The Indianapolis Colts are 4-1 and have already racked up impressive wins against the San Fransico 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. With their one loss coming in a close game to the Miami Dolphins. But how good is this team?
With a media that is obssessed with the Denver Broncos and the NFC West, the young team in Inidana is not getting much love. So unless you are an avid NFL fan you probably don't know too much about this Colts team. Many thought that season was a fluke, that was sparked off the ChuckStrong movement that consumed the city and most of the country. Many didn't believe that Andrew Luck would be able to continue his record breaking play.
This team after a rough start against the Oakland Raiders and a loss the Dolphins many were beginning to believe that last season was just a fluke and this was going to be an average team. Then this team traded to get Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson, which got some buzz around this team. Then the Colts went across the country and put it to the 49ers. Went to Jacksonville and destroyed the Jaguars. Now this week they played a very tough game against the undefeated Seattle Seahawk. Behind some bery stellar play from Andrew Luck and TY Hilton this team came out with the win.
But how has a team playing so well and defeating teams many analysts picked to win the Super Bowl going under the radar? Mainly, because this team just wins and their stars don't talk about it. If the players on this team won't talk about how they are managing to win these games I will.
A lot of it comes down to the improvements that general manager Ryan Grigson made to this team in the off season. Adding reciever Darius Heyward-Bay to an already talented recieving core to give another deep threat. Then revamping the defensive line with Ricky Jean-Francois and Erick Walden who have been doing a good job containing opponents running backs, with the exception of Marshawn Lynch this week. Then they added Greg Toler and Laron Landry to the secondary to fill in some of the holes that teams exploited last season.
This defensive unit which was alright but not great in any category now has an elite secondary and an improved defensive line. The offense has the weapons now that keep defenses honest in the run and the pass game.
The next question is how good can this team be and where can they go? I think this team is the best one lose team in the league and easily the 4th best team in the league behind the three unbeaten teams. Next week the Colts play the San Diego Chargers and is the match up everyone is waiting for the return of Peyton Manning to Indianapolis. This could be a huge measuring stick to how far this team could go. A win in this game would tell the rest of the league that this team is going to be competing for homefield advantage in the AFC.
After next weeks game I will put up a preview of the Colts vs Broncos game, which will be the highlight of every sports show all week all over the country.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Saturday, September 14, 2013
NCAA Football Matchup of Week: Alabama vs Texas A&M
This game made Johny Manziel a household name and gave him that breakout game that put him in the Heisman discussion. The rest after that is history. Now about 12 months removed from that game will we see a deja vu or another classic Alabama beat down. These teams have changed a lot since the match up so we shall see if this game will live up the hype.
Everyone has heard about all the controversy surrounding Johny Manziel since winning the Heisman last year and the suspension he was given during the first half of the Rice game. After that Texas A&M has looked good but not nearly as stellar as they had last season. They lost Luke Joeckel to the NFL and his loss cannot be underestimated. A good offensive line can make any quarterback look great. Manziel is plenty good enough without that offensive line but I'm not sure if he is enough to beat Alabama single-handily. Especially after losing 3 of his 4 best receivers last year. One thing that Texas A&M did last year to Alabama was shock them. They came out to a very quick lead and then as the game went on Alabama adjusted and honestly probably should have won that game late. But because of their lack of preparation to start the game Manziel was able to have his way and create a lead they just weren't able to overcome.
Alabama. Has dominated college football for the past two years. Their offensive line could probably be a very good NFL offensive line. If you don't agree with me see how much time Senior Quarterback AJ McCarron has to find his receivers. It doesn't matter how much time his offensive line gives him if he couldn't throw a good ball, but that is not an issue with McCarron who might be one of the more accurate quarterbacks with time in the NCAA. They also have a stud running back in the backfield TJ Yeldon. Again who might be a product of an amazing offensive line. Defensively, again they are very dominant led by linebacker CJ Mosley. They however might not be as good losing a lot of the players to the NFL especially cornerback Dee Milner. We will see if these new players at these positions will be able to continue Alabama defensively dominance.
Looking at both of these teams I think this game is going to be closer to a blowout. Alabama has been dominating teams for 2 years except for the exception of this team last year. I think Alabama will be ready for Manziel this year, no surprises. If A&M has any chance of winning Manziel will have to another Heisman performance but I'm not sure if he has the supporting cast to do it. But never doubt Manziel ever on the field or off the field. Even though I think Alabama should blow out A&M I think this game will be fairly close.
Alabama 28
Texas A&M 21
Everyone has heard about all the controversy surrounding Johny Manziel since winning the Heisman last year and the suspension he was given during the first half of the Rice game. After that Texas A&M has looked good but not nearly as stellar as they had last season. They lost Luke Joeckel to the NFL and his loss cannot be underestimated. A good offensive line can make any quarterback look great. Manziel is plenty good enough without that offensive line but I'm not sure if he is enough to beat Alabama single-handily. Especially after losing 3 of his 4 best receivers last year. One thing that Texas A&M did last year to Alabama was shock them. They came out to a very quick lead and then as the game went on Alabama adjusted and honestly probably should have won that game late. But because of their lack of preparation to start the game Manziel was able to have his way and create a lead they just weren't able to overcome.
Alabama. Has dominated college football for the past two years. Their offensive line could probably be a very good NFL offensive line. If you don't agree with me see how much time Senior Quarterback AJ McCarron has to find his receivers. It doesn't matter how much time his offensive line gives him if he couldn't throw a good ball, but that is not an issue with McCarron who might be one of the more accurate quarterbacks with time in the NCAA. They also have a stud running back in the backfield TJ Yeldon. Again who might be a product of an amazing offensive line. Defensively, again they are very dominant led by linebacker CJ Mosley. They however might not be as good losing a lot of the players to the NFL especially cornerback Dee Milner. We will see if these new players at these positions will be able to continue Alabama defensively dominance.
Looking at both of these teams I think this game is going to be closer to a blowout. Alabama has been dominating teams for 2 years except for the exception of this team last year. I think Alabama will be ready for Manziel this year, no surprises. If A&M has any chance of winning Manziel will have to another Heisman performance but I'm not sure if he has the supporting cast to do it. But never doubt Manziel ever on the field or off the field. Even though I think Alabama should blow out A&M I think this game will be fairly close.
Alabama 28
Texas A&M 21
Friday, September 6, 2013
NFL Matchup of the Week: Giants vs Cowboys
I am going to try to do this every week of the NFL season. But my match up of the week is going to the Giants vs Cowboys. Not because either of these teams are a pre-season favorites to win the Super Bowl, but the fact that both of these teams have something to prove. Neither team made the playoffs last year which is incredibly frustrating for the fans of these storied franchises.
This summer owner Jerry Jones put all of his eggs in quarterback Tony Romo's basket. We have all heard about Romo's career and now it is almost annoying everytime someone writes about it. So I'm going to avoid it. Romo is a good quarterback who takes risks when he throws the ball, he should limit these kinds of throws, enough said. I think the Cowboys now have a good running back Demarco Murray in the backfield hopefully he can stay healthy and relieve some of the pressure on the passing game. Dez Bryant if healthy has shown he can be a star in this league with amazing hands and break away speed and having Miles Austin on the other side should create trouble for opposing team's secondaries every week. Jason Witten had another great season breaking a thousand yards recieving and a hundred catches. The defense should be a little improved with lineback Sean Lee coming back who missed most of last season. And hopefully last years first round draft pick Morris Claiborne can prove he is that shut down corner that the team drafted. To have a successful season this year and win this game this defense needs play bend don't break. This offense will be fine they just need to make sure the defense doesn't give up too many big plays, so the offense can use the running game instead of forcing Romo to throw every down.
The New York Giants can't seem to put two good seasons together. Win a Super Bowl miss the playoffs. It is almost comical. The Giants offensively again will rely on Eli Manning without a truly proven running back and the injury concern with Hakeem Nicks. Eli will have to try to do his best Peyton Manning impression make unknown recievers into household names. Defensively, if Jason Pierre-Paul is able to comeback healthy the pairing of him and Justin Tuck will create trouble for opposing quarterbacks for another season. In the secondary Prince Anukamara should be able to show the talent the team thought they were getting before an injury kept him from playing all last season. The Giants key to this game and season is going to be what player on offense is going to emerge as a threat? This team needs one more major threat to make this offense truly dangerous and keep secondaries off their star wideouts.
I think this game is going to be very good going down to the wire. This being said I think the Giants' defense is going to be able to make that one stop in the end to secure a victory and spoil the fun at Jerry World again.
Giants 21 Cowboys 17
This summer owner Jerry Jones put all of his eggs in quarterback Tony Romo's basket. We have all heard about Romo's career and now it is almost annoying everytime someone writes about it. So I'm going to avoid it. Romo is a good quarterback who takes risks when he throws the ball, he should limit these kinds of throws, enough said. I think the Cowboys now have a good running back Demarco Murray in the backfield hopefully he can stay healthy and relieve some of the pressure on the passing game. Dez Bryant if healthy has shown he can be a star in this league with amazing hands and break away speed and having Miles Austin on the other side should create trouble for opposing team's secondaries every week. Jason Witten had another great season breaking a thousand yards recieving and a hundred catches. The defense should be a little improved with lineback Sean Lee coming back who missed most of last season. And hopefully last years first round draft pick Morris Claiborne can prove he is that shut down corner that the team drafted. To have a successful season this year and win this game this defense needs play bend don't break. This offense will be fine they just need to make sure the defense doesn't give up too many big plays, so the offense can use the running game instead of forcing Romo to throw every down.
The New York Giants can't seem to put two good seasons together. Win a Super Bowl miss the playoffs. It is almost comical. The Giants offensively again will rely on Eli Manning without a truly proven running back and the injury concern with Hakeem Nicks. Eli will have to try to do his best Peyton Manning impression make unknown recievers into household names. Defensively, if Jason Pierre-Paul is able to comeback healthy the pairing of him and Justin Tuck will create trouble for opposing quarterbacks for another season. In the secondary Prince Anukamara should be able to show the talent the team thought they were getting before an injury kept him from playing all last season. The Giants key to this game and season is going to be what player on offense is going to emerge as a threat? This team needs one more major threat to make this offense truly dangerous and keep secondaries off their star wideouts.
I think this game is going to be very good going down to the wire. This being said I think the Giants' defense is going to be able to make that one stop in the end to secure a victory and spoil the fun at Jerry World again.
Giants 21 Cowboys 17
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Why a Team Nobody Expects Will Win the Super Bowl
This off season a lot of teams have been making a lot of
moves but they haven’t necessarily been great moves and there have also been a
multitude of big injuries with big stars. For example the San Francisco 49ers
added Anquan Boldin which is a good pick up, unfortunately they also lost star
receiver Michael Crabtree who was the number one target for new starter Collin
Kaepernick last season. The loss of Crabtreee on the end is going to be tough
to replace, the receiving core was weak in the first place this makes it even
weaker. Do not get me wrong this offense will be plenty dangerous with the dual
threat of Kaepernick, Frank Gore who still has some gas left in the tank, and
the leader Vernon Davis in the middle. But they will be nowhere near as scary
as they good have been. That offense with that monster defense could have
spelled disaster for any team that had to play them.
Let’s stay in that division and take a look at the Seattle
Seahawks a surprising team last year led by rookie sensation Russel Wilson will
not sneak up on any teams this year. In fact, they were one of the favorites
going into the season especially with the addition of Percy Harvin. That’s where
the problem comes in Harvin has been very injury prone his entire career and it
already looks like he is going to miss some time heading into this season. Again
not a devastating blow but one that definitely hurts. Having Sidney Rice and
Harvin opposite of each other on the field would have made opposing secondary’s
think twice before committing a back to stop that devastating running game led
by Marshawn Lynch.
Now that we have looked at how the top teams in the NFC have
changed this off-season let’s look at the AFC.
The Super Bowl champs are not the same team that won a title
6 months ago. They lost countless veterans on both sides of the ball many of
these guys’ staples in a very consistent organization. It will be impossible to
replace what Ray Lewis brought to the field if it is his leadership, his
presence, and his overall skill of the game he will be greatly missed. Now
throw in you lost safety Ed Reed to the Houston Texans and Anquan Boldin to the
49ers. There will be a lot of question marks on this team and will be very
interesting to see how they answer them and if they answer them correctly.
Another team always in the conversation for a Super Bowl the
New England Patriots. Everybody, no matter if you are sports fan or not you have
heard what has happened to this organization this summer with Aaron Hernandez.
Along with this Robert Gronkowski looks to be missing more time with forearm
and back problems. Losing tight ends is one thing but losing the go-to receiver
in Wes Welker is another thing. Without the help on the edge it will be very
interesting to see where Brady delivers that ball this season.
This season is going to be wide open expect a lot of 9-7 and
8-8 win teams to make the playoffs this year with no clear cut favorite. There
is no super team this year just a lot of good teams fighting for a chance to
play for that trophy.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Will the Moves This Team Made Make Them a Playoff Team?
This off season the Detroit Pistons have been very busy adding a lot of new players to their roster. The Pistons drafted Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with the number eight pick in the draft. They signed forward Josh Smith to a max contract and recently traded away Brandon Knight in exchange for Brandon Jennings from the Milwaukee Bucks.They also signed veteran Chauncey Billups to lead this very young team. Will all the new faces bring back past glory to this franchise?
With all these additions many people forgot a lot of the young talent this team already had like Rodney Stuckey, Greg Monroe, and emerging center Andre Drummond. Unless you closely follow the NBA you may have never heard of these players, that has nothing to do with their talent it mainly has to do with this team not being competitive since the Big 5 of Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace left. Stuckey has been with the Pistons since being drafted in 2007. I'm a big Pacer fan so I have been able to watch Stuckey play the Pacers throughout his career. Last year was not one of his best seasons but at 6-5 he has been forced to play point guard when he is truly a two guard. He has a knack for overpowering smaller guards and getting to the rim. With the addition of Brandon Jennings it will relieve the pressure of being the teams primary ball handler and focus on attacking the rim.
Greg Monroe is an incredibly versatile big man who has proven he is a 15 and 10 guy every night. He is able to take bigger defenders off the dribble and reminds me of a young Amare Stoudemire. He also was forced to play out of position, he played a lot of center where is truly more of an over-sized forward than a center. One of his major glaring weaknesses is his defense, but with the emergence of Andre Drummond who is a very athletic center who is going to be a great weak side blocker that will make Monroe look a lot better. Drummond who was incredibly hyped coming out of high school did not really live up to the hype in his one year at the University of Connecticut. During his first year in the NBA he had a decent year but showed glimpses during Summer League. He will be able to use his athleticism to rebound well and has shown he can finish with big time dunks around the rim. The front court for the Piston is looking set for the years to come if the Monroe/Drummond experiment is able to work.
As said before the Pistons signed Josh Smith to a max contract meaning that management believes he is going to be the face of the franchise. He was a good player but not a franchise player in Atlanta. He is a very good defensive player, good rebounder, and great finisher at the rim. His one glaring weakness is his perimeter shooting which looks like is going to be a weakness for this entire team. I think he is going to get a chance he didn't have in Atlanta and that is to be the face of the franchise and fans in Detroit will welcome a star they haven't had in a while.
The newest and probably most surprising addition to this team is Brandon Jennings from the Milwaukee Bucks. He was a very good scorer for the Bucks he was not necessarily able to lead the team like some people thought. He will be able to get mentoring from Chauncey Billups something he wasn't able to get at his old destination. If Jennings takes advantage of this opportunity he will be able to take the next step to becoming an elite scoring point guard in the NBA.
We have taken a look at the big talent on this team that we expect to make big contributions now it comes down to my prediction of what they are going to do next year. The East outside the top four teams is an absolute toss up who will be the other four to make the playoffs. I think that at best this team could be the fifth team in the East if they are able mesh with the talent and athleticism in the front court and the ability to penetrate with the talent in the back court. The worst case scenario is Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith are not able to get a long as the stars on the team. And the Monroe/Drummond front court could just be too many big bodies in the post for either to be effective. I think they will finish sixth or seventh in the East and will be a team that nobody wants to play in the first round of the playoffs.
With all these additions many people forgot a lot of the young talent this team already had like Rodney Stuckey, Greg Monroe, and emerging center Andre Drummond. Unless you closely follow the NBA you may have never heard of these players, that has nothing to do with their talent it mainly has to do with this team not being competitive since the Big 5 of Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace, and Ben Wallace left. Stuckey has been with the Pistons since being drafted in 2007. I'm a big Pacer fan so I have been able to watch Stuckey play the Pacers throughout his career. Last year was not one of his best seasons but at 6-5 he has been forced to play point guard when he is truly a two guard. He has a knack for overpowering smaller guards and getting to the rim. With the addition of Brandon Jennings it will relieve the pressure of being the teams primary ball handler and focus on attacking the rim.
Greg Monroe is an incredibly versatile big man who has proven he is a 15 and 10 guy every night. He is able to take bigger defenders off the dribble and reminds me of a young Amare Stoudemire. He also was forced to play out of position, he played a lot of center where is truly more of an over-sized forward than a center. One of his major glaring weaknesses is his defense, but with the emergence of Andre Drummond who is a very athletic center who is going to be a great weak side blocker that will make Monroe look a lot better. Drummond who was incredibly hyped coming out of high school did not really live up to the hype in his one year at the University of Connecticut. During his first year in the NBA he had a decent year but showed glimpses during Summer League. He will be able to use his athleticism to rebound well and has shown he can finish with big time dunks around the rim. The front court for the Piston is looking set for the years to come if the Monroe/Drummond experiment is able to work.
As said before the Pistons signed Josh Smith to a max contract meaning that management believes he is going to be the face of the franchise. He was a good player but not a franchise player in Atlanta. He is a very good defensive player, good rebounder, and great finisher at the rim. His one glaring weakness is his perimeter shooting which looks like is going to be a weakness for this entire team. I think he is going to get a chance he didn't have in Atlanta and that is to be the face of the franchise and fans in Detroit will welcome a star they haven't had in a while.
The newest and probably most surprising addition to this team is Brandon Jennings from the Milwaukee Bucks. He was a very good scorer for the Bucks he was not necessarily able to lead the team like some people thought. He will be able to get mentoring from Chauncey Billups something he wasn't able to get at his old destination. If Jennings takes advantage of this opportunity he will be able to take the next step to becoming an elite scoring point guard in the NBA.
We have taken a look at the big talent on this team that we expect to make big contributions now it comes down to my prediction of what they are going to do next year. The East outside the top four teams is an absolute toss up who will be the other four to make the playoffs. I think that at best this team could be the fifth team in the East if they are able mesh with the talent and athleticism in the front court and the ability to penetrate with the talent in the back court. The worst case scenario is Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith are not able to get a long as the stars on the team. And the Monroe/Drummond front court could just be too many big bodies in the post for either to be effective. I think they will finish sixth or seventh in the East and will be a team that nobody wants to play in the first round of the playoffs.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Who's The Best Team in the NBA
Now that all the big moves have been made this off season the NBA landscape looks like it is pretty much set in place. The Brooklyn Nets executed a draft night trade to acquire Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry. They also signed veteran forward Andrei Kirilenko and resigned Andray Blatche to finish out their roster. The Los Angeles Clippers traded to get JJ Redick and Jared Dudley to add some shooters to the roster and resigned their franchise point guard Chris Paul. The Houston Rockets signed the biggest free agent of this class Dwight Howard. The Miami Heat didn't make any moves which is a great move for them.
Even with all these big moves I do not think any of these teams are the best team in the league the best team in the league in my opinion are the Indiana Pacers. Yep you can refresh the page I said the Indiana Pacers the team that took the Miami Heat to Game 7 this year in the Eastern Conference Finals. This is a true team in every sense of the word. They have no mega-star but they have a lot of really solid players that just know how to win.
We are going to look at the starting line-up that is all coming back looking to continue the success they had last year. This starting lineup has no real glaring weakness every player has his own strengths and no huge glaring weaknesses. George Hill the first year point guard had a good year last year as a full time starter. He is not a true point guard he is more a scoring guard who happens to play point. He could improve his ball handling and setting up his teammates. If he does this he will take the next step towards becoming an elite NBA point guard. Lance Stephenson also known as "Born Ready" was ready for starting lineup. He proved a lot of critics wrong that he could not defend or play under control. I mean at times he does play out of control but he was able to channel this at times in the fast break to blow by defenders and get to the rim. His area to improve is his outside shooting, he needs to be able to hit the open three pointer in the corner. He needs to do this especially if he wants to make sure he starting day one instead of Danny Granger, we will talk about this later in the article. Paul George, had a breakout season last year and put his name on the map with his playoff series against the Heat. He is a lock down defender, his three point shot improved, his ball handling improved overall his game is very complete. He has room to improve in the strength department and creating his own shot. I think next year Paul George will be an MVP candidate if he makes some minor improvements to his game. David West is the enforcer the glue that keeps this team together. Had a very productive year and his mid-range game and ability to finish through contact is something all championship teams need to have. Roy Hibbert, the big man middle pre All-Star break was having a very disappointing year but after the All-Star break and in the playoffs was playing like the best center in the game. If he is able to put together a whole season like he did in the playoffs the Pacers will have the best center in the game in their starting five.
The bench got revamped only two player returning player from last years bench is center Ian Mahimi and Orlando Johnson, everybody else was either traded or not resigned. The Pacers signed guards CJ Watson and Donald Sloan. Watson looks like he will get most of the time behind Hill and will hopefully be an upgrade over DJ Augistin who was inconsistent to say the least. Augistin made the transition from starter to the bench last year and he was not the same player. Watson is a career back up and hopefully he can replicate the type of seasons he had backing up Derrick Rose in Chicago for the Pacers. The Pacers drafted Solomon Hill who showed in Summer League that he can play either the 2 or the 3 for the second unit. The Pacers signed Chris Copeland from rival New York Knicks to bring some more scoring punch off the bench. During his rookie year he shot incredibly well from three point land and was able to create off the dribble to an extent again something that was non-existent last year. The most recent acquisition was Luis Scola from the Phoenix Suns. This brought in a veteran big man who has shown throughout his career that he can play the four or the five. He is able to hit the 15-17 foot jump shot with a much greater consistency than Tyler Hansbrough was able to and has other crafty post moves he can go to when he needs to score. All of these acquisitions will hopefully move this teams bench from 28th in bench scoring to somewhere in the top 10.
One thing the Pacers were missing all of last season too was Danny Granger who was sidelined with a knee injury. He is coming back to this roster and if he comes back to 100% the Pacers added an All-Star caliber player without losing any assets. The real question heading into the season is: will he be healthy and if so will he start? These are great questions to have. If he comes off the bench hopefully he can become a JR Smith type sixth man a starter who just comes off the bench. Or if he does start he stretches floor providing Hibbert and West more space to operate and moves the explosive pace changing Stephenson to the bench.
This team made some great additions without losing any contributors from last seasons squad that took the Heat to 7 games. Give this young core another year to mesh together and add scorers like Granger back in the mix and Scola and Copeland you are looking at a lot more firepower to a team that sure does make it hard for other teams to score if you score a lot of points and make sure your opponent doesn't you will win a lot of games. And I think that is exactly what the Pacers are going to do next year.
Even with all these big moves I do not think any of these teams are the best team in the league the best team in the league in my opinion are the Indiana Pacers. Yep you can refresh the page I said the Indiana Pacers the team that took the Miami Heat to Game 7 this year in the Eastern Conference Finals. This is a true team in every sense of the word. They have no mega-star but they have a lot of really solid players that just know how to win.
We are going to look at the starting line-up that is all coming back looking to continue the success they had last year. This starting lineup has no real glaring weakness every player has his own strengths and no huge glaring weaknesses. George Hill the first year point guard had a good year last year as a full time starter. He is not a true point guard he is more a scoring guard who happens to play point. He could improve his ball handling and setting up his teammates. If he does this he will take the next step towards becoming an elite NBA point guard. Lance Stephenson also known as "Born Ready" was ready for starting lineup. He proved a lot of critics wrong that he could not defend or play under control. I mean at times he does play out of control but he was able to channel this at times in the fast break to blow by defenders and get to the rim. His area to improve is his outside shooting, he needs to be able to hit the open three pointer in the corner. He needs to do this especially if he wants to make sure he starting day one instead of Danny Granger, we will talk about this later in the article. Paul George, had a breakout season last year and put his name on the map with his playoff series against the Heat. He is a lock down defender, his three point shot improved, his ball handling improved overall his game is very complete. He has room to improve in the strength department and creating his own shot. I think next year Paul George will be an MVP candidate if he makes some minor improvements to his game. David West is the enforcer the glue that keeps this team together. Had a very productive year and his mid-range game and ability to finish through contact is something all championship teams need to have. Roy Hibbert, the big man middle pre All-Star break was having a very disappointing year but after the All-Star break and in the playoffs was playing like the best center in the game. If he is able to put together a whole season like he did in the playoffs the Pacers will have the best center in the game in their starting five.
The bench got revamped only two player returning player from last years bench is center Ian Mahimi and Orlando Johnson, everybody else was either traded or not resigned. The Pacers signed guards CJ Watson and Donald Sloan. Watson looks like he will get most of the time behind Hill and will hopefully be an upgrade over DJ Augistin who was inconsistent to say the least. Augistin made the transition from starter to the bench last year and he was not the same player. Watson is a career back up and hopefully he can replicate the type of seasons he had backing up Derrick Rose in Chicago for the Pacers. The Pacers drafted Solomon Hill who showed in Summer League that he can play either the 2 or the 3 for the second unit. The Pacers signed Chris Copeland from rival New York Knicks to bring some more scoring punch off the bench. During his rookie year he shot incredibly well from three point land and was able to create off the dribble to an extent again something that was non-existent last year. The most recent acquisition was Luis Scola from the Phoenix Suns. This brought in a veteran big man who has shown throughout his career that he can play the four or the five. He is able to hit the 15-17 foot jump shot with a much greater consistency than Tyler Hansbrough was able to and has other crafty post moves he can go to when he needs to score. All of these acquisitions will hopefully move this teams bench from 28th in bench scoring to somewhere in the top 10.
One thing the Pacers were missing all of last season too was Danny Granger who was sidelined with a knee injury. He is coming back to this roster and if he comes back to 100% the Pacers added an All-Star caliber player without losing any assets. The real question heading into the season is: will he be healthy and if so will he start? These are great questions to have. If he comes off the bench hopefully he can become a JR Smith type sixth man a starter who just comes off the bench. Or if he does start he stretches floor providing Hibbert and West more space to operate and moves the explosive pace changing Stephenson to the bench.
This team made some great additions without losing any contributors from last seasons squad that took the Heat to 7 games. Give this young core another year to mesh together and add scorers like Granger back in the mix and Scola and Copeland you are looking at a lot more firepower to a team that sure does make it hard for other teams to score if you score a lot of points and make sure your opponent doesn't you will win a lot of games. And I think that is exactly what the Pacers are going to do next year.
Friday, July 26, 2013
I Can't Wait to Watch This Team Play
The NBA this off-season has made the best teams better and the worst teams even worse. There is one exception to this and this is a team that nobody is talking about that is going to be very interesting to watch next year is the New Orleans Pelicans. Yes, you read that correct the New Orleans Pelicans, formerly known as the New Orleans Hornets. This team has a lot of talent that no one seems to recognize, it may be a little disorganized talent but there is a lot of talent on this roster.
Some teams in the NBA try to build teams with many wing players like the Miami Heat, or a lot of post players like the Indiana Pacers, the Pelicans have built a team of guards and lot of them at that. They traded their first round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jrue Holiday, they signed free agent Tyreke Evans, and they already had Eric Gordon and Austin Rivers. I'm not sure if they plan on trading some of these assets if not this team will be trying a unique and uncommon style next year.
This team also has very mobile big men too that will fit this style in Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson, Greg Stiesma, and Jason Smith. This week Anderson and Davis have been down in Las Vegas trying out to be on the USA Men's Basketball team for next summer's World Cup. Anderson has been doing what he has done his whole career hit threes and rebound. Davis however has been turning heads with his improved perimeter game knocking down threes and 15-17 foot jumpers with ease. These two will help clear the lane and allow the guards on his team to penetrate and kick for wide open jumpers. Davis as everyone knows can run the floor very well and will be able to be very effective when this team gets into the fast break.
Offensively, this team reminds me a lot of the Phoenix Suns during the prime of Steve Nash's career. Put five athletes on the court and run up and down and score as many points as they can. Just like the Suns had no problem scoring I don't think this team will in the slightest the real questions come on the defensive side of the ball. They have decent size in the starting lineup but no real depth there. When they run into teams like the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, and the Chicago Bulls that constantly apply pressure on teams in the paint it could cause a lot of problems. They will have to make sure they know their style which is going to be play with a high tempo and stretch the court. The best defense for the Pelicans is going to be a high tempo offense.
For this team to be successful the players will have to realize their scoring will go down. A lot of these players were the man at their previous like Evans in Sacramento, Holiday in Philadelphia, and to an extent Davis at Kentucky. This team has the potential to do a lot with the talent and athleticism it possess. But everything is going to come down to team play spread the ball on offense and play together on the defensive side of the ball. I think the Pelicans will be able to make some noise and make into the playoffs.
Tell me what you think in the comments below!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Is Born Ready Ready For the Big Time?
Lance Stephenson one of the great surprises of last season that went unnoticed to most of the NBA fan base. But many people saw him for the first time in the playoffs against the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. He is the leading scorer in New York high school basketball history, he scored more than Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair, and Elton Brand; that is a pretty good class of players. He was nicknamed Born Ready because everyone thought he was ready for the NBA out of high school. He was heavily recruited getting offers from every team coast to coast and he decided to play at the University of Cincinnati. He had a decent year averaging about 13 points a game a little underwhelming for how hyped he was coming out of high school. He left after the one year and was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the second round.
His first and second year he was almost permanently on the end of the bench and it looked like a waste of a draft pick. Then last year in the summer league he was incredibly impressive nobody could seem to guard him and then Danny Granger went down with an injury it was time for Lance Stephenson to show what he could do for the team. He was the sixth man for a couple of games and then was quickly put into the starting lineup after Gerald Green disappointed with his productivity. He then came in and put together a very successful season averaging 9 points a game and 4 rebounds. Not crazy numbers but definitely solid numbers for a first time starter. He also impressed in the playoffs with some big games against the Knicks and Heat which finally got some people to pay attention to this one time High School Star.
It looks like with the return of Danny Granger that Stephenson will move back to the bench but not some forgotten bench player but as the sixth man brought into the game to change pace. He will need to work on his consistency so he can become a feared sixth man like Jamal Crawford or Kevin Martin. Some nights his jump shot was on point and other games he was a brick layer. With an off-season to practice hopefully he is able to become a knock down three point shooter when he is open and get a more consistent shot off the dribble. But one thing that Stephenson does incredibly well is rebound, after his playoff performances he has put himself into the conversation as the best rebounding guard in the NBA.
I think that Stephenson will be in the running as NBA sixth man of the year and will be one of the main reasons that the Pacers are competing for the top spot in the East and competing for a NBA Finals appearance in June. I think Born Ready is ready for the big time. Do you?
His first and second year he was almost permanently on the end of the bench and it looked like a waste of a draft pick. Then last year in the summer league he was incredibly impressive nobody could seem to guard him and then Danny Granger went down with an injury it was time for Lance Stephenson to show what he could do for the team. He was the sixth man for a couple of games and then was quickly put into the starting lineup after Gerald Green disappointed with his productivity. He then came in and put together a very successful season averaging 9 points a game and 4 rebounds. Not crazy numbers but definitely solid numbers for a first time starter. He also impressed in the playoffs with some big games against the Knicks and Heat which finally got some people to pay attention to this one time High School Star.
It looks like with the return of Danny Granger that Stephenson will move back to the bench but not some forgotten bench player but as the sixth man brought into the game to change pace. He will need to work on his consistency so he can become a feared sixth man like Jamal Crawford or Kevin Martin. Some nights his jump shot was on point and other games he was a brick layer. With an off-season to practice hopefully he is able to become a knock down three point shooter when he is open and get a more consistent shot off the dribble. But one thing that Stephenson does incredibly well is rebound, after his playoff performances he has put himself into the conversation as the best rebounding guard in the NBA.
I think that Stephenson will be in the running as NBA sixth man of the year and will be one of the main reasons that the Pacers are competing for the top spot in the East and competing for a NBA Finals appearance in June. I think Born Ready is ready for the big time. Do you?
Monday, July 15, 2013
The New Spurs: Indiana Pacers
This year the Indiana Pacers turned heads in the playoffs with reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and taking the Miami Heat to Game 7. They did not win this game but we did learn a lot about the players that are going to be the corner stones for this franchise for years to come. Paul George and Roy Hibbert showed they are ready to take the next step in becoming stars in the NBA. This young team is looking like the San Antonio Spurs when they started their dynasty early in the 2000s.
What has made the San Antonia Spurs so good for so long is continuity. When you think about the Spurs you immediately think Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, Tim Duncan, and Greg Popovich. This core has been together for 10 years and won 3 NBA Finals together and made 4 Finals appearances. It shows that it is possible to stay together and win together, instead of constantly completing blockbuster trades to get big name players. Instead they spend their money getting high character role players that fit their system. Look at Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner, and Danny Green none of these players were having success in the NBA they come to the Spurs and they immediately turn into amazing role players for a winning team. Its not that these players just magically get good its that they fit the system that Popovich has put into place and perfected over his 17 year tenure in San Antonio.
The Indiana Pacers are becoming the second coming of the Spurs. They have a young talented core of Paul George, George Hill, and Roy Hibbert. This core is young and has been together for only 2 years and have been able to achieve a lot in this time. This core will also be together for years to come with Hibbert and Hill both signing extensions last off season and Paul George will be signing a big extension at the end of this upcoming season. This team very similarly to the Spurs is most of this team was acquired through the draft or a couple of small trades no big time blockbuster trades. Staying together and winning together. They also have developed a system here in Indiana and as coach Frank Vogel has coined it "smash mouth basketball." This style of basketball consists of tough suffocating defense and then pounding the ball inside. They have the perfect players to execute this with Hibbert and West locking down the post on the offense and defensive side of the ball. George and Hill lock down other players wing players.
The Pacers have also done a great job of adding great role players to fill in specific needs like David West and Lance Stephenson. I know you will say David West isn't a role player but he isn't part of the main core that's going to be with the Pacers for a very long time. After David West tore his ACL many teams stayed away from him but the Pacers took the gamble and it paid off. He has taken this team from just another playoff team to a contender. He has also done a great job of being a veteran presence inside the locker room for all the young players the Pacers have on the roster. Lance Stephenson or Born Ready was incredibly hyped coming out of high school but until last season hadn't really lived up to this hype but last season he was able to have a break out year and really contribute all season long. He is as of now one of the best rebounding guards in the NBA and one of the most dangerous players in the fast break. If he is smart he will work on his jump shot and become a Manu Ginobli type sixth man for this team.
This team was able to take a big jump in going from a relatively unknown team to a contender. The Pacers will be near the top of the NBA next year and for many more years to come.
What has made the San Antonia Spurs so good for so long is continuity. When you think about the Spurs you immediately think Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, Tim Duncan, and Greg Popovich. This core has been together for 10 years and won 3 NBA Finals together and made 4 Finals appearances. It shows that it is possible to stay together and win together, instead of constantly completing blockbuster trades to get big name players. Instead they spend their money getting high character role players that fit their system. Look at Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner, and Danny Green none of these players were having success in the NBA they come to the Spurs and they immediately turn into amazing role players for a winning team. Its not that these players just magically get good its that they fit the system that Popovich has put into place and perfected over his 17 year tenure in San Antonio.
The Indiana Pacers are becoming the second coming of the Spurs. They have a young talented core of Paul George, George Hill, and Roy Hibbert. This core is young and has been together for only 2 years and have been able to achieve a lot in this time. This core will also be together for years to come with Hibbert and Hill both signing extensions last off season and Paul George will be signing a big extension at the end of this upcoming season. This team very similarly to the Spurs is most of this team was acquired through the draft or a couple of small trades no big time blockbuster trades. Staying together and winning together. They also have developed a system here in Indiana and as coach Frank Vogel has coined it "smash mouth basketball." This style of basketball consists of tough suffocating defense and then pounding the ball inside. They have the perfect players to execute this with Hibbert and West locking down the post on the offense and defensive side of the ball. George and Hill lock down other players wing players.
The Pacers have also done a great job of adding great role players to fill in specific needs like David West and Lance Stephenson. I know you will say David West isn't a role player but he isn't part of the main core that's going to be with the Pacers for a very long time. After David West tore his ACL many teams stayed away from him but the Pacers took the gamble and it paid off. He has taken this team from just another playoff team to a contender. He has also done a great job of being a veteran presence inside the locker room for all the young players the Pacers have on the roster. Lance Stephenson or Born Ready was incredibly hyped coming out of high school but until last season hadn't really lived up to this hype but last season he was able to have a break out year and really contribute all season long. He is as of now one of the best rebounding guards in the NBA and one of the most dangerous players in the fast break. If he is smart he will work on his jump shot and become a Manu Ginobli type sixth man for this team.
This team was able to take a big jump in going from a relatively unknown team to a contender. The Pacers will be near the top of the NBA next year and for many more years to come.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
Are the Brooklyn Nets Good?
The Brooklyn Nets probably made the biggest move during the draft and many people are beginning to wonder if they are now the second best team in the East behind Miami. Did everyone forget how hyped the Lakers were before last season? A team full of big names but these names were not able to play together. Will the Brooklyn Nets be like this?
The Brooklyn Nets traded to get Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry for Marshawn Brooks, Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, Keith Bogans, Kris Joseph, and 3 years of first round draft picks. Trading away the future like this seems silly but the Nets owner will pay whatever it is to bring in new players with no care about the luxury tax. The Nets this off season have also brought in Shaun Livingston and Andrei Kirelinko.
When looking at this starting lineup on paper many would say it is the best in the NBA, but I disagree with this assumption. Deron William is an elite guard, but he is a scorer not a facilitator. Joe Johnson is a one on one player who happens to play on a team. Paul Pierce is just a scorer, he has however lost a step or two, still effective but not what he once was, Kevin Garnett a rim protector and great mid ranger shooter, Brook Lopez is scoring center but a weak defender and poor rebound-er for his size.
This team has a lot of scorers which is good. But the Nets have too many scorers and no facilitators. Williams, Johnson, and Pierce all need the ball to be effective. It is the job of newly retired first year head coach Jason Kidd has to figure out how to get three scorers who need the ball to score enough shots to keep them happy. Deron Williams has been a nightmare to coaches forcing Jerry Sloan to retire, because he couldn't deal with him. A team with a lot of ego's need a coach that is able to handle all of them and it is yet to be seen if Coach Kidd will be able to do it.
The age factor cannot be overlooked Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are not the same men that took the Celtics to 2 NBA Finals. I know Paul Pierce said he has 10 more years left in him, there is a difference between playing for a long time and playing effectively ask Juan Howard. The Nets will also struggle to guard other teams because of age and players who just don't play defense. Garnett is a great defender but is nowhere near what he used to be, a good defender but not elite anymore. Paul Pierce has not only lost a step offensively, but he will struggle to guard the elite small forwards like Paul George, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Lebron James. Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez have never been known as strong defenders and it will not change soon. Last year the Nets would put Gerald Wallace on every teams best offensive player there is no player like this on this new Nets team.
This team also lacks depth, the Nets have Andray Blatche and Andrei Kirelinko but other than that there is no real play-makers coming off the bench. Putting all those minutes on those players over an 82 game season will catch up with them if comes in the form of injuries or just fatigue.
Overall, I think the Nets will be between 3-5 seed in the East come playoff time because the rest of the Eastern Conference is very weak, but that is a story for another article. It will be very interesting to watch this new star studded team next year and what they are able to do against the rest of the league.
The Brooklyn Nets traded to get Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry for Marshawn Brooks, Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, Keith Bogans, Kris Joseph, and 3 years of first round draft picks. Trading away the future like this seems silly but the Nets owner will pay whatever it is to bring in new players with no care about the luxury tax. The Nets this off season have also brought in Shaun Livingston and Andrei Kirelinko.
When looking at this starting lineup on paper many would say it is the best in the NBA, but I disagree with this assumption. Deron William is an elite guard, but he is a scorer not a facilitator. Joe Johnson is a one on one player who happens to play on a team. Paul Pierce is just a scorer, he has however lost a step or two, still effective but not what he once was, Kevin Garnett a rim protector and great mid ranger shooter, Brook Lopez is scoring center but a weak defender and poor rebound-er for his size.
This team has a lot of scorers which is good. But the Nets have too many scorers and no facilitators. Williams, Johnson, and Pierce all need the ball to be effective. It is the job of newly retired first year head coach Jason Kidd has to figure out how to get three scorers who need the ball to score enough shots to keep them happy. Deron Williams has been a nightmare to coaches forcing Jerry Sloan to retire, because he couldn't deal with him. A team with a lot of ego's need a coach that is able to handle all of them and it is yet to be seen if Coach Kidd will be able to do it.
The age factor cannot be overlooked Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are not the same men that took the Celtics to 2 NBA Finals. I know Paul Pierce said he has 10 more years left in him, there is a difference between playing for a long time and playing effectively ask Juan Howard. The Nets will also struggle to guard other teams because of age and players who just don't play defense. Garnett is a great defender but is nowhere near what he used to be, a good defender but not elite anymore. Paul Pierce has not only lost a step offensively, but he will struggle to guard the elite small forwards like Paul George, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Lebron James. Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez have never been known as strong defenders and it will not change soon. Last year the Nets would put Gerald Wallace on every teams best offensive player there is no player like this on this new Nets team.
This team also lacks depth, the Nets have Andray Blatche and Andrei Kirelinko but other than that there is no real play-makers coming off the bench. Putting all those minutes on those players over an 82 game season will catch up with them if comes in the form of injuries or just fatigue.
Overall, I think the Nets will be between 3-5 seed in the East come playoff time because the rest of the Eastern Conference is very weak, but that is a story for another article. It will be very interesting to watch this new star studded team next year and what they are able to do against the rest of the league.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Early Look at Indianapolis Colts Backfield
The Indianapolis Colts haven't had a good running game since Joseph Addai early career. Since then it has been an all passing offense under Peyton Manning and now Andrew Luck. It has been successful but who knows what this team could have done with a good running game to go along with these great passing attacks. This year there is potential for the Colts to have a very good running game barring any serious injuries. Many teams have 2 talented running backs leading there team, the Colts have the potential to be featuring a three headed attack coming out of the backfield featuring Vick Ballard, Donald Brown, and Ahmad Bradshaw.
Vick Ballard
A relative unknown last year really came in and turned heads as the Colts feature back when Donald Brown fell out of the rotation because of injury. He was able to navigate very well between the tackles to pick up yards and make the play action fake more of a threat. He also did a very good job receiving out of the back field too giving Luck the option as a drop down if the coverage was good down field. This year he will be the number one back but he should definitely not be too comfortable because the backs behind him will be breathing down his neck all season.
Donald Brown
Has been fighting the injury bug since being drafted. He put together a good year in 2012 which made many think last year was going to prove to the fans he was in fact worth being drafted in the first round. Unfortunately, last year was filled again with more injuries. This next season could be one of his last chances to prove he can stay healthy and contribute to a good NFL team. Could be a great change of pace back behind Ballard providing a lot of speed once he makes it to the second level of the defense.
Ahmad Bradshaw
When healthy is the best back out of the three but after having knee surgery last year we shall see what he is able to bring to the table. If his knee is able to stay healthy and with splitting reps with the other two talented backs on this team it will allow him to produce and also get a rest a luxury he did not have on the Giants. If he is able to stay healthy and return to pre-injury form has the potential to be the starter by years end and be leading what could be one of the best and most surprising running attacks in the NFL.
Vick Ballard
A relative unknown last year really came in and turned heads as the Colts feature back when Donald Brown fell out of the rotation because of injury. He was able to navigate very well between the tackles to pick up yards and make the play action fake more of a threat. He also did a very good job receiving out of the back field too giving Luck the option as a drop down if the coverage was good down field. This year he will be the number one back but he should definitely not be too comfortable because the backs behind him will be breathing down his neck all season.
Donald Brown
Has been fighting the injury bug since being drafted. He put together a good year in 2012 which made many think last year was going to prove to the fans he was in fact worth being drafted in the first round. Unfortunately, last year was filled again with more injuries. This next season could be one of his last chances to prove he can stay healthy and contribute to a good NFL team. Could be a great change of pace back behind Ballard providing a lot of speed once he makes it to the second level of the defense.
Ahmad Bradshaw
When healthy is the best back out of the three but after having knee surgery last year we shall see what he is able to bring to the table. If his knee is able to stay healthy and with splitting reps with the other two talented backs on this team it will allow him to produce and also get a rest a luxury he did not have on the Giants. If he is able to stay healthy and return to pre-injury form has the potential to be the starter by years end and be leading what could be one of the best and most surprising running attacks in the NFL.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
What Summer League Means for Pacers Bench
Summer league basketball is in full swing. It may not be the most entertaining basketball but it is basketball. The Pacers players that need to show up and play well have. These players are Orlando Johnson, Solomon Hill, and Mason Plumlee.
Orlando Johnson
A player who could see a lot of time at the back up 2 has had a similar performance that Lance Stephenson had last year. If he makes the same impact that could be great addition for this team. He has been able to get where wants off the dribble. Instead of just taking a quick three off a pass he is looking to attack the basket and get his teammates involved which is what you want to see coming from a talented second year guard.
Solomon Hill
This draft pick had many people wondering why they drafted him so high, but so far in the summer league he has been turning heads. He has been very consistent in the scoring and rebounding department. Very similar to what he did in college. In the second game against Philadelphia he went for 22 points with a combination of outside shots and a little mid-range game. It looks like he is going to be able to contribute right away as a wing player for the Pacers. Because as anyone who watches a lot of NBA basketball there is always room for a talented wing player.
Mason Plumlee
With Tyler Hansbrough recently signed with the Raptors and it doesn't look like we are going to get any big name back ups, so it looks like our man Plumlee is going to be our back up power forward. Before you immediately get your pitch forks out, you have to watch him in summer league. He has been forcing his will on the defensive end leading the summer league in blocks. He is also an athletic 7-footer something that Hansbrough isn't and can never become. His job off the bench rebound, protect the rim, and finish around the basket. Seem easy but Hansbrough last season wasn't able to do any of these with a consistent basis last year.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Pacers Sign Chris Copeland
In the midst of all this Dwight Howard drama the Pacers were able to make their third free agent signing. Sources are saying that the Pacers and Copeland agreed to a 2-year deal. Copeland was a 29 year old Rookie last year, playing overseas for the majority of his career. He played for the Knicks last season and had a decent season as a back up. He is a very capable scorer and can flat out shoot! Something our bench was missing last year. The only negative with his game is he is not great on the defensive side of the ball. But neither was Lance Stephenson but look what an off season with this coaching staff can do. He is a 6'8" tweener his signing could mean we are getting closer to a possible trade of Granger or Green or both.
Keep Checking in for the latest Pacers signings and analysis
Monday, July 1, 2013
Newest Pacer CJ Watson
Who is CJ Watson?
Earlier today sources have reported that CJ Watson has
verbally agreed to a 2-year deal with the Pacers. This is not a big name that
people will immediately recognize but he is definitely a good pick up. He
played early in his career at Golden State and had some productive years before
then going to Chicago where he backed up Derrick Rose, and last year he was at
Brooklyn and had a decent year on a very dysfunctional Nets team.
What Does CJ Brings to the Table?
He is an experienced point guard and understands how to come
off the bench and contribute. He has been doing this his whole career and has
done it quite well. He brings strong defense which this team is really becoming
known for. He also brings a decent offensive game to the table. Is he going to
get you 15 points a night? No, but will he be a threat? Absolutely, he is more
of a lane penetrator than Augistin is and can make the open three if one isn’t
working for him he can go to the other. Unlike Augistin who unless his three
pointer was dropping he was ineffective.
Overall: What's the Verdict?
Nice pick up nothing more than that. He should be an upgrade
from Augistin. He is not the missing piece that wins Game 7 for the Pacers
however.
Keep watching checking out Twitter to find the latest buzz
in free agency.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Draft Night Trades Scenarios
Yesterday I took a look at some players I would like to see
the Pacers draft now we are going to look at some deals that might just make
them happen.
Pieces the Pacers would be willing to part with:
Danny Granger
Missing all of this past season and the team was still able
to take the Heat to Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals, he becomes an
expendable piece. With one year remaining on his contract he could provide if a
healthy a 20 point a night threat and will take 14 million off any teams book
at the end of the year.
Gerald Green
The man the front office thought was going to be that spark
off the bench turned into a dud. Played sparingly and aside from his high
flying dunks really doesn't bring much to the table with a limited offensive
game and no defense he really doesn't fill our need coming off the bench.
Tyler Hansbrough
Inconsistent. When he starts he plays great averaging close
to 15 points a game this season when David West was out. Coming off the bench
he brings energy and a whopping 6 points a game. Tyler has what it takes to be
a starter on a mid to lower level team. He is a restricted Free agent so we
would be able to complete a sign and trade deal with him to move up or get more
picks.
Possible Trade Scenarios with these players
Gerald Green and the 23rd Pick to the Clippers
for Eric Bledsoe.
Gerald Green could fit in with the up and down fast paced
offense the Clippers play and could become the next member of Lob city. The
Pacers would get an explosive backup point guard that is able to initiate
offense, something our bench desperately needed last season.
Tyler Hansbrough and the 23rd Pick to Golden
State for Carl Landry
Carl Landry is a proven bench scoring big man who has been a
spark off the bench for every team he has played for something that the Pacers
have been lacking with Hansbrough. The Warriors would benefit by getting some
more chippiness on their roster because it is a lot of finesse on the team not
a lot of grit and if Hansbrough brings one thing to the table every night its
grit.
Danny Granger, 23rd Pick, and the 52nd
Pick for the Number One Overall Pick
It seems a little far-fetched but the Cavaliers are not
going to be a team competing for a title and could use a veteran to help mentor
and train some of their young players and would love to have as much cap room
after next season as possible to bring Lebron James back having 14 million
dollars come of the books for the Cavaliers would give them the money to bring
back their guy. With the number one overall pick the Pacers would select Otto
Porter Jr. out of Georgetown. A 6’9” small forward who can score he would
provide great depth to our bench and give us a point forward option similar to
Paul George coming off the bench. If this trade happened I would not be
surprised in the slightest.
What do you think leave your comments below and tell me some
trades that you think the Pacers should try.
Monday, June 24, 2013
What Can the Pacers Do On Draft Night to Turn Heads
The NBA draft is this Thursday and the Pacers hold the 23rd pick and the 52nd pick and many wonder what are the Pacers going to do to make it to the NBA Finals next year. I have a couple ideas some realistic and some are a little more of a reach.
The Pacers have the best starting lineup in the NBA hands down. Nobody will argue with you on that David West is going to be back next year and will be destroying the paint with Roy Hibbert yet again. George Hill is a very solid point guard there is room to improve but the same with everyone. Lance Stephenson has a lot of room to improve on his jump shot but give him an off season to prepare this kid is for 2 years in a row going to turn heads. Paul George will be working again this summer with the US National Team which will help his growth he will be talking to stars around the NBA that will help him grow into the next superstar.
What needs improvement is the bench the whole bench except for Ian Mahimi and Orlando Johnson need to get a good power forward because Hansbrough is gone, DJ is gone, Green is a wild card who knows what we will get from him. I say our needs on the bench include point guard, back up small forward, and back up power forward. We can at best fill one of these needs at the draft.
Option 1
We can stay with the pick we have and get a player like Shane Larkin or Eric Green. Both of these players would be an upgrade to what we had last year. Eric Green will bring an offensive threat to the bench will help a helpless second unit score and force an offensive tempo. Shane Larkin is a sharp shooter that the Pacers needed last season too get the open shot hit the open shot. Both I wouldn't mind seeing either of these guys in a Pacers uniform next season.
Likelihood: Highly Likely
Option 2
Pacers trade first round and Danny Granger to an owner of a top 5 pick and draft a guy who will make this team as long as know big time injuries a early favorite to make it to the Finals. Otto Porter Jr., he his a big small forward who can come off the bench and just flat out score this would be the dream pick for the Pacers. There is a chance it happens the Cavaliers have voiced some interest in Granger a veteran who can score he should be fine coming off injury. Another option if we still make a trade to move up but Porter is not available would be to draft Cody Zeller a big guy who can learn from West and Hibbert and imagine Mahimi and Zeller coming off the bench two 7-footers off the bench that's scary.
Likelihood: 50/50
Those 4 players would make an immediate impact for a team ready to take the next step from surprise Eastern Conference Finals to favorite to reach the NBA Finals. We shall see what happens soon enough!
The Pacers have the best starting lineup in the NBA hands down. Nobody will argue with you on that David West is going to be back next year and will be destroying the paint with Roy Hibbert yet again. George Hill is a very solid point guard there is room to improve but the same with everyone. Lance Stephenson has a lot of room to improve on his jump shot but give him an off season to prepare this kid is for 2 years in a row going to turn heads. Paul George will be working again this summer with the US National Team which will help his growth he will be talking to stars around the NBA that will help him grow into the next superstar.
What needs improvement is the bench the whole bench except for Ian Mahimi and Orlando Johnson need to get a good power forward because Hansbrough is gone, DJ is gone, Green is a wild card who knows what we will get from him. I say our needs on the bench include point guard, back up small forward, and back up power forward. We can at best fill one of these needs at the draft.
Option 1
We can stay with the pick we have and get a player like Shane Larkin or Eric Green. Both of these players would be an upgrade to what we had last year. Eric Green will bring an offensive threat to the bench will help a helpless second unit score and force an offensive tempo. Shane Larkin is a sharp shooter that the Pacers needed last season too get the open shot hit the open shot. Both I wouldn't mind seeing either of these guys in a Pacers uniform next season.
Likelihood: Highly Likely
Option 2
Pacers trade first round and Danny Granger to an owner of a top 5 pick and draft a guy who will make this team as long as know big time injuries a early favorite to make it to the Finals. Otto Porter Jr., he his a big small forward who can come off the bench and just flat out score this would be the dream pick for the Pacers. There is a chance it happens the Cavaliers have voiced some interest in Granger a veteran who can score he should be fine coming off injury. Another option if we still make a trade to move up but Porter is not available would be to draft Cody Zeller a big guy who can learn from West and Hibbert and imagine Mahimi and Zeller coming off the bench two 7-footers off the bench that's scary.
Likelihood: 50/50
Those 4 players would make an immediate impact for a team ready to take the next step from surprise Eastern Conference Finals to favorite to reach the NBA Finals. We shall see what happens soon enough!
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