I thought it was interesting to look back on the comments from week to week for the 07-08 Pacers. A couple things of note : The Pacers record on the road is much better without JO then with (take it for what it's worth). They didnt have a lot of consistency week to week. Sometimes beating Utah at Utah by 21, then getting blow out by Charlotte next. I am thinking (hoping) that some of the up and down last year wass due to the drama off the court. Whether it was legal issues or injuries, last year there was a lot of things that distracted the team, and without a strong leader the team was inconsistent. I think this year, with the team being together in training camp, a new leader in Ford, and no forseen off court issues, they should be more consistent. Another thing was when we went against great defensive teams like Boston or Detroit, we got obliterated.
Oh, and love this JO quote from week 15
"Next year, wherever I'm at, whether it's Indy or wherever else, I'm not going to miss the All-Star [Game] and my team is not going to be struggling."
Just my take
