Who's hitting the panic button?

Post #1 » by **Grang33r** » Thu Nov 8, 2012 8:03 am

It seems like ever since the second game of the season vs. Charlotte, people have kept on saying "it's only the 2nd game"... "3rd game..." and so on.

The fact is this: this team has played brutally bad. Besides Spurs, who were 3-0 going into our game, who looked like a team from a different league then us, the combined records of the teams we played so far is 5-10. Got to be one of the worst in the NBA. Out of our two wins, we needed a last second buzzer beater by George Hill to beat Toronto and needed two over-times in our home opener to beat the Sacramento Kings. One could argue the Pacers could be a legit 0-5 right now.

But, they were really close in the some of the loses as well. Charlotte we had to ball to win it at the end. Tonight we were up 14 with just over 6 minutes left to play. David West has played exceptionally well. It's only 5 games into the season, the Pacers have played back-to-back or on one nights rest since the season started, and four of the five games have been on the road.

That all said, show a raise of hands- who's hitting the panic button? Who's still confident this is just early seasons jitters and the team will soon bust out a 5-6 game winning streak and all will be good in Pacer land?

Not gonna lie, i am pressing the button.

jowglenn · Post #2 » by **jowglenn** » Thu Nov 8, 2012 11:38 am

I am not hitting the panic button (despite thinking through a whole rebuild on the T&T board).

I'm amazed at how many people think they've got everything figured out 5 games into the season. This is the unfortunate product of our 24/7 modern sports fandom.

Seriously, don't panic.

Wizop · Post #3 » by **Wizop** » Thu Nov 8, 2012 4:06 pm

Vogel needs to panic and put in a zone offense. until we can score against a zone we're toast. at this point, I'm not going to panic because I think a zone offense can be put in with only a practice or two but we can't delay because anyone watching our tapes will know to play a zone defense down the stretch.

maljanNBAfan · Post #4 » by **maljanNBAfan** » Thu Nov 8, 2012 6:16 pm

jowglenn wrote:I am not hitting the panic button (despite thinking through a whole rebuild on the T&T board).

I'm amazed at how many people think they've got everything figured out 5 games into the season. This is the unfortunate product of our 24/7 modern sports fandom.

Seriously, don't panic.

Panic might be too strong a word, but they aren't playing well right now. And unless Paul George makes an unexpected leap quicker than we all expected him to, the Danny Granger injury should concern all Pacers fans. To say the Pacers are a lock to make the playoffs based on their success last season could be a set up for heartbreak.

Post #5 » by **Jake0890** » Thu Nov 8, 2012 10:11 pm

My hand is hovering right above the panic button. It's a long season, but if we keep playing like this, it's going to be a REALLY long season.

How about showin' up, Hibbert?

granger05 · Post #6 » by **granger05** » Thu Nov 8, 2012 10:34 pm

This is the best thing that could possibly happen to this team. What was our ceiling with the lineup we brought back this year? With injuries to Derrick Rose and some likely regular season complacency on the part of the Heat I think that we could have made a real run at the #1 seed in the East, but we wouldn't have been the favorite by any stretch. The team would be in good shape to make the conference finals and that's it. The Bulls and Spurs got good by having injuries and being terrible. I hope we miss the playoffs, hit it lucky and get a top 3 pick and then roll into next year with a healthy Granger plus a top prospect. Also, this is a real chance for Paul George to get thrown into the fire. If we were a contender then it would be more heartbreaking, but that's not the team we had. We had a good team that could overachieve, but the only way to get over the hump is to have talent. When your highest drafted player on the team is DJ Augustin...you need some lottery injections.

Post #7 » by **Jake0890** » Thu Nov 8, 2012 11:24 pm

granger05 wrote:This is the best thing that could possibly happen to this team. What was our ceiling with the lineup we brought back this year? With injuries to Derrick Rose and some likely regular season complacency on the part of the Heat I think that we could have made a real run at the #1 seed in the East, but we wouldn't have been the favorite by any stretch. The team would be in good shape to make the conference finals and that's it. The Bulls and Spurs got good by having injuries and being terrible. I hope we miss the playoffs, hit it lucky and get a top 3 pick and then roll into next year with a healthy Granger plus a top prospect. Also, this is a real chance fGeorge to get thrown into the fire. If we were a contender then it would be more heartbreaking, but that's not the team we had. We had a good team that could overachieve, but the only way to get over the hump is to have talent. When your highest drafted player on the team is DJ Augustin...you need some lottery injections.

A top 3 pick? Looool. Were not even close to that bad. Granger will be back in 3 months, and even without him, we won't be bottom 3. Maybe we trade up to a lottery pick, but I dont want to tank the season.

Post #8 » by **Grang33r** » Fri Nov 9, 2012 1:43 am

granger05 wrote:This is the best thing that could possibly happen to this team. What was our ceiling with the lineup we brought back this year? With injuries to Derrick Rose and some likely regular season complacency on the part of the Heat I think that we could have made a real run at the #1 seed in the East, but we wouldn't have been the favorite by any stretch. The team would be in good shape to make the conference finals and that's it. The Bulls and Spurs got good by having injuries and being terrible. I hope we miss the playoffs, hit it lucky and get a top 3 pick and then roll into next year with a healthy Granger plus a top prospect. Also, this is a real chance for Paul George to get thrown into the fire. If we were a contender then it would be more heartbreaking, but that's not the team we had. We had a good team that could overachieve, but the only way to get over the hump is to have talent. When your highest drafted player on the team is DJ Augustin...you need some lottery injections.

This is obviously true - in a sense that in the NBA is a superstar league, and theres really only two ways of getting a super star. Through the draft or trading for a disgruntled player. And your chances increase of drafting a star player the higher you pick.

However, that being said, few things you have to think about. If we are picking top-3, that means George, Hill and Hibbert are probably way hyped. So, instead of building players around them, we may need to think about cutting our losses and replacing them while we're picking a new face of the franchise.

And, when D-Wade got injured in Miami few seasons ago, everybody said the same thing. "This is the best case scenario" because Wade was rehabbing an injury, and the team was on the verge of landing another star to go along Wade. But, just because you pick 2nd overall, doesn't mean it's a guarantee you'll land a star. Miami that year wasted that pick on Micheal Beasley.

Granted, few years later Wade recruited King James and Bosh, but that's besides the point.

Post #9 » by **Klomp** » Fri Nov 9, 2012 6:22 am

Well, this is promising to see as I come over to scout our next opponent.

Post #10 » by **Grang33r** » Fri Nov 9, 2012 6:42 am

Klomp wrote:Well, this is promising to see as I come over to scout our next opponent.

Pacersike · Post #11 » by **Pacersike** » Fri Nov 9, 2012 8:49 am

As long as we stay on pace to get the 7th seed or better, I'm not pressing any buttons.
If we win our next game, we are 0.500. If we don't win the next one, but the next two after that, we are also 0.500

1. It's too early
2. our best player is out
3. we played only 1 home game

If we can get in the playoffs and we can get Granger back by then, it's a whole new season and certain players and our coach seem to prefer the underdog position anyways

8305 · Post #12 » by **8305** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 6:03 am

I'm a little worried. We don't have five players you can trust. So at the end of games you always have a guy on the floor who's an unacceptable risk to make a backbreaking mistake. Gerald Green, Lance Srephenson are ok as rotation guys (not sure your rotation survives both of them) but at the end of close games having either of them on the floor is asking for trouble.

Frankly the three bench acquisitions to this point are total busts. Green plays like a rookie, Mahinmi has stone hands and plays younger than his age. Augustine is trying to be a traditional point guard but the second unit doesn't include a reliable scorer for him set up.

West, Hibbert, George and Hill are solid enough but they at least need a couple of reliable role players to compliment them. I don't see a remedy until Granger returns. ,

Marvin Martian · Post #13 » by **Marvin Martian** » Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:47 pm

From a non fan perspective, it's time to hit the panic button. This team has already reached it's ceiling. Even when healthy, I can't see them beating the Bulls, Knicks, or the Heat in the playoffs. Hibbert is still not reliable when it counts, and George isn't the all star that we were all led to believe.

tocooks · Post #14 » by **tocooks** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 3:07 am

I think this team has earned enough from its fans to tolerate a 3-4 start and still get our support. Lets show some patients for these guys while they figure out how to play without their best player and cornerstone of our franchise.

Pacersike · Post #15 » by **Pacersike** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 3:16 am

Where is that button? :lol:

Maybe we should forfeit all next road games and have another training camp to learn how to play offense.

Post #16 » by **Gremz** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 7:41 am

We just need to learn how to play against the zone. That, and finish at the rim. I mean it's a layup, can't be that hard! :angry: