Who will be the biggest surprise on the 08-09 Pacers?

[count55]

The question here is really, "Who will exceed the broad expectations of the fanbase?"

For me, last season's biggest surprise was Mike Dunleavy, with Danny Granger as a close second.

I had expected both to be somewhere between 13 and 16 pts, with maybe 5 or 6 rebounds a contest, but they far exceeded my expectations. Some of that could've been simply because there were no other options, some because the system created so many more opportunities than we were used to seeing, but I think the lion's share of the credit goes to each of these players for stepping up and making the most of their opportunity.

Now, we start a new season with perhaps as many as 7 new faces. Who will be the guy that you think will surprise everyone in terms of contribution in this new campaign?

(I can only have 10 options, so I'm going to leave Danny and Mike off intentionally, but leave one option for "Other", where you can name who you want...please be sure to make the case for your guy.)

[Kuq_e_Zi91]

I voted for Roy Hibbert. I think a lot of people under estimate what he can do for us because of the system he played in at Georgetown and they question his quickness. A lot of people might look at his rbs per game and say "what? he's over 7 feet tall, he can do better." In the Princeton, he was played away from the basket a lot so his rebound numbers suffered a little bit. No body on that Gtown team avg many rebounds but Roy rightfully led the team. Also, his post game is probably the most polished out of all the draft prospects. It wasn't because of the competition he played against last year but the way he was scoring those points. He has many moves that he goes to, including this nice hook shot. He is also a great passer out of the double and I think he will find Danny and Mike for many open 3s next year.

Personally, I"ve seen him play since high school and the maturation and progress he has shown is amazing. He improves so much every year that I think next year he will be a great option for us. I think he can fill that void left by JO. I mean JO avg 13 and 6 last year, I think Roy can come close to that if given enough minutes. Not to mention on the defensive end. He's going to block some shots and be aggresive out there. He's going to make it known that the paint is his house.

[Bucky O'Hare]

I was torn between Ford and Murphy. I voted T.J., but probably should've went with Troy, since it seems people around here realize how good T.J. can be for us.

I think Ford has All-Star ability. He's a super athlete and highly skilled. To go from Travis Diener and 7 YEARS of Jamaal Tinsley to T.J. is going to be amazing.

I like Murphy as well. He'll never be much of a defender, but I think we all know how talented of a scorer he is, and he's a surprisingly great rebounder as well. He's more than adequate as a starting power forward. I think he'll average a double-double if he plays 30+ minutes.

[count55]

For me, it comes down to three guys: Roy Hibbert, Shawne Williams, and Troy Murphy.

Roy Hibbert - this guy intrigues me. By all appearances, he could end up being a journeyman backup center, and all appearances might not be wrong. He's not the most athletic guy, and he struggled to dominate consistently at the college level the way you'd like to see a guy of his size do. However, he's smart and can pass. By all accounts, he's working into much better shape (see his pics from NBA.com), and he was in a system that was far from optimal for his skills at Georgetown. Roy in JOB's system isn't the most intuitive match, but if he could display just average athleticism, he could be a boon in the half-court, both offensively and defensively. If he catches on quickly, I could actually see him grabbing the starting role by the end of the season...but that's too big of an "if" for me to vote for here.

Shawne Williams - this has kind of the "down-and-out" comeback angle to it. There's no question that Shawne's lack of judgment (or outright stupidity) has put seriously dark clouds over his future here, and rightfully so. However, should he make it to training camp, he could be in a position to grab some time at the 4 this year. Bird envisioned him as an eventual PF, and Obie's system doesn't demand a big, physical banger at that slot. We've all seen his natural skills, and he could get it together enough to grab that Antoine Walker/Walter McCarthy-style PF role that Obie had in Boston. However, it's too big of a leap to think that he can get his act together for me to vote for here, which leaves me with:

Troy Murphy - T-Murda is widely regarded to have one of the worst contracts in the league, and deservedly so. However, he flourished after the All-Star break, averaging 14.8 pts and 7.7 rebounds on 50% FG shooting. Over the course of last season, he was a far better player without JO than with JO. In 37 games without JO, Troy averaged 14.3 pts and 7.7 rebounds on 46% shooting (incl 43% from 3). In 38 games with JO, the numbers were 10.2 pts, 6.8 rebs, 45% shooting (inc 37% 3's). The numbers are more impressive post-All-Star break, where in 18 JO-less games, T-Jaywalking posted averages of 16.7 & 8.2 pts on 51% shooting (incl 43% from 3). Since I doubt that we will actually be able to pick up a 4, I am projecting similar numbers (with perhaps lower FG%) for the full season, as T-Industrial Espionage returns to the form that fooled Mullin into giving him all that money in the first place.

[mizzoupacers]

I voted for Nesterovic. He's better than you think! The Pacers have not had a center who could shoot the ball since Brad Miller; it's going to be nice to be reminded again how pleasant it is to have a true center with touch on his shot.

Honorable mention/Lifetime Achievement Award: Jeff Foster. You could argue that he has lost the capacity to surprise simply because he has been on the team for so long, but every damn year he overachieves, wringing every last bit of performance out of his modest abilities. Overachieving is in many ways another word for "surprising." I want to give Foster his due, and I intend to enjoy every minute of his season this time around, as it is possible it could be his last with us.

[count55]

My deal with Foster is that he's given me exactly what I expected every year since the 2003-2004 season. That was the last year that he surprised me, and that was primarily related to how much quicker he made that team just by his replacement of Brad Miller.

Other than that, he comes out and gives exactly what I expect, almost every night. (BTW...that should be considered a damn good compliment, not a knock.)

[Kuq_e_Zi91]

The Pacers have not had a center who could shoot the ball since Brad Miller; it's going to be nice to be reminded again how pleasant it is to have a true center with touch on his shot.

Let's not forget Roy Hibbert went 3/3 from 3 point range in college. I'd say he has a nice touch on his shot too.

[StephenJackson]

I'm going to be lame and go with Rush. I'm not sure I'll be surprised, as I think he is going to come in right away as a big player for us. BUT I don't think Pacers fans as a whole really know how much he is going to help us out. The only thing that will get in his way is playing time. He's got Dunleavy/Granger ahead of him, but he'll be able to find minutes. And I know once he starts getting minutes, he's only going to get more and more playing time.

[fienX420]

i don't think i'd truly be surprised if any particular pacer makes a successful leap. we have a bunch of good players, and i expect all of them to do well - both individually and as a team. a few REAL surprises would be... marquis daniels doesn't get traded and develops a dead-eye... jamaal tinsley doesn't get traded and stays healthy (and starts over tj ford?!)... mcbob doesn't get cut or sent to the d-league (and becomes an all-star?!?!)

[23artest23]

I'm going to say Shawne Williams assuming he gets playing time. He has talent, he has made that obvious a number of times and it is just a matter of time before he puts it together here or elsewhere.

[HicksvsKnicks08]

I thought I would be in the minority when I said Hibbert. I think it was you Artest23 who said it looked like Hibbert had gotten in a lot better shape (off the new pics) I thought the sexy choice would be Ford

[xxSnEaKyPxx]

For me it was between Hibbert, Murphy, and Williams.

Murphy has been very underrated by Pacer fans because of his contract, the truth is that he has been playing pretty well for us. He beat his man off the dribble for a dunk more times than I can count last year. I love what he brought us.

I think Williams will surprise us if he doesn't get traded. He has a lot to prove and I think he will show up. He will be a great bench player if he remains a Pacer.

As good as those two are, I decided to go with Roy Hibbert, I think this guy will be great for us. Not often do you have a 7'3 player ready to contribute from day 1. This guy is going to be fun to watch, especially since it seems like he has a high basketball I.Q.

[MillerTime101]

TJ Ford.

[cdash]

Rush.

[JarrettJackSG]

T-Murda looks to be back, his foot is completely healed, he seems to have regained his nice first step, and this offense works better for him.

I'm predicting a dunleavy type breakout year, with at least 15-10 coming from him.

[23artest23]

I thought I would be in the minority when I said Hibbert. I think it was you Artest23 who said it looked like Hibbert had gotten in a lot better shape (off the new pics) I thought the sexy choice would be Ford

I don't believe it was me...could be wrong though. I applaud him if he has because on a team that is expected to run to the degree we are, I have yet to understand the pick.

[HicksvsKnicks08]

Dont even fret.. Hibbert is going to suprise many

[cdash]

Yeah, I hope so...but I'm not getting my hopes up with Roy. I think Rush surprises a lot of people. Really, I think this entire team surprises people, but thats not one of our options here. I think Rush will come in and play a key role on this team. His winning pedigree, his defensive prowess, and his ability to knock down shots are something he can do from day one with us, and I think his overall impact will be greater than most of the trade pundits think.

[CableKC]

I chose Hibbert.....only cuz I think that he will be more NBA ready then not.....but I think that there is a good chance that Rasho will contribute to the success of this team far more then most will realize. Having a very solid PF/C rotation...most notably one with a True Center like Rasho that is experienced enough to stay out of Foul Trouble and not do his best impression of the Hulk will greatly benefit this team.

[RonaldArtest]

TJ Ford, (barring an injury) will be an All-Star next year