8p9s Roundtable: The Indiana Pacers Sign Monta Ellis
By Ben Gibson
Will Frank Vogel actually start all of George Hill, Monta Ellis, C.J. Miles, and Paul George?
Donahue: I do not think so. “Larry really brought it up, and it’s something Larry would like to see,” said Frank Vogel when asked about where the idea of Paul George playing the 4 arose. He added: “That’s something I think will improve us on the offensive end. It’s not something I envision doing full time. Maybe as part of your bench rotation, be small that way, but we’ll see, like I said, what the roster looks like.”
Vogel is probably too stubborn to actually start these four players together. However, I could see those four finishing games with either Hibbert or Mahinmi.
Washburn: While there is a rather large part of me that would like to see this, Vogel is probably too stubborn to actually start these four players together. For one thing, this group probably isn’t “long enough” for Vogel’s liking. However, I could see those four finishing games with either Hibbert or Mahinmi and looking really awesome at random times throughout the season.
Furr: I would be very surprised. Vogel has been burned by bad benches, and saw a bit last year what having a creator coming off the bench can do for the team. This might be possible in the future, but I believe we see Hill/Miles/PG/cheap PF/Hibbert starting each game.
Barth: Golden State proved that you can’t have enough shooters on the floor (especially perimeter shooters). Just let Monta take all of Solo’s shots from last year and we’re good. That’ll open up lanes for Solo, too, which is where his game truly fits anyway.
Stewart: I’m unsure on this one. It would certainly make Indiana both smaller and faster, but I’m not sure Vogel would ever approve of starting three guards and Paul George alongside Hibbert/Mahinmi. There’s a possibility that Indiana could go to this lineup as a way to switch things up at different points in the game, but this group would have to prove their consistency if they were to start more games than not.
Next: How Many Points Will Monta Average?