his team's deficiencies by playing uptempo.
That makes some sense, especially when your point guard is T.J. Ford, but it's a stretch to think the Pacers can be successful over the long haul by playing fast. For one, they're not very athletic. For two, they aren't exactly overflowing with finishers.
The Pacers did score 105 points per game last season, fifth-highest in the league. But some of that had to do with the fact that Indiana played small a fair amount with Danny Granger, a natural small forward, played plenty of four.
Granger averaged 25.8 points per game last season and won the NBA's Most Improved Player award. But breakthrough season or not, it's still difficult to envision Granger being the kind of player who can create for a teammate or help you consistently in an area other than scoring.
The Pacers are looking to incorporate young big men Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough into the rotation, which might make sense but it will come with a price. Hibbert is a nice passer and has some low-post game. But he's a plodder and is best suited for a halfcourt game.
Hansbrough is a better athlete than some think but be careful if you're expecting more than an energy guy/role player contribution from him. Plain and simple, the Pacers need a star.
The Pacers are counting on Dahntay Jones to give them some toughness on the perimeter, and he will. But Jones flourished last year in Denver because all he was asked to be was one-dimensional. The greater his role, the more apparent his shortcomings will become.
There's also no way around the fact the Pacers' best players have had very little NBA success. Granger went to the postseason as a rookie but has gone dry in each of the past three seasons.
Troy Murphy has been in the league eight years and has never made it to the postseason, and Dunleavy has gone his whole seven-year career without going to the playoffs.
Neither is likely to get there in 2009-10 either.
Last Season By the Numbers
Record: 36-46 under Jim O'Brien. Finished 4th in the Central Division, 9th in the Eastern Conference.
Offense: 108.1 points per 100 possessions, 18th in the NBA. 13th in shooting, 14th in turnover rate, 21st in offensive rebounding, 25th in free throw rate.
Defense: 109.2 points per 100 possessions, 19th in the NBA. 15th in shooting defense, 22nd in opponent turnover rate, 10th in defensive rebounding, 28th in opponent free throw rate.
Top Performers: Danny Granger, who was named to his first All-Star team and won the league's Most Improved Player award, led the team with 25.8 points per game on an efficient .584 True Shooting percentage. Troy Murphy averaged a double-double for the season at 14.3 points and a team-high 11.8 rebounds per game. T.J. Ford averaged 5.3 assists per game splitting the starting job with Jarrett Jack, who left this summer as a free agent. Granger (21.8), Murphy (17.8), Ford (16.6) and Roy Hibbert (16.1) each played above average according to PER.
All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.
Player to WatchFanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Moore's post on Roy Hibbert.
[I]f Hibbert can get some more control over that frame, it's a frame that can compete with anyone. What's more, Hibbert has an honest-to-God set of post moves. His rebounding style is a little awkward, but that's made up for by the fact that he's friggin' huge. Best of all, Hibbert comes without the complimentary severe leg injury that so many franchise centers come with. You can't teach size, but you also can't undo knee surgery. Not that you can't come back and dominate afterwards, but not having had those problems is a plus.
See Moore's full post on Hibbert.
Offseason Tracker
IN: Tyler Hansbrough (draft), A.J. Price (draft), Dahntay Jones (free agency).
OUT: Marquis Daniels (free agency), Jarrett Jack (free agency), Jamaal Tinsley (buyout).
