NBA Off Season: Indiana Pacers Mail Bag

Ask and you shall receive. I posted up on our facebook page for people to send me questions for a mailbag feature, and I was able to get three right away.  So I will answer those, and hopefully you will send me your own question that you have.  Always feel free to get in touch with comments, questions, ways to make this site better, and whatever else is on your mind concerning our Indiana Pacers.

Celine A:

What would it take for pacers to go all the way to the finals?

The easy answer would be an injury to Lebron James or the Miami Heat somehow falling apart.  But I do believe that the Pacers have those parts to beat the Heat.  Ultimately, it’s going to take the starters and the bench all playing at a high level. I think as well, Paul George is going to have to continue to improve his game and really carry the Pacers at times.  You could look to those starters as the biggest key because I think on paper, the Pacers would have the best starting five when it comes to it.  Roy Hibbert is one of the top, if not the top center, in the Eastern Conference.  If he can make strides and the Pacers use him to their advantage, they should be right back in those Conference Finals.

Kevin A: 

In your very honest opinion where do you rank the pacers and what chances would you give them for a title run?

I would rank the Indiana Pacers as a top five team in the NBA right now.  They have all these new parts coming in, but look at how it all worked last year coming one game of the NBA Finals.  How could you not rank them high, especially if those pieces of Chris Copeland and Luis Scola improved the bench? To me, if those things work out, this Pacers team should have a deep roster of guys that can make differences. The bench could step up to keep those leads or build up a lead while the starters earn their rest.  Just like I talked about in the first question, all the makings are here for a deep run in the playoffs, and I would put those chances at HIGH for a title run. I’m not good at the percentages and all that, so let’s go with HIGH. I think this team expects to be right back in those Conference Finals, and however they can handle their business there would be such a boost to the fan base here in Indianapolis.

Mark S:

Who will be Indiana’s toughest opponent?

I’ll go with an Eastern Conference team and a Western Conference team.  For the East, there’s little doubt, the Miami Heat will be that team to beat, so therefore, that’s the toughest task ahead. The Pacers will probably see them at some point in the playoffs, so it’s going to take all hands on deck to beat them.  For the West, you look at the San Antonio Spurs, who the Pacers seem to struggle against.  I think it’s because you don’t play them that often, and they always seem to have such a deep roster, one in which the Pacers want to model after.  I think the Spurs are that team that everyone says is on their last leg, and look at last year, they end up in the NBA Finals.  For a team that the window is always closing, they’re pretty darn good.  That team is going to be tough for the Indiana Pacers, but hopefully this season will  be a change to that.