One of the most disappointing teams in recent seasons, the Indiana Pacers have been in a steady decline since their former forward Ron Artest took to the stands to attack Pistons fans. After losing his replacement, Peja Stojakovic, for next to nothing, they find themselves without championship-caliber talent for the first time in half a decade.
The Pacers’ anchor is power forward Jermaine O’Neal. Jermaine is one of the top post players in the NBA and is by far the best player the Pacers have. If they want to guarantee themselves a playoff spot, they have to make sure O’Neal stays healthy and productive through all 82 games of the season. This is quite a task for a player who has missed a total of 69 games in the last two seasons alone.
The Pacers hope to make up for their loss at small forward by using two players. The first is Danny Granger’s first-round pick from last year. Granger is a talented player who showed flashes of brilliance in limited playing time last season. Ahead of him in the rotation is a familiar face in Al Harrington. Harrington was traded to the Pacers after a very productive season with the Atlanta Hawks. If he can continue with his improved players, Indiana should have a formidable post presence both in and out of the game.
Starting at the guard positions are Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley. Tinsley is one of the best point guards in the league when he can stay healthy. The problem is that he just can’t stay healthy. Jamaal has missed at least 30 games in the last three seasons. Stephen Jackson is a pretty good shooting guard who sometimes makes poor decisions. His 16-18 points per game adds a much-needed scoring threat from guard.
On the Pacers’ bench are newly acquired Marquis Daniels and young players like Sarunas Jasikevicius and David Harrison. Daniels was an integral member of the Mavericks’ bench last season and should be a good sixth or seventh man for the Pacers. Harrison and Sarunas disappointed a bit last season, but they have the potential to pay off for the Pacers. Sarunas in particular is a deep 3-point threat who could add another dimension to the Pacers.
Rick Carlisle has his hands full with the Pacers once again, but he should have no problem making the playoffs once more. However, winning a playoff series or more is an entirely different story.