A surprisingly optimistic Indiana Pacers Media Day

The Indiana Pacers had their Media Day on Monday, and while there weren’t too many surprises, there are several things to pay attention to.

The NBA is a 12-month league now (much to the chagrin of writers) but a more official start to the upcoming NBA year is each team’s media day. The Indiana Pacers are officially turning the page to the 2017-18 season on Monday with the usual shuffling of players and coaches in front of the media.

Most of it ends up being boilerplate statements we’ve probably heard all summer, but there are some things of note, even if they aren’t the most important news in the world. For starters, the Pacers are still planning on competing.

Nothing changed between now and the last time you heard from Kevin Pritchard. The Pacers aren’t tanking and actually feel pretty good about their chances in a talent-depleted Eastern Conference.

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With so many players heading west, the Pacers path to a playoff spot isn’t a daunting as one might expect. The Pacers have Myles Turner and Victor Oladipo surrounded by veterans — Thaddeus Young, Darren Collison, Lance Stephenson, Al Jefferson — and a number of talented younger players like Cory Joseph and Glenn Robinson III.

While there are plenty of questions about how that all will fit together and how many minutes they each deserve, those are players that can grind at least 30 wins this season. With the only a few teams seen as locks for the playoffs, there are four for five teams fighting for the seventh and eighth spot in the conference. On paper, the Pacers can fight and even claim one of those spots.

The Pacers don’t have to be great, or maybe even good to make the playoffs this season, so it isn’t just Media Day hubris talking.

It is no surprise that Indiana isn’t going to tank — team owner Herb Simon is against it — and with that being the case it also isn’t a surprise that they are supportive of reforms to the NBA draft.

Not only are the confident, Oladipo said Lance Stephenson’s “Better Believe It” would be their soundtrack. More importantly, he teased the idea of a mixtape.

A bigger role for Thaddeus Young

The good news is Thaddeus Young says his wrist is back at 100 percent after having the summer to rehab. We saw the effect losing Young last season had on the Pacers last season. Even when Young returned to the lineup, he didn’t shoot 3-pointer as he had before the injury.

Indiana needs him at 100 percent if he plans on having a bigger role on the team this season. He knows as one of the veterans he must step up, but he reminded the media he isn’t that old.

Myles Turner and Darren Collison running the pick and roll

Darren Collison said he and DeMarcus Cousins ran the pick-and-roll well together and that it was something he and Myles Turner can replicate in Indiana. Collison complimented Turner’s ability to both attack the rim and left a shot off in those situations.

Thinner Al Jefferson

I wrote this weekend why a slimmer, healthier Al Jefferson matters, but the Big Classic said the weight loss wasn’t just about basketball.

Donald Trump vs The NBA

While none of the Pacers said anything of substance to say about Donald Trump’s comments towards Stephen Curry and players who kneel during the National Anthem, some spoke out in support of the protests.

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Next: Who are the breakout candidates for the Pacers?

The Pacers preseason gets underway on Oct. 4 when they head north to face the Milwaukee Bucks. They’ll stay on the road to face the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detriot Pistons before returning home to host Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Premier League on Oct. 10.