The Indiana Pacers made significant changes following a disappointing 2015-16 NBA season. Larry Bird fired Frank Vogel as head coach and replaced him with Nate McMillan. Then he shook up his roster by moving out veteran point guard George Hill and bringing in Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young. The coaching change drew a ton of criticism but the roster moves make sense and if McMillan delivers then Indiana could be a dark horse playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. It seemed like Vogel got the most out of what he had, though, so if McMillan comes in and falls short of expectations with what appears to be more talent, the Indiana Pacers brass will be questioned.
Offseason Changes
The Indiana Pacers traded Hill to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team trade that landed them Teague. For years, there have been rumblings that Hill is not a natural point guard and that the Pacers would be better off with someone else. That’s where Teague comes in. He can run an offense and he’s an excellent passer.
The Indiana Pacers then traded for Young, a veteran power forward that should slide into their starting five immediately. They acquired him on the cheap as most people. He’s always been an underrated player and should be a serviceable asset as a third or fourth scorer behind guys like Paul George, Myles Turner and Teague. Bird wasn’t done there as he decided to bring in center Al Jefferson with a three-year, $30-million deal to add some depth up front at the center position. Considering Timofey Mozgov somehow earned $16 million per season this offseason, signing Big Al to just $10 million per year seems like a steal. All three moves should represent upgrades to their roster.
Strengths
The biggest change will be at the point guard position where Teague replaces Hill. Teague revealed after last season that he was dealing with a significant knee injury that had really limited his ability, but he is back to full strength and could be an upgrade at the position. Teague thrives running the pick-and-roll on offense and his ability to create off the dribble should provide a boost to their offense. Meanwhile, Young is a big upgrade over anybody that Indiana had at the power forward position and he should take some pressure off of Myles Turner at the five spot. The addition of Jefferson will also help in that area as he should provide a strong veteran presence off the bench behind Turner. Meanwhile, George really emerged as a star in last year’s first-round playoff series loss to the Toronto Raptors and he should be even better with more help around him. The Indiana Pacers did a good job of finding value on the market; the only question is whether or not they should have given this team to Vogel instead of McMillan.
Weaknesses
The main issue with the Pacers’ direction this offseason is the lack of pure shooters they added to the roster. Teague, Young and Jefferson are not players that will be able to stretch the floor on a consistent basis. Monta Ellis struggled with consistency a year ago but he and Paul George will need to be better as leaders in terms of their outside scoring. Spacing should still be an issue for Indiana’s halfcourt offense. In a league that’s become so focused on shots from beyond the arc, this is one team that doesn’t do that very well.
Outlook
Vogel might not have deserved to be let go following last year’s disappointing season but aside from bringing in McMillan to replace Vogel it’s hard to criticize what Bird has done this offseason. Teague, Ellis, George, Young and Turner make up a formidable starting five while Jefferson should help boost their bench scoring. The key will be McMillan’s ability to put it all together and make the most out of the talent at his disposal. The Indiana Pacers might not beat out the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top spot in the Central division but they will be a contender in the Eastern Conference this year with the potential to challenge for a top-three spot on that side of the bracket.
Prediction: 2nd in Central Division; 3rd in Eastern Conference
