PACERS

The Indiana Pacers have made the postseason 14 of the last 15 years and finished the 2004 season with the best record in the entire league with 61 wins to only 21 losses. The Pacers worked hard to earn home court advantage all the way through their playoffs and they knew that if one of their opponents pushed them to a seventh game in a series, they would have the game in front of their fans and they would have that extra little push to get them over the top. The team was still in search of its first NBA championship after three ABA titles and an NBA Finals appearance in 2000 but they were defeated by the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Head coach Rick Carlisle started his tenure with the Pistons but was replaced after two 50 win seasons and moved on to Indiana where his team won 61 games in his first season there. He’s earned a .654 winning percentage as an NBA coach and his players rave about him every chance they get.

The team that was already the best in the league last season might have gotten even better after a successful off-season through free agency and the draft. The Pacers sent sixth-man extraordinaire Al Harrington to the Atlanta Hawks for swingman Stephen Jackson early in the off-season. Harrington could likely start on most NBA teams but he was stuck behind Ron Artest and Jermaine O’Neal in Indiana while Stephen Jackson is a proven scorer who will play shooting guard with the aging clutch shooter Reggie Miller getting near the end of his career. Jermaine O’Neal led the team last year and was one of the few players in the league to average 20 points and 10 rebounds a night. He was also the emotional leader on the court and led the team in free throws, points, rebounds, and blocks. Ron Artest was able to keep his emotion in check for the better part of the season and finished second to O’Neal in the majority of the stats for the team. The team really needed a boost in the middle as Jeff Foster and Scot Pollard combined to hold down the fort so the Pacers were thrilled when David Harrison, a big man from the University of Colorado, fell all the way to them at the 29th overall pick in the draft. The Pacers also finished the draft by selecting Georgia point guard Rashad Wright with the 59th overall pick.

The Indiana Pacers will move into the newly revamped Central division along with the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Chicago Bulls, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Central will likely be the second toughest division behind the Southwest and the Pacers will need to play to their potential if they want to repeat the success they had in the 2004 season. The Pistons won the title last season and they’ll definitely by chasing another title while the Cavs, Bulls, and Bucks each got better in the off-season. The Pacers will bring back most of the team that won 61 games last season and it’s not out of the question they’ll make a run at even more wins next season. Jamaal Tinsley will likely be the team’s starting point guard on most nights with Stephen Jackson or Reggie Miller sharing the backcourt with him from their shooting guard position. Ron Artest is arguably the top small forward in the entire league and Jermaine O’Neal will likely compete for an MVP title this season from his power forward spot. Draft pick David Harrison will team up with Jeff Foster and Scot Pollard to try to contribute to the team through defense, rebounding, and shot blocking. It’s likely the team will score enough points between Jackson, Artest, and O’Neal to win on most nights and the defense that was so dominating last season might be even better this year. The Pacers will compete with the Pistons for the division title because they know if they come up second best in the division, they will fall to the #4 seed in the East and will have to see a much better team in the first round of the playoffs. It should be an entertaining battle all season.

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