Indiana Pacer Fans Don’t Lose Your Mind

I wanted to put together a passionate article about why us fans shouldn’t sweat too much over this one bad loss by the Indiana Pacers.  I understand last night, the Pacers looked bad. I would be the first to admit that the Spurs are a bad match up for the Pacers, and it didn’t surprise me that they were able to pull away like they did.  It didn’t help the Pacers that they couldn’t hit shots and had to take bad shots at times.  But I didn’t see too much to give me concern that this team will be terrible.  If anything, there were times when the Pacers started to make a run, but got snuffed out.  So at least they were competing in that game until about the fourth quarter, then it did look like they gave in.  You lose confidence when your shots aren’t falling, and the other team is pulling away.

But I am not ready to throw in the towel on this season.  You think about last night’s game, and the Spurs had 13 out of 14 players back from last season.  That means 13 guys had already played together for a season.  The Pacers started Sam Young in their line up in place of Gerald Green who is in place of Danny Granger.  I didn’t think Sam Young would give us much more than Green, and thought Green should continue to start.  At this point, now what do you do as Young didn’t seem to produce much?  The only thing I can think is to move Paul George to the small forward and insert Lance Stephenson into the shooting guard.  I feel like even that could ruin the team chemistry.

That’s what this team needs to do is get that chemistry make that made them fully a team last season.  David West is the guy in that locker room that I would think really had lots to say to the team after last night’s game.  I would hope he lights the fire under the Pacers that make them come out Wednesday night and put away a tough Atlanta Hawks team.  If the Pacers come out flat again there, then maybe that might be cause for concern.  Then again, we’re in game number five there.  Five out of Eighty Two.

The season is a long one, where you will have peaks and valleys.  This team still has the chance to show us how good they will be.  It might be without Granger, but there are players who can perform here.  Put Roy Hibbert in the right match up and he shows he is worth an All-Star nod.  Let Paul George start growing his game more, and he shows he was worth the draft pick three years ago.  George Hill controls this team even with his lingering injury, and he shows he was worth the money to keep him around.  There are players on this team that I want to get behind and support.  From starting point guard to last man off the bench.  That’s why I still believe in this team because that’s what we have here in Indiana, a team.  There’s no need for a superstar here.  They play the team game, where every night someone else can step up.  That’s what I like to see, and that’s what we will be seeing this season.