8p9s Roundtable: Will the Pacers Make the Playoffs?
By Jared Wade
True or False: The Indiana Pacers have underachieved this season?
Ochoa: False. Underachieving would mean that the Pacers failed to meet the expectations of the organization and the fans. The very moment Paul George went down with his injury, all previous expectations, such as championships, were put on hold. No one in the Pacers organization and no Pacers fans legitimately expected the Pacers to compete for a title without PG. The expectations hifted to being a competitive team and developing players. I believe the Pacers have done both extremely well.
Donahue: False. Solomon Hill has played 436 minutes more than anyone else on the roster. Donald Sloan started 21 games and has played 113 more minutes at the point than George Hill. Chris Copeland started 12. George Hill has missed 39 games, C.J. Watson 19, David West 16, C.J. Miles 12, and Rodney Stuckey 11. Paul George has missed 73. They’re 20-14 in games where #3 has played, and 12-27 without him. If anything, they’ve overachieved.
Furr: False. I don’t think they’ve overachieved either, but given the ludicrous number of injuries they’ve endured, I don’t think it’s fair to say this was an underachieving year. People thought this team might struggle to win 20 games without PG; not they’re over 30 and fighting for a playoff berth, and the bench finally got the minutes they probably needed in order to figure out their roles.
Gibson: False. Having George Hill and David West miss so much of the early season combined with random injuries here and there have made Indiana one of the more unlucky teams. A heathy Indiana (minus Paul George) easily goes close to .500. The team didn’t have the chance to get their chemistry together early on, and it has been trying to find an equilibrium ever since. That’s not to make excuses, but any team that has 200+ missed games among its players is going to be inconsistent at best.
Washburn: False. 10000x false. Donald Sloan, Solomon Hill, and Damjan Rudez have played significant minutes this year, and it’s unclear whether any of those guys is a real rotation player in this league. If anything, they’ve grossly overachieved. With the injuries still piling up, the team has banded together in a way we never saw last season, and Vogel has shown just how great of a coach he is with the constant state of flummox that the roster has been in. This season has been depressing for all of the obvious reasons, but it’s also been inspiring for those of us that have watched it closely.
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