Indiana Pacers: 4 historical teams to emulate next season

The Indiana Pacers could emulate the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks’ star-less approach

The 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks are one of the most unique teams in recent memory. With all eyes set on that season on the new Lebron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers squad and a loaded Chicago Bulls roster as favorites in the East, they managed to carve out a season for the ages and ended the regular season as the number one seed in the conference.

While their talent deficit and injuries eventually caught up to them in the Conference Finals, the 2015 Hawks’ team basketball was a sight to behold. With a heavy reliance on ball movement and outside shooting, Atlanta proved that you can win basketball without a marquee player nabbing all the narratives.

The Indiana Pacers can take some of that team’s motifs as a blueprint next season. While they don’t have the perimeter firepower that the 2015 Hawks enjoyed, both teams have depth on all positions. If the Blue and Gold wants to deploy a consistent and healthy lineup next season, then relying on their depth could be a key means to that goal.

Some tidbits from that unique squad can also strike some inspiration for the team. Maybe the Turbonis pairing can learn how to coexist in the frontcourt the way Paul Millsap and Al Horford seamlessly did. There’s no copying Kyle Korver and his masterful marksmanship, but maybe the team’s backcourt players could infuse loads of off-ball movement in their games.