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.
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