Record: 36-46, 3rd in Central Division, 9th in Eastern Conference
Statistical Comparisons
Notable:
26th in opponent scoring (105.4 ppg)
27th in turnovers
5th (tie) in opponent turnovers
Others:
7th in the league in scoring (104.0 ppg)
18th in ppg differential (-1.4 ppg)
24th in field goal %
9th in opponent field goal %
8th in three-point %
17th in free throw attempts per game
12th in free throw percentage
7th in assists
11th in steals
9th in blocks
Poor offensive rebounding team
Good defensive rebounding team
Movement
Significant Additions: T.J. Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Jarrett Jack, Maceo Baston, Brandon Rush (R), Roy Hibbert (R)
Significant Subtractions: Jermaine O’Neal, Ike Diogu, Flip Murray, Kareem Rush
Roster
Coach: Jim O’Brien
Key Players
PG: T.J. Ford, Jamaal Tinsley, Jarrett Jack
SG: Mike Dunleavy, Brandon Rush, Marquis Daniels
SF: Danny Granger, Shawne Williams
PF:
C: Jeff Foster, Rasho Nesterovic, Roy Hibbert
Comments
I’ve been trying to find a way to summarize how I feel about the Pacers’ chances now that they’ve made the Big Move and bid adieu to long-time (and oft-injured) star Jermaine O’Neal in favor of lightning quick (and oft-injured) T.J. Ford and a cast of mediocre players. In the end, I had to fall back on my Dr. Seuss.
I do not like them, Pacer fans
I do not like them to a man
I do not like them in a box
I would not trade them for old socks
I do not like that center corps
They’ll struggle hard but never score
Would you like Dunleavy then?
Why no, indeed, I’ll say again
I would not like to ever trust
A guy so recently a bust
Then why not Granger, surely he
Appeals to such a man as thee
I do not like him here or there
Though scoring’s good and shooting’s fair
I would not give contract extensions
To guys who lack defense dimensions
But T.J. Ford you’d surely take?
He’s awful fast when on the break
I would not take him on my team
I would not take him with ice cream
He’ll run the break, then pull up lame
And sit in street clothes, such a shame
And let me see you try to run
With Jarrett Jack…Good luck! Have fun!
I do not like this team you’ve hatched
They’re paper stars, but quite mismatched
They lack a rudder and an anchor
Their back-up point guard’s quite a canker
Their rookies might be overrated
Their power forward’s stats have faded
But would you, could you in a pinch?
You won’t enjoy them just an inch?
I would not, could not, not an inch
I’ll not back down, I will not flinch
It will not bring me joy a bit
To see these players play like…harrumph, well, that’s enough of that.
OK, maybe it’s not that bad. But you’ve got to admit the Pacers are making the classic run at mediocrity, and those who shoot at mediocre usually end up short of it. It’s a team of good players bereft of great ones, a team that’s already maxed its point potential but didn’t do anything to help its (self-)crippling defense. They should still rebound well. That’ll keep you in a lot of games. Somewhere in the high 30’s or low 40’s would be about as many wins as you’d expect if things go right. If things go wrong…ugh. Jim O’Brien coaching this team may be their single most dependable asset. He’s good.
Read more about the Pacers at one of my personal favorites, IndyCornrows.com
Record: 45-37, 2nd in Central Division, 4th in Eastern Conference
Statistical Comparisons
Notable:
28th in field goal %
28th in free throw percentage
Others:
24th in the league in scoring (96.4 ppg)
9th in opponent scoring (96.7 ppg)
16th in ppg differential (-0.4 ppg)
10th in opponent field goal %
16th in three-point %
15th in free throw attempts per game
25th in assists
18th in steals
7th in blocks
10th in turnovers
24th (tie) in opponent turnovers
Superb offensive rebounding team
Very Good defensive rebounding team
Movement
Significant Additions: Mo Williams, Tarence Kinsey, J.J. Hickson (R)
Significant Subtractions: Joe Smith, Damon Jones, Devin Brown
Roster
Coach: Mike Brown
Key Players
PG: Mo Williams, Daniel Gibson, Eric Snow
SG: Sasha Pavlovic, Delonte West
SF: Lebron James, Wally Szczerbiak
PF: Ben Wallace,
C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Comments
When I lived in
This is what the Cavs feel like to me. Mo Williams is the latest board under the tire and Ben Wallace is the neighbor’s cat litter. Maybe these will be the moves that get them unstuck. Or maybe not.
It goes without saying that any team with LeBron James on it is going to be good. But that’s the thing. With the guy who’s going to end up the best player of his generation, likely without an argument, you don’t want good. You want back in the Finals. I don’t see Mo Williams and Ben Wallace getting them there any better than Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes did last year. Whatever Williams gives you on offense Wallace will take away. Reverse it on the other end. Wallace has never been the same player since he left
The one thing the Cavs need to do this year to excel is open up the offense. That’s part of why they acquired Williams and they need to set the engines full speed ahead. They have the defense and rebounding to succeed. They need to become more than a “LeBron scores again in the halfcourt” team. Easy buckets, easy points, try to get around +4 for that point differential instead of breaking even. That should get them into the playoffs with a nice seed again. After that the real test comes. I don’t see them getting past the teams ahead of them, but then maybe LeBron will prove that prediction stupid.
Read more about the Cavs at FeartheSword.com
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)