Could the Pacers have done better?

basketballwacko2 · Post #1 » by **basketballwacko2** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:08 pm

With Detroits early exit from the playoffs :clap:

Couldn't have happened to a nicer team!

I was wondering if our Pacers could have done better against the Mighty Cavs and King James! What do you guys think could we have gotten a win or 2 against them! 8-)

cdash · Post #2 » by **cdash** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:40 pm

I think we could have, and probably would have. First, Detroit gave up on this season a long time ago. They just didn't give a ****. Second, their fans shared this attitude and their "home-court advantage" was anything but. Cleveland fans drowned out the Piston fans in the Palace. Sad. As for us? Our fans would have made it a great atmosphere, as it would have marked our return to the playoffs with a likable team. We played the Cavs pretty strong this season, and I have to think that our guys would have given everything they had. That said, we would have won at BEST two games. Probably one or zero though.

Post #3 » by **Miller4ever** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:32 pm

We would've made it difficult on the Cavs to win. We would've made them work. The Pistons rolled over. They still might've gotten the sweep, but it would've been close, especially with playoff attendance.

Post #4 » by **Gremz** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:57 pm

I think most teams just outside the playoffs could have done better. Detroit didn't seem to be that interested in that series at all.

MillerTime101 · Post #5 » by **MillerTime101** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:10 pm

I think the OKC Thunder could have done better then the Pistons. That series was terrible, no heart, no energy, no chance for the Pistons.

I think we could have won a game, maybe even two at home or in the very least made the Cavs break a sweat.

cdash · Post #6 » by **cdash** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 8:59 pm

Question: Was that the worst effort you have seen an NBA team put forth in the playoffs? I can't think of another team off the top of my head that just rolled over like that. They should all be embarrassed.

Post #7 » by **count55** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:33 pm

Celtics against the Pacers in 2004 were pretty embarrassing, but the most embarrassing was the Pacers vs. the Celtics the year before. It was Isiah's last season, and the team had just rolled over and died. After hitting 20 games over .500 at 34-14, they staggered home 14-20, then had their asses handed to them by the lower-seeded Celtics in 6 games.

The 2003 C's were coached by O'Brien. The 2004 C's (who were swept by the Pacers) were coached by some interim guy, and never got closer than 13 points in their four losses (for final margin).

cdash · Post #8 » by **cdash** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 9:46 pm

Yeah...but the Pistons didn't win a game. They lost all four games by double digits.

chatard5 · Post #9 » by **chatard5** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:12 am

I heard it was only the 3rd time a team lost every game by double-digits? I may have heard this wrong, or it could be since the first round went to a 7 game format a few years back.

Post #10 » by **count55** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 12:46 am

As I mentioned in the previous post, the Pacers pounded the Celtics in 4 games...winning the first two at home by 16 and 13 (the second game w/o DPOY Ron Artest), then going on the road and pounding Boston by 23 and 15 in their house to win in four, all by double digits, total margin of 67 points.

Cleveland's total margin was 62 in their four=game sweep.

However, both Boston (04) and Detroit (09) were vastly inferior competition playing the # 1 seed.

I still say the most lethargic, embarrassing performance was the 2003 Pacers, a # 3 seed, losing in 6 to the #6 seed, 44-win Celtics....getting pounded in Boston by 18, 10, then 20 in the deciding game.

Isiah with the single worst coaching job....ever.

cdash · Post #11 » by **cdash** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:07 am

You just said it there though, "worst coaching job ever". It wasn't the collective effort of the team giving up like the Pistons this year.

Post #12 » by **count55** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:16 am

Oh...I'm sorry...the coaching job led to the team completely tanking for the last two months of the season and the first round of the playoffs.

Let me put it this way...That 2003 Pacer team wasn't going to win a playoff series against anyone, they knew it, and if the stories are true about the locker room at halftime and after the game in the close out game, they didn't really care.

chatard5 · Post #13 » by **chatard5** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 2:59 am

Well, right now the Hornets are down by 58 points, and they only have 55. Eeeek.

cdash · Post #14 » by **cdash** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 3:47 am

count55 wrote:Oh...I'm sorry...the coaching job led to the team completely tanking for the last two months of the season and the first round of the playoffs.

Let me put it this way...That 2003 Pacer team wasn't going to win a playoff series against anyone, they knew it, and if the stories are true about the locker room at halftime and after the game in the close out game, they didn't really care.

What were the stories about the locker room at halftime???

chatard5 · Post #15 » by **chatard5** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 5:11 am

I heard Vlade Divac would smoke a pack of cigs during halftime, but I think he is talking about something else, but I don't know what.