The Arrival of the Indiana Pacers

  • Added:
    Aug 23, 2013
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The Arrival of the Indiana Pacers Photo by Lemmy Morrie

As of the now, the Indiana Pacers are officially considered to be the one of the teams to beat in the east. Personally, I rank them second only to the Miami Heat. The team pushed the Heat to seven games in the recent playoffs and this summer, they've made some pretty amazing improvements. Still, if you're thinking that the Pacers are still arriving, you're wrong. They already did that last season. Next year, the team will be in full blast, giving them  their best chance to win the championship.

Here's a quick look back at the season when the Pacers stake their claim as legitimate contenders of the eastern conference.

Overshadowed Goodness

The improvement of the Pacers during the regular season has been mostly overshadowed by the out-of-this-world performance by the Heat and the reemergence of the New York Knicks that is worthy of discussion. Aside from the aforementioned, another reason why only few seem to be paying attention to the Pacers is their style of play.

Their defense is so good that they are able to really slow down the pace of a game. As much as I appreciate this impressive ability of the team, I can’t help but think about the casual fans whose reason for watching a basketball game is the entertainment brought on by speedy and athletic players running the floor.

Individual and Team Growth

The Pacer’s remarkable improvement includes both ends of the court. On the defensive end, you can see how they are able to dictate how the opposing teams attack by putting pressure and funneling players to locations where they are least comfortable or easily defended. The tenacity with going for rebounds and lose ball comes in second.

The Pacers have also made a great leap on the offensive end compared to the previous season. In a half-court set, they are able to consistently run a crisp offense that allows the ball to get to the player they intend to have it. Also, every player seems to be playing on their strengths.

These improvements are a result of the individual and team growth. Individually, players are better than they were the previous year which can be attributed to experience. A perfect example of this is Paul George and the all-star season.

With every player improving his skill set and having played more together, it’s natural for the team to have more confidence in setting up the offense and defense. With less hesitation, they are able to run plays quite cleanly and less prone to turnover. They also know better when to give help in the defensive end and always avoid overplaying.

Author's Profile

Kim Morrie is an avid sports fan who also loves to bet on sporting events thru online betting sports. He writes anything about the latest happenings in the world of sports and also in the industry of online betting on sports. He likes watching and betting on racing, but the top two sports he loves to write about are basketball and soccer.


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