8p9s Roundtable: Frank Vogel Is Gone, So What’s Next For the Indiana Pacers?

Ben Gibson

Jan 4, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel reacts during the second half game the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. The Heat won 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers have let Frank Vogel go. What’s next?

The last few days have been chaotic for the Indiana Pacers. After losing Game 7 the idea that Frank Vogel wasn’t coming back was little more than a whisper. Then suddenly Larry Bird was twisting the knife in Frank’s back as he wished him well.

The coaching search has begun and most Indiana Pacers fans are still getting the idea that Frank’s gone settled in their mind.

Here to sort through the rubble is the 8 Points, 9 Seconds Staff as they answer a few questions on what happened, and what’s next.

Frank Vogel isn’t coming back. What’s your initial reaction and what are you going to miss about him?

Whitney Medworth: I’m not shocked. One because we heard rumblings immediately after Game 7 on Sunday and two because we kind of knew this was coming at some point. I think it is time for a change, you just hope Larry delivers a coach. Frank genuinely seemed like a good guy that loved the Pacers and Indianapolis. I’ll miss that.

Dave Searle: This isn’t fair. A guy who consistently produced Top-10 defenses and who hasn’t missed the playoffs with Paul George healthy is looking for a job (won’t be for long, though). The guy who got Roy F’ing Hibbert to the All-Star game (twice!) lost his job. It’s the kind of shortsighted, reactionary move that hurts unwise NBA franchises.

Jacky Neal: Somewhat disappointed. It’s kind of sad to see a good coach and, by all accounts, a good guy loses his job despite being successful regardless of the hand dealt to him. I’m going to miss the Vogel Weave the most. That was an awesome end-of-half play and fun to watch. I’ll also miss him turn into “Jersey Frank” and get technicals, which seemed so out of his character.

Ryan Eggers: I was really shocked when I heard the news. I knew he wasn’t Bird’s cup of tea but I thought Vogel had done more than enough to stay. I’ll miss his defensive genius, but I’ll probably miss the stability more than anything. It was nice having a franchise that for the most part held the same core for a number of years.

Ryan Barth: Shocked — he deserved another year at the very least. Just because his contract ran out, doesn’t mean he needed to be shown the door. I’m going to miss his defense as will next year’s coach.

Next: The Pros and Cons of letting Frank Vogel walk.

What will the Pacers miss most about Vogel, but where can they improve?

Medworth: Given that Dan Burke hopefully stays and keeps the defense intact, you’ll have fingerprints of Vogel still on this team. The offense is clearly the biggest area of improvement. The team has struggled to score for some time now. The roster changes but the offense continues to suffer. I continue to ask this: If Vogel is responsible for the creation of such a great defense, why is he not held responsible for the continued lack of offense.

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Searle: They will miss his philosophy of valuing length, footwork, intelligence, and positioning in defenders over gambling, fouling, and contesting midrange jumpers. But – while the offensive personnel have always been flawed – Vogel never drew the best performance from the Pacers from that end of the court.

Neal: His endless positivity. I would say his defensive scheme, but it seems like Bird plans to keep assistant coach/defensive coordinator/halftime interview superstar Dan Burke on the coaching staff regardless of who is picked as the next head man. Vogel’s endless reservoir of positive vibes was exactly what the team needed when he took over, instilling confidence in a team that, for the most part, overachieved its talent level. It never really translated to an efficient offense, however, which is what the team needs to improve moving forward.

Eggers: They’ll miss his defensive mind, and we will too. However, the gripes about Vogel’s offensive gameplan, late game play calls, and rotational strategy are warranted. I doubt we’ll find another defensive mind but we’ll certainly improve in Vogel’s weak spots.

Barth: They will certainly miss his approach to each game which I always thought was well planned and just sometimes poorly executed by the players. They can certainly improve in the consistency department as Frank was just never sure about the lineups. Ultimately, I think that may have done him in.

Next: Do you agree with Larry Bird?

Sep 28, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird answers questions and talks to the media during media day at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Do you agree or disagree with Larry Bird’s reasoning behind the move?

Medworth: If he’s giving the answer that the Pacers need change and a new voice, then yes. I agree. Vogel’s offense hasn’t evolved and you have to admit the ball has never moved well no matter what roster he had. How many times have we jumped for joy when we actually saw ball movement? It’s tough to let a guy like Frank Vogel go, but I think it was time.

Searle: If I had a clear understanding of Bird’s thoughts, I could address them.

Neal: Disagree. I’m not terribly sure Bird gave a solid reason to move away from Vogel other than wanting “to score more points”. I understand it as the Pacers offense has been difficult to watch under Vogel, but it may have been a better move to hire an offensive coordinator as an assistant to invigorate the offense.

Eggers: Disagree 100%. Vogel wasn’t the problem. You can’t give the man the pieces he has and expect miracles to happen. He’s the winningest coach in Pacers NBA history and took a rebuilding team to 7 games against a 2 seed. He’s not the problem.

Barth: I disagree with the move initially, but with the caveat that his next hire will determine whether or not I’m truly pissed.

Next: Who would you hire as the Indiana Pacers next coach?

You are the Pacers GM. Assuming money isn’t a problem, what available coach would you hire?

Medworth: I’m not even worried about money, the pool of coaches available is just really small anyway. But I’m gonna get weird here. If Dan Burke stays with the defense and keeps it Vogel level, why not let D’Antoni get this offense moving. Paul George catch and shoot 3’s all day long.

Searle: I don’t really have an opinion here. Maybe Mike D’Antoni? I’ve always appreciated Jeff Van Gundy’s insights, on TV and on podcasts at least. Spurs Genius Assistant X? I guess it doesn’t matter because he’ll be fired after three years anyway.

Neal: Jeff Van Gundy. He has had success in two locations. He knows the game and also knows how to manage the egos in a locker room. Bird wants someone who will garner the respect of the players. JVG will certainly do that. He also embraces analytics, in addition to the tried-and-true eye test, to inform his analysis, which would translate well to the modern game. Also, it would be fun to see he and Stan battle it out four times a season.

Eggers: I’m buying the D’Antoni angle. He seems to be the offensive mind Bird is looking for. I think people forget how good the mid-2000s Suns were. He’d be an interesting change of pace from what we’ve seen the past few years, so he’s my pick for now.

Barth: I’d take a long hard look at Mark Jackson. Bird has a respect for him and he didn’t dismiss it in his press conference yesterday. Jackson could strengthen the point guard position if the personnel is there and be a leading voice in the locker room which apparently respects former players the most.

Next: Any former players you want to see coach the team?

May 10, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; TNT broadcasters Reggie Miller (left) and Kevin Harlan 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

Is there any former Pacers player you’d trust to coach the team?

Medworth: Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. No Mark Jackson, No Reggie Miller, no Jamaal Tinsley. Nothing. Although I did hear a wild rumor on Chris Mullins. I guess he may be alright.

Gut reaction: Will the Indiana Pacers have a better or worse season next year?

Medworth: Similar to this year, with the chance of being a little better. Paul George is REALLY good. Myles Turner will get better. I don’t think a coach can come in and mess that up too much. I hope not at least.

Searle: Better. An older Myles Turner + solid coach (that I believe the Pacers will land) + free agent player X (and Y?) will bring an improvement for the Pacers.

Neal: Better. I could make a case for both, but my gut says better due to an expectation that most of the main rotation being back next year. Having that continuity will be important with a new coach implementing a new system. Also, it appeared that Paul George made a leap into being the leader of this team in the playoffs while on the cusp of entering his prime, which can only be a plus to the team and organization.

Eggers: A better season, but it’ll have nothing to do with the coaching situation. Turner will have a year under his belt, George will be another year past his injury, and we should be able to add a piece this summer that’ll round out the starting lineup. We also caught a lot of bad breaks late in games this year, which I doubt will happen to this degree again.

Next: Who Wants to Be Indiana’s Next Top Coach?

Barth: I’d say better given they will likely win a higher percentage of the close games assuming the law of averages. If Bird doesn’t hit in the draft and they are unable to get a marquee free agent to pair with Paul George and Myles Turner though, it is probably more of the same (first round playoff exit).

Ben Gibson

I write basketball stuff on 8 Points, 9 Seconds, and I love terrible Photoshops.