How Frank Vogel Can Improve as a Coach This Year

One could also argue, though, that George’s injury is the best thing that could have happened to Vogel’s coaching career.

O.K., maybe not the best. Maybe far from the best.

But something that may at least force him to improve the elements of his craft most in need of work. Capital among these is the ability to develop a reliable bench.

Continuity has been a hallmark of Vogel’s tenure with the Pacers. No starting five logged more minutes over the last two seasons than Indiana’s. This wasn’t a terrible strategy. That lineup was a beast and young enough to handle the usage. Last year, the Pacers were openly competing for the number-one seed, which put a greater emphasis on wins than wind. And, let’s not forget, Vogel took over the job amidst loud complaints regarding his predecessor’s constant lineup shuffling. But the over-reliance on this group may have unintentionally stunted the growth of the Pacers’ bench.

Two years ago, the Pacers had the second-worst bench in the league. D.J. Augustin was a bust, Gerald Green often looked lost, and Tyler Hansbrough demonstrated post moves that could best be described as “seizure-ish.” Improving the talent on the bench was the Indiana Pacers’ primary focus last offseason, an effort headlined by the addition of C.J. Watson and Luis Scola. And while the Pacers’ bench was better last year, it was still a bottom-half of the league unit and one that left Pacers fans holding their breath when called upon in big games.

What is really interesting, though, is the way the primary ingredients of the 2012-13 turd sandwich of a reserve unit — notably Augustin, Green, and even Miles Plumlee — made significant contributions to their respective teams last season. Some of this is circumstantial, sure. Green is clearly a better fit in Jeff Hornacek’s air-raid style offense, and Plumlee was just a rookie in his one year with the Pacers.

But it definitely raises some questions about how much those individual players were to blame for their lack of production under Vogel, especially considering the relatively similar results with last year’s entirely different unit. All units need time to gel — starting five or not.

Take San Antonio’s Greg Popovich as a contrasting approach.

Only the Lakers used more starting lineups during the regular season than last year’s champions. This not only helps keep the AARP-card-carrying core of the Spurs fresh for the playoffs, but also provides Popovich with a multitude of potentially dangerous lineups when they get there. It may also help explain how the Spurs consistently turn journeymen and castaways into championship cogs. It certainly seems more likely than there being “something in the water.”

The Pacers’ bleak circumstances this season more or less force Vogel to take a more experimental approach to his lineups, hopefully giving him a chance to actually figure out the nuts and bolts of this process without the pressure of championship expectations. There’s a fine line between being consistent and being stubborn, and Vogel’s refusal to go small against the Atlanta Hawks in last year’s playoffs felt like stubbornness. He has to find a way to be more flexible when needed, to develop and maximize the reserve talent he has, and this year could be the perfect flight simulator.

Another thing this offseason will force Vogel to experiment with is his offense. On Zach Lowe’s podcast last week, Vogel talked about how he plans on overcoming the Pacers’ distinct lack of lane penetrators, including an emphasis on screens and ball movement.

Of course, a lot of the Pacers’ offensive stagnation last year was a result of player execution, not a lack of coaching. I seriously doubt Vogel was every in the huddle saying, “O.K., Paul, you take the ball at the wing and pound it for 15 seconds. Everyone else, find a spot and just kind of stand there. Pacers on three!”

But this team will need to get — and stay — extremely creative to get good offensive looks. Some of this creativity will flop, but some of it will work. If Vogel can expand his offensive sets and incorporate the more successful experiments into PG’s first season back, he will at least have something tangible to show for what will be a challenging year.

What we know is that Vogel will be working. He will be breaking down hours of tape. He will be nauseatingly optimistic and upbeat about it, at least in public. Pretty much everything else is speculation. But if it all goes ideally, Vogel will continue to develop as a coach and a rotation manager — exactly what this team needs if it ever wants to become a contender again.