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I think there is a good chance it could be Roy Hibbert. With the Pacers rebounding issues and big men troubles I could really see him stepping in and making an immediate impact. Granted he is a rookie, but I believe he is fairly polished and won't have a lot of the growing pains we saw in hulk.

I also think Hibbert will have a perfect role with this team. He will be able to help with rebounding and interior defense, which are two areas Indiana was fairly weak in last year. He will not be asked to score a ton or be a focal point on offense, which I believe suites him best.

TJ Ford, no doubt.

the starting point guard, the point guard position is probably the most important one on a basketball team because plays always start with them, so...tj ford, obviously

Without a doubt it is TJ quickdraw

glasket wrote:Without a doubt it is TJ quickdraw

I agree no doubt

Im from Toronto and i would TJ for sure, i remember he was playing at an all star level before Horford thing happened, when he came back from the injury he was trying to adjust by coming off the bench.

I also cant belive that the pacers PG TJ Ford has a higher FG percentage then the Raptors center JO.

I can. JO falls in love with fade aways and running hooks through the lane. He is not nearly as aggressive as he was in his early years. I figured most would say Ford, but truth be told I am not sure how many games he will play. I hope I am wrong about this, but he just isn't that durable. I think Hibbert will be surprisingly good.

Brandon Miller...er, Rush. My first choice is TJ Ford, but in the event that he goes down, Rush will be the man in the backcourt.

Ford no doubt about it. I'll miss him, exciting player to watch when he's on. I'm sure he'll have a very good year next season, i'll pick him up again for my fantasy league team.

I think Rasho has a bigger impact than Hibbert too, at least at first. Rookies (regardless of how much college they played) have a hard time adjusting to the NBA game. It will take some time for Roy to contribute.

Big men take a little longer, too. If we're talking about having the biggest impact at the end of the year I can definitely see that being Hibbert. If Ford goes down, I'd say it will be Rasho. If Ford stays healthy, it'll probably be Ford. It could very likely be Rush, though, if he can hit some clutch shots and play good defense. With 7 new players I can only really say I'm confident it won't be Baston, McRoberts, or Jack, although I think Jack will be great for us off the bench.

Yes, it usually does take big men longer to adapt to the game, but I see Hibbert being the exception to that rule. We really won't ask him to do anything he is weak at and his role will be to play to his strengths. Also, he is a 4 year guy and very seasoned.

I think it has to be TJ Ford assuming he stays healthy.

TEEE JAYY FORDD

cdash wrote:TJ Ford, no doubt.

ford for sure

TJ Ford will be the biggest "newcomer". However, Hibbert will be our best rookie. He is NBA ready.

Ford is the guy who can on the court, but I'm wondering if the addition of Rush doesn't have the bigger impact on the franchise. If he's NBA-ready, he could force a decision on Dunleavy/Granger.

It's a big if, but if he's all-rookie, starting quality material this year, then there's a decision to be made. If Dunleavy can continue to play well, he'll have some value, despite his contract, a la Mike Miller.

OK...so maybe this might not happen until next summer, thus stretching the "next year" piece of the question, but it's something to think about.

Count, do you think it would be possible for this team to go small and put Granger at the four, Dunleavy at the three and Rush at the two? I know it is a little unconventional, but if we got out and ran with that group they would be hard to stop with Ford penetrating and those guys on the perimeter.

I think we are very likely to see that against smaller teams.

I think that could work at times. It's rarely a bad thing to get your best players on the floor together (if BRush pans out).

However, I'd keep a close eye on Danny in that situation. It wasn't until the second half of last year the he actually started to assert an identity. Up until then, he'd adapt (arguably over-adapt) his game to what he was being asked to be. As a rook, he played a decent amount of time at the four, and his rebounding numbers were much higher. As a second year player, he floated out on the perimeter, looking very much like a two-guard. After the All-Star break, he finally settled into a classic scoring small forward, getting 23/7. I'd be worried that he'd lose his offensive identity if he had to play extended minutes at the 4.

It's going to be an important year for Danny.