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8p9s Roundtable: Did the 2000 Pacers Stand a Chance vs. Shaq and Kobe?

By Jared Wade

May 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; TNT broadcaster Reggie Miller during game four of the second round of the NBA playoffs between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
May 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; TNT broadcaster Reggie Miller during game four of the second round of the NBA playoffs between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Was the 2000 team the best in the Pacers NBA history?

Gibson: Yes, if for no other reason than results. They also had the best offensive rating in the NBA that season with a respectable defense. But the 2005 team will always be the greatest “what if?” for Indiana. The 2005 squad was probably the better team until things got all punchy.

Donahue: I’ve always thought the 1998 team — with a healthier Rik Smits, both Davises, a more productive Chris Mullin, and an emerging Jalen Rose — was better. In my head, that was really the one Pacer team in their NBA history that could have won a title. But, I’d probably put the 2000 team as a close second. They were outstanding offensively and possessed a great mix of size, skill, and experience. The 1999 team probably should have been better than both — with the best balancing of Mullin’s decline and Rose’s ascendance — but they never really got in a rhythm in the lockout-shortened year. People are going to be tempted throw the 2004 team out as a candidate — and that’s valid from a talent perspective. However, that team exhibited an almost gleeful commitment to self-destruction. Of the eight Pacer Conference finalists over the last 25 years, the only one I’d comfortably choose the 2004 team over was 2014’s After School Special of a team.

Furr: It’s tempting to say that they were, simply because they made it the furthest, but I think the 2004 team had the best shot to win a title. Something happened that year, but I’ve permanently redacted it from my mind. I do think that they were arguably the best team in the NBA that year. The 2014 Pacers probably held that claim until operation Dumpster Fire (Trademark: Millertime Pod) claimed the team’s soul as well.

Washburn: No, and I don’t think it’s that close. The squads from 1998 and 2004 were clearly better, the team from 1999 might have been better, and none of those teams were as good as the squad that was ruined by The Brawl. On balance, the 2000 Pacers are probably on par with last year’s Indiana Pacers, but they had the luxury of not having to match up against Michael Jordan or LeBron James.

Next: Will the Pacers Shoot More 3s Next Year?

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