Pacers' David West: "Nobody's Afraid Of Us"

[Scalabrine]

It's easier said than done. Let's say you go all-out to try to win the next 20 games to try to get an extra home game, which to me, doesn't seem to be much of an advantage this season. On the other hand, you lose just a key bench player, and you have to play without him for 7 games(14 if you go further), is that even a good tradeoff? The chances of injuries are just too high to try to "do whatever it takes" to win these regular season games.

Let Lebron and Durant's teams go all-out for the MVP. The Pacers should just sit back and see what happens.

If last years games 6 and 7 were in SA the Spurs, more than likely, have another championship. Home court advantage is very important.

[xBulletproof]

they gassing out after pushing so hard for Homecourt now pacers fans trying to say there coasting? west is the most important player on that team if something happens to him its over

I believe it's a clear loss of focus. Some people may define that as coasting. The Pacers announcer calls it "being bored with success". You can say you want home court and come out of the gate firing like they did, but it's much harder to maintain focus and intensity for several months. It's like those people everyone knows that decides their going to go all out to lose weight and workout every day. They're very focused that first week, but by week 3 they are back to eating twinkies and skipping out on the gym. The Pacers loss of focus is causing them to get away from what made them great, ball movement and physical defense and this is West's way of saying "wake the **** up", I believe.

[Smash3]

I don´t watch Pacers much, maybe some pacers poster can elaborate, but my observations so far:

1) They´re gassed obviously they´re not coasting, how does it make sense to start coasting when Heat are going from red hot to white hot and the gap is closing.

2) Paul George started believing his own hype, and is now realizing that carrying the offensive load night in night out is harder then he first presumed and should start sharing the ball more.

3) Hibbert doesn´t bring consistent effort which is understandable because they rely a lot on him and when you play with pacers defensive schemes it can be hard to bring it each night.

Resulting in West saying: " Wake up, nothing is going to be given to us just because we want the first seed, teams are still going to battle us, and since we´re this close we need to regroup and focus on the target."

[G35]

I don't know what's wrong with wanting homecourt advantage...and if the Pacers don't get it, they don't get it. It is what it is, they will have to deal with it. You don't always get what you want but you have to at least try.

Would you say you don't want a ring because you might now win one? Goals are motivators.....

There's nothing wrong with wanting HCA. I said yesterday in the GT, a young and hungry team like Indy should want HCA over Miami. But they went very public with it and have been extremely vocal about how they want HCA, that's the only goal of their RS, and then saying that we would have won last year if game 7 was on our floor. In that context, I can't help but think that when you are giving interviews left, right, and center that you want HCA and you start ECF in Miami, that's got to impact you negatively. How can it not? I don't mean to go Skip Baylessian on this but the psychological component would be huge when you have told yourself that game 7 in Indiana and we win and then you play that game 7 in Miami. I think Barkley got it right a couple of week ago on Inside The NBA when he said they are focusing too much on it.

Well everyone is asking them about it, so it's being brought up.

But if the psychological impact is going to cause them to lose then they aren't ready anyway. Look at how many times Lebron HAD homecourt and lost in the playoff's. HC is huge and there is really no denying it, having is better than not having it. In my mind if the Pacers do not have it they can't beat Miami, but I'm not on the court. Now perhaps the Pacers have burned themselves out somewhat but they have a chance to get back in that proper mindset. Also the Pacers have played Miami well this year so there is the matchup factor to consider which is equally as important as HC. The Pacers do match up well with the Heat and it shows when they play each other.

I think fear is a good motivator, but so is confidence. There isn't just any one factor that will decide that potential series but I give the Pacers a better than 50/50 chance if they do have HC.......

[Pacerlive]

I don´t watch Pacers much, maybe some pacers poster can elaborate, but my observations so far:

1) They´re gassed obviously they´re not coasting, how does it make sense to start coasting when Heat are going from red hot to white hot and the gap is closing.

2) Paul George started believing his own hype, and is now realizing that carrying the offensive load night in night out is harder then he first presumed and should start sharing the ball more.

3) Hibbert doesn´t bring consistent effort which is understandable because they rely a lot on him and when you play with pacers defensive schemes it can be hard to bring it each night.

Resulting in West saying: " Wake up, nothing is going to be given to us just because we want the first seed, teams are still going to battle us, and since we´re this close we need to regroup and focus on the target."

They have gotten away from the inside out game and strong post ups a lot and I think PG and Lance are trying too hard.

Overall the defense is just a lack of focus though and should be easy to fix.

It also should be noted that George Hill went out with a shoulder injury and he is still working back from it.

[PaulieWal]

Well everyone is asking them about it, so it's being brought up.

That's the thing though. They are the ones who brought it up initially and said it was their goal to get HCA and then they started repeating it in interviews that they wanted HCA and then reporters started asking them about it. They put the pressure on themselves. They could have said nothing and made it a private goal. It was the pre-season interview with SAS where they said that they "wanted Miami and wanted HCA to beat Miami". I specifically remember Vogel saying that he found a 6 or 7 minute stretch in game 7 where they lost the game and to correct that they wanted game 7 on their own floor. PG also said before the one of the Heat-Pacers game that if game 7 was on their floor they would have won that game.

They put the pressure on themselves and that's why it has become such a talking point in the media. When you have PG, West, Hibbert, Lance, and Vogel all talking about it repeatedly, it became a thing. Either way it wouldn't surprise me if they beat Miami with or without HCA since they have a matchup advantage over them, although some of that depends on what Oden can give Miami and Spo playing Bosh more at the 4 this year. I just think that all this talking about HCA and then not having it might impact them psychologically especially someone like Lance.

[xBulletproof]

Wow. Some of you actually think pro athletes are mentally weak like little children. Nobody makes it to the level these guys are without overcoming challenges. In fact I would say few of them make it because of loving the idea of conquering a challenge nobody said they could. To think the Pacers are going to pack it in and quit because they didn't get the #1 seed and it will get to them psychologically is silly.

Miami is a challenge, HCA or not. You go at them the same either way with the belief you can beat them any given night. Nobody is going to pout, cry and let it effect them. That's just fan talk.

[PaulieWal]

Wow. Some of you actually think pro athletes are mentally weak like little children. Nobody makes it to the level these guys are without overcoming challenges. In fact I would say few of them make it because of loving the idea of conquering a challenge nobody said they could. To think the Pacers are going to pack it in and quit because they didn't get the #1 seed and it will get to them psychologically is silly.

Miami is a challenge, HCA or not. You go at them the same either way with the belief you can beat them any given night. Nobody is going to pout, cry and let it effect them. That's just fan talk.

Nobody is saying that. I and most others are saying that it will be a close series regardless of which team gets HCA. But it will be interesting to see how the Pacers play if they don't have HCA when it was assumed for large part of the season that they were comfortably going to end up with it and when they made it a goal of theirs. That's all.

[Shuttlesworth34]

they gassing out after pushing so hard for Homecourt now pacers fans trying to say there coasting? west is the most important player on that team if something happens to him its over

I believe it's a clear loss of focus. Some people may define that as coasting. The Pacers announcer calls it "being bored with success". You can say you want home court and come out of the gate firing like they did, but it's much harder to maintain focus and intensity for several months. It's like those people everyone knows that decides their going to go all out to lose weight and workout every day. They're very focused that first week, but by week 3 they are back to eating twinkies and skipping out on the gym. The Pacers loss of focus is causing them to get away from what made them great, ball movement and physical defense and this is West's way of saying "wake the **** up", I believe.

The clear loss of focus reasoning would be acceptable if the pacers players and coaches hadn't gone out of their way to say they were going to go all out for the #1 seed. Then all of a sudden their play has fallen off and they have been caught by the Heat and all of a sudden the pacers have lost focus, are bored with success, etc. because of how the pacers acted early in the year it all comes off as excuses.

[Cmon_Son-_-]

The Pacers arent allowed to be "bored of success" for a team thats never had any. If I was pacers fan I would be a little worried as we get closer to the post season.

[BJGOAT3]

Indy don't need HCA necessarily, in both series they played against Miami, they won game 2 on the road, but dropped the next one at home. They can play very good in any arena, just as Miami can.

[Fobbie]

Indy don't need HCA necessarily, in both series they played against Miami, they won game 2 on the road, but dropped the next one at home. They can play very good in any arena, just as Miami can.

Not according to Indy, they already came out and publicly stated that they want HCA

They need to get Hibbert/West more involve and take the the ball away from PG/Lance, those 2 are trying to do too much.

[kingkirk]

No, I don't want the links to those quotes. What's the point anyway? It seems like Heat fans just want to win every little details and thumbing up each other as if it matters.

You don't want to link to those quotes because they don't exist. Sorry, you have been exposed . It's okay though, you had a good run.

You want to make a bet?

You've pretty much derailed this thread. In future, back up your posts with evidence or don't post at all.

[Fat]

you can call me crazy but i think a Pacers vs pistons series could go either way and a Bobcats vs Pacers series could go either way... i can see either of these teams possibly pulling off a big upset

[PaulieWal]

Pacers vs pistons series could go either way, Bobcats vs Pacers series could go either way... indiana better hope neither of these teams are the 8th seed or i could see a big upset on the horizon.

Pistons I am not so sure about but I can see Bobcats, Bulls, and Raps giving Indiana trouble. All that being said I would be very very surprised if we don't get a repeat of last year's ECF. There are certain match-ups which both teams would like to avoid on their way to the ECF, mainly:

Miami: Bulls, Nets, Cats
Indiana: Bulls, Cats, Raps, Nets

Both of these teams will win their first 2 rounds but it is all about drawing favorable match-ups and avoiding a potentially long series against a pesky opponent.

[aol4532]

You don't want to link to those quotes because they don't exist. Sorry, you have been exposed . It's okay though, you had a good run.

You want to make a bet?

You've pretty much derailed this thread. In future, back up your posts with evidence or don't post at all.

Just to be clear in the future, what exactly qualifies as evidence? You expect me to go through every thread on the Heat board, just to satisfy Heat fans, when they can already do so themselves? Besides, Hibachi's quote shows that I wasn't lying. Why would I anyway? And to me, they're the ones derailing the thread, by insisting that I give proof for something so seemingly insignificant.

[20MexicanosIn1Van]

I don't understand people that say Indy can't beat Miami. Indy took Miami to 7 games last year and they've only gotten better while Miami looks like the same team.

[Shuttlesworth34]

I don't understand people that say Indy can't beat Miami. Indy took Miami to 7 games last year and they've only gotten better while Miami looks like the same team.

A healthy Dwyane wade changes a lot.

[PaulieWal]

Besides, Hibachi's quote shows that I wasn't lying. Why would I anyway?

I'll let KC reply on his own but what you were saying and arguing about is a lot different than the actual Wade quote. You were saying that Wade saying they wanted to win every game was on the same level as Indiana publicly making HCA their goal.

What you said and then ferociously defended was this:

Miami treating it like a preseason, is that why they're playing a guy with no meniscus, and Wade himself quoting that they want to win every game, to try to get HC?

The actual quote was quite generic and simply in response to a reporter's question on Indiana losing to GSW. Not once did Wade mention HCA or anything. And then you refused to provide the said quote saying "go read the Heat board". Anyway, it's clear what Wade actually said and what you were arguing are two different things. They are not even close to the Pacers explicitly saying that they want HCA and "game 7 on their own floor".

[Grammer Nazi]

I don't understand people that say Indy can't beat Miami. Indy took Miami to 7 games last year and they've only gotten better while Miami looks like the same team.

Taking a team to 7 the previous year doesn't mean s**t. Even the 37-win Hawks took the championship Celtics to 7 games.

Fact is, Indiana looks turrible lately and despite their unsustainable hot start against weak competition, they are only 2 up on Miami who have been undoubtedly coasting. Also, the Pacers won't have the element of surprise on their side this time.