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HurricaneDij39
The Middle of Everywhere: NWI
The Pacers may have taken the Heat to six games this year, but it really didn't feel like it was that close.
For those of you that hadn't followed this team over the last decade like I have, the Pacers during the Jim O'Brien era were a notoriously soft jump-shooting team, with the likes of Danny Granger, Brandon Rush, and Troy Murphy. No one was a bigger critic of this particular era than myself. The CBS guys know this.
One key holdover from that regime was Frank Vogel, O'Brien's top assistant who took over after O'Brien's firing during the 2011 season and has held the job since. As some of those players had moved on, the Pacers had started to experience greater success and ultimately battled the Heat to seven games in 2013. The team played with a chip on their shoulder with nothing to lose.
That series was the official coming-out party in terms on being on the radar of the national media. This was the team that was supposed to dethrone the Heat. The fairweather fans were bothered by this. Suddenly, these Pacers were supposed to win.
After a hot start this season, the pressure was mounting down the stretch. These guys had never before faced this kind of media barrage as a group. The players had lost their edge, and forgot how to have fun with the game.
Even as the team battled through the scrutiny and got through the first two rounds against Atlanta and Washington, you always had the sense that this team just didn't have the pedigree to win a title. That's why in my view that the time is now to officially turn the page on the prior regime. Remove Vogel. He has done some great things for this team, but sometimes you've just got to move on in order to take the next step to win a conference championship and possibly beyond.
Lionel Hollins is #1 on my personal list to replace him, followed by Mark Jackson at #2.
The worst thing this team could do is break up the core of the team, even if changes to the bench and to the coaching staff are inevitable. The East will always be considered the weaker conference, and we were in a position that 26 other teams could only dream of.
As far as tangibles go, the Pacers' big men didn't give us the same edge as last year, while Miami was able to spread the ball and not rely entirely on LeBron, unlike last year. Those were the difference in the series.
BUILT NOT BOUGHT!!! We'll get 'em next year...
Go Spurs Go!
(Popovich was a graduate from here in Merrillville, Indiana, among other reasons)
For those of you that hadn't followed this team over the last decade like I have, the Pacers during the Jim O'Brien era were a notoriously soft jump-shooting team, with the likes of Danny Granger, Brandon Rush, and Troy Murphy. No one was a bigger critic of this particular era than myself. The CBS guys know this.
One key holdover from that regime was Frank Vogel, O'Brien's top assistant who took over after O'Brien's firing during the 2011 season and has held the job since. As some of those players had moved on, the Pacers had started to experience greater success and ultimately battled the Heat to seven games in 2013. The team played with a chip on their shoulder with nothing to lose.
That series was the official coming-out party in terms on being on the radar of the national media. This was the team that was supposed to dethrone the Heat. The fairweather fans were bothered by this. Suddenly, these Pacers were supposed to win.
After a hot start this season, the pressure was mounting down the stretch. These guys had never before faced this kind of media barrage as a group. The players had lost their edge, and forgot how to have fun with the game.
Even as the team battled through the scrutiny and got through the first two rounds against Atlanta and Washington, you always had the sense that this team just didn't have the pedigree to win a title. That's why in my view that the time is now to officially turn the page on the prior regime. Remove Vogel. He has done some great things for this team, but sometimes you've just got to move on in order to take the next step to win a conference championship and possibly beyond.
Lionel Hollins is #1 on my personal list to replace him, followed by Mark Jackson at #2.
The worst thing this team could do is break up the core of the team, even if changes to the bench and to the coaching staff are inevitable. The East will always be considered the weaker conference, and we were in a position that 26 other teams could only dream of.
As far as tangibles go, the Pacers' big men didn't give us the same edge as last year, while Miami was able to spread the ball and not rely entirely on LeBron, unlike last year. Those were the difference in the series.
BUILT NOT BOUGHT!!! We'll get 'em next year...
Go Spurs Go!
(Popovich was a graduate from here in Merrillville, Indiana, among other reasons)