Why the Indiana Pacers Might Be the Team to Beat in East

By Michael Schneid

The Pacers took the eventual NBA Champion Miami Heat to the limit, losing in game 7 in Miami of the Eastern Conference Finals. Entering the 2013-14 season, the Pacers might just be better than they were in 2012-13.

The Pacers starting five will remain in tact - PG George Hill, SG Lance Stephenson, SF Paul George, PF David West, C Roy Hibbert. Hibbert, West, and George are all former all stats and Hill and Stephenson are still developing and growing. But Paul George is truly a rising star. George averaged 17 ppg, 7.6 rpg in the regular season and 19 ppg in the postseason. His numbers grew significantly between his previous seasons.

David West re-signed this off-season on a new two-year deal. West and Hibbert are a large reason why the Pacers led the NBA in rebounds and finished 2nd in points allowed per game. West's numbers are similar to George with 17 ppg, 7 rpg. Hibbert averaged 12 ppg and 8 rpg. 

The reason the Pacers have a chance to be better than last season, and perhaps is the best in the east, is the way they upgraded their bench. Danny Granger should return and could be a big factor off the bench. Granger has a career average of 18 points per game. Granger averaged 72 games in his first 7 seasons but only played 5 last season due to knee problems. They really just need him to play 60 or so regular season games and be healthy enough to play 20-25 minutes per game in the playoff.

They also upgraded their bench all over. DJ Augustin has moved on, after averaging just 4 ppg, 2 apg. He'll be replaced by CJ Watson, who averaged almost 7 ppg last year with the Nets. At SG, Granger is a pretty big upgrade over Gerald Green and will play SG and SF.

They signed Chris Copeland from the Knicks. Copeland averaged 8.7 ppg as a 29-year old rookie in 2013 but played sparingly throughout the season. Copeland is a big offensive upgrade over Tyler Hansbrough, but will need to play with the same intensity and defensive prowess that "Pyscho T" showed. Defense was Copeland's issue and reason for not seeing more playing time in New York.

Finally, the Pacers acquired Luis Scola, a big upgrade over Ian Mahimi. Scola averaged 12.8 ppg and 6.6 rpg for the Suns. He'll replace Mahimi in the rotation and can fill in for West or Hibbert. 

They also drafted Solomon Hill, who has a chance to play early. Hill was the Pacers first round pick out of Arizona, a 4 year senior who averaged 13.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Hill can play SF or PF.

Besides for upgrading their bench as a whole, the key is the versatility. Scola, Copeland, and Hill can all play multiple positions as can Granger.

The Heat are still considered the best team in the East, because they still have Lebron James. But without a potential 27 game win streak to keep alive, the Heat should be able to give Dwayne Wade and maybe Lebron more games off down the stretch. That could allow the Pacers to possibly jump them in the standings.

Continuity and chemistry is always a key. With the starting five returning for the Pacers, it gives them an advantage over the Nets. The Nets have five potential all stars in their starting lineup, but some of them are new to each other and they are playing for a rookie head coach, a guy who actually went scoreless against the Pacers in the playoffs for the Knicks, Jason Kidd. The Nets could start off slow as guys figure each other off and the Heat could finish slow so the Pacers have a chance to finish atop the East if they can be consistent all season long 

If the Pacers can stay healthy and Paul George can prove that his playoff performance was no fluke and he is ready to take the next step towards superstardom, the Pacers may be more dangerous than the Heat or Nets, or anyone else in the East.