8 points, 9 seconds
Fansided

8p9s Roundtable: Resetting Expectations for the Indiana Pacers at the Halfway Point

By William Furr

Jan 23, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers mascot Boomer sits with actor Jesse Eisenberg during a game against the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. New York defeats Indiana 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers mascot Boomer sits with actor Jesse Eisenberg during a game against the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. New York defeats Indiana 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
Paul George of the Indiana Pacers
Jan 5, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) on the floor in the second half of the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Indiana Pacers beat the Brooklyn Nets 121-109. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Who has been the Indiana Pacers most valuable player?

Paul George got seven of the eight votes, with Barth giving the only non-PG vote to Myles Turner.

“Myles Turner. This man gives the Pacers hope. If he maintains his rise as a dominant frontcourt mate with Paul George, the Pacers just might find their Big 3 in the coming years (assuming PG signs that healthy extension),” Barth said.

Padmore, Furr, and Neal explained why they picked Paul George, even if his numbers are slightly down.

“In my opinion, Paul is having a disappointing season. I was expecting an MVP season. That doesn’t mean he’s not their best player, though. He’s still leading the team in scoring and taking over games down the stretch,” Padmore said.

“Monta Ellis. We all expected his age and poor defense to catch up to him, but wearing a mask as a facilitator on the 2nd unit? That’s quite a fall.” — Ryan Barth

“This “down year” has been better than the career years of others. Not bad for someone some fans believe doesn’t care,” Neal said.

Just like biggest disappointment, Ellis received plenty of criticism.

“Monta Ellis. We all expected his age and poor defense to catch up to him, but wearing a mask as a facilitator on the 2nd unit? That’s quite a fall,” Barth said.

However, Furr set his sights on Lavoy Allen.

“Allen has done almost nothing this year, and lost his spot in the rotation to a center masquerading as a power forward in Kevin Serpahin. Allen is averaging 1.4 points and 2.3 rebounds on 32.2% shooting. Not, uh, not good,” Furr said.

“They kept trotting him out there most of the first half and he kept giving them not much. Pretty much expected,” Neal said.

Next: It Is Time For the Indiana Pacers To Win

So there you have it, that is where the Indiana Pacers sit at the halfway point. They may not be reaching the high expectations they had in the preseason, but there is still optimism to be found as the Pacers head into the second half of the season.

Home/Pacers News