2015 Draft and the Pacers Season

[basketballwacko2]

First I want to recall the preseason expectations of many on the Trade Board and other main boards in regard to what the Pacers were gonna be like this season. They had us slotted to be in the lottery maybe winning 30 games, in general they said we'd suck. Milwaukee and Washington were supposed to be better than us. Chicago and even Detroit were supposed to be better as well. 44-37 is not bad we have a chance to beat the Bucks and make it 45 wins. Which is exactly what I predicted for the Pacers. Did we over achieve? Or is this just an indication of things to come 50 wins next year?

2nd I want to look at the draft. Everyone said WCS was the guy we wanted and now look at WCS compared to Myles Truner. WCS has averaged 7 points and 5.3 and 1 block, Truner has averaged 10.4, 5.5 and 1.4. Plus Truner is 2 yrs younger. I think we got the better pick.

I said prior to the draft that I wouldn't give anything to move up from our spot at #11 and the #6 pick, because I thought we could do as well at 11 as we could at 6.

Now it looks like we're gonna be playing the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs. IDK if we can take them in a 7 game series but they did collapse last season didn't they get swept by the Wiz?

[Wizop]

Hard for me to say we over-achieved when we blew so many close games. But you are certainly right about what outsiders expected. Before last night's Knicks game, GHill told the crowd that the season was disappointing and that certainly reflects what we'd hoped for.

As for the draft, Turner has been much more than I'd hoped for. I was on Lyles and Grant. Absolutely no second guessing here. Myles has been great and should be much better still next year.

The real surprises though have been Ian and Jordan. While I'll certainly be looking at the euro-fives going into the draft, there is no urgency about upgrading the center position.

[Scoot McGroot]

Hard for me to say we over-achieved when we blew so many close games. But you are certainly right about what outsiders expected. Before last night's Knicks game, GHill told the crowd that the season was disappointing and that certainly reflects what we'd hoped for.

I forget the exact statistics, but we were league worst in games that were decided by less than 5 points (or maybe it was within 5 points with less than 5 minutes to play, something like that). Something so bad, that if we had just gone .500 in those situations, we would have won something like 62+ games and ran away with the East. We lost a lot of games, but we were rarely, if ever, out of competition.

As for the draft, Turner has been much more than I'd hoped for. I was on Lyles and Grant. Absolutely no second guessing here. Myles has been great and should be much better still next year.

Yeah, the board was torn here. I don't know that many, if any, of us were banging the "Turner or bust" drum. I certainly wasn't. I do know that no one here was really upset with the pick. Almost content, just not ecstatic. Glad to see it worked out. I still would love to find a way to get Lyles and/or Grant on the roster in the near future, though, too.

The real surprises though have been Ian and Jordan. While I'll certainly be looking at the euro-fives going into the draft, there is no urgency about upgrading the center position.

Yup. Certainly seems like a draft where we can focus on simply best player available. Even if it's a SF, we can find a way to play them next to Paul George on the wing. If it's another C, play Myles at the 4. If it's a 4, play Myles at the 5. All kinds of flexibility. I was pleasantly surprised with just how relatively consistent Jordan Hill was. Certainly not a starter kind of guy, but a great 3rd or 4th big man this year, and a guy I wouldn't argue against keeping around if it happened.

[Moooose]

My only concern coming into the season was Paul George's health. I was not expecting us to clinch a playoff berth, and I do not really cared about it much, really. I just wanted to see if we still have PG as the anchor of this team. And thankfully, PG was even better than he once was. To win a playoff series would be just a bonus, we already hit the jackpot with PG being able to play again.

On Myles, though we absolutely got a steal in him, I think WCS will soon get better and maybe level up with Myles eventually. But overall, I am happy we got Turner over Lyles. Joe Young played well in limited chances, and the guy is clearly oozing with potential.

This is a good year for us. Another benchmark we can always remember. A milestone in some ways. As early as now I can already say that next year's team, barring any major alteration, will be a darkhorse for a deep playoff run.

[ThirtyOne]

I had made a bet with a co-worker before the season that we would finish no lower than 6th in the east. I really felt that talent-wise we could finish in the top 4.

Lost $100 on that. Really wish the team (or Paul George) wouldve bought into Larry Birds vision. I was excited about PG at the 4 and inserting Monta into a faster paced gameflow. The major downsides for me this season were PGs attitude (still has room to grow mentally), Stuckeys and Turners injuries, and Vogels penchant for smashmouth defense. Monta wasnt as good a fit as i hoped, but I still like his game.

I will say that this season has had some positives. It was great to see PG back on the floor and looking recovered from a gruesome injury. Miles development and the addition of Ty Lawson has me excited for the future. Ian Mahimni and Jordan Hill had great seasons.

I wouldnt bet on us beating the Raptors, but I do think itll be a close series. I think it goes 7 games, and well have a big challenge closing it out in Toronto.

[basketballwacko2]

I'm glad to see that this thread got some interest from the Pacer board regulars. I agree that Jordan Hill was a great signing. For next year I'm looking for Joe Young to develop and maybe we can get another steal in the draft. I love Valentine getting him might allow us to make a move to trade Monta either this coming season or after next season. It's not that I dislike Monta, but the Pacers are a young team and Monta is gonna be 31 in October.

The close game loses were tough to take, I credit them to the lack of veteran leadership. The loss of David West probably cost us 5-7 games in the close games, maybe more. If David had stayed we might have one 55 games. I don't blame him for leaving he's in the twilight of his career and wants to get a shot a ring, he gotta get past Steph and teh Warriors and good luck to him.

Overall I'm happy with the season despite the close game loss's 45-37 is better than most thought was possible. Look at Milwaukee they gave a huge contract to Middleton and Monroe and they went the other way. Washington beat Toronto in the playoffs last season, and they went backwards.

So let's have faith in Larry and the FO maybe we can hit the jack pot in the draft there are gonna be some hidden nuggets of talent that others will over look. Let us avoid the Shawne Williams and Tyler Hansbroughs and look for another Danny Granger or Paul George.

And as for Free Agents I'd like to see Al Horford in a Pacers Uniform.

[Miller4ever]

45 wins is higher than preseason expectations but lower than midseason expectations. We're going to be a smart dark horse pick next year.

I don't want to say I was Turner or bust, but I was on the Myles train for sure before the draft, and I wasn't ecstatic we got him, but really glad. Then summer league came and I was ecstatic. Then he put up some numbers and I haven't stopped grinning even when he's hit the rookie wall because he's real. Very real.

I'm not as high on Jordan as others on this board. He did some things, but in my opinion he was a net negative and I agree with the move to take him out of the rotation, especially with the second unit realizing the run and gun playstyle Larry envisioned. Ellis has been a net positive, but there are some notable weaknesses in his game. Honestly, I think a fully realized Ty Lawson should have his job alongside Sisq... er... George.

I predict a 4-1 1st round. Either way. We're either going to get creamed because of our regular season tendencies, or the healthy bench, Lawson, the reemergence of Solo, and Vogel getting a chance to out-coach someone over a series will see us pull off the upset in glorious fashion. Toronto has a horrible playoff run as of late, but this is their strongest iteration yet.

This year's free agency is going to defy all predictions. A cap raise like this might not actually be that big of a game-changer.

I will say that I feel much more awesome now than I did last year. Hibbert's absence feels like nothing as Ian has basically replaced his production. West's veteran experience was replaced by Turner's young potential. PG is back. George Hill had to figure out how to play with Monta, but he's still the consummate teammate and professional, efficient scorer, great defender. Monta have it all. This bench might actually be awesome. I hope we can keep a reasonable portion of it. 45 wins is the floor for next season.

[boomershadow]

I am certainly happy with Turner's progress many props to the young man. But there is also a huge difference between his situation here with a coach that loves rim protecting big men and is willing to give rookies the amount of playing time they need to develop. WCS had neither of those in George Karl. He may just need some more time to develop and better situation next year.

[Jermainevent]

I will admit, I wasn't super enthused when we drafted Myles Turner, but he quickly grew on me. His infectious personality as well as his performance in the Orlando Summer League quickly made me realize we might have a steal on our hands. And while he was up-and-down throughout the season, it's plain to see that he has a very high ceiling. Great stroke and timing on his jumps to alter opponent's shots, at times reminded me of a young JO. But then as he showed extended range, it made me realize we might have something even better on our hands, as long as he continues to develop physically.

Now for the Pacers season as a whole, I predicted that they would win around 45 games. Bingo! However, they could have very easily surpassed the 50 win mark if they knew how to close out opponents and step on their throats. Mahimi was a pleasant surprise throughout the season, doing exactly what was asked of him. I think he is right now who he will always be though, unless he learns to slow down when he has the ball in the post.

Still, this team has a lot of odd parts that don't always fit together. However, I'm not exactly ready to give up on anyone yet and am intrigued about the prospect of playing Lawson at point with either Ellis or Hill at the two. It's also a shame that Solomon Hill couldn't have arrived to training camp in shape, these last couple of weeks he's looked solid 7th or 8th man.

It's not likely to happen, but it's also not out of the realm of possibility that the Pacers knock off the Raptors. PG13 is the best player on the court in this series, but he needs to play with conviction like he does when he's matched up against LeBron.

[Scoot McGroot]

I had made a bet with a co-worker before the season that we would finish no lower than 6th in the east. I really felt that talent-wise we could finish in the top 4.

Lost $100 on that. Really wish the team (or Paul George) wouldve bought into Larry Birds vision. I was excited about PG at the 4 and inserting Monta into a faster paced gameflow. The major downsides for me this season were PGs attitude (still has room to grow mentally), Stuckeys and Turners injuries, and Vogels penchant for smashmouth defense. Monta wasnt as good a fit as i hoped, but I still like his game.

I will say that this season has had some positives. It was great to see PG back on the floor and looking recovered from a gruesome injury. Miles development and the addition of Ty Lawson has me excited for the future. Ian Mahimni and Jordan Hill had great seasons.

I wouldnt bet on us beating the Raptors, but I do think itll be a close series. I think it goes 7 games, and well have a big challenge closing it out in Toronto.

Between the constant mis-communication with Bird/Vogel about the 4 spot, his bickering for calls with the refs (often times leaving his 4 teammates short handed to defend 5 guys without him), and his flip-flopping in post game interviews (switching between "Not enough effort" to "No, I wouldn't say effort is the issue" in one post game interview alone), I would say he still has a lot to learn and grow. However, with the strides he's made each year, I'm not too worried.

[ThirtyOne]

I had made a bet with a co-worker before the season that we would finish no lower than 6th in the east. I really felt that talent-wise we could finish in the top 4.

Lost $100 on that. Really wish the team (or Paul George) wouldve bought into Larry Birds vision. I was excited about PG at the 4 and inserting Monta into a faster paced gameflow. The major downsides for me this season were PGs attitude (still has room to grow mentally), Stuckeys and Turners injuries, and Vogels penchant for smashmouth defense. Monta wasnt as good a fit as i hoped, but I still like his game.

I will say that this season has had some positives. It was great to see PG back on the floor and looking recovered from a gruesome injury. Miles development and the addition of Ty Lawson has me excited for the future. Ian Mahimni and Jordan Hill had great seasons.

I wouldnt bet on us beating the Raptors, but I do think itll be a close series. I think it goes 7 games, and well have a big challenge closing it out in Toronto.

Between the constant mis-communication with Bird/Vogel about the 4 spot, his bickering for calls with the refs (often times leaving his 4 teammates short handed to defend 5 guys without him), and his flip-flopping in post game interviews (switching between "Not enough effort" to "No, I wouldn't say effort is the issue" in one post game interview alone), I would say he still has a lot to learn and grow. However, with the strides he's made each year, I'm not too worried.

The bickering at the refs was especially frustrating...on some occassions it really took all the enjoyment out of the game for me. That was something that always irked me about David West, and I really hope PG dials back on this. It hasnt helped him this season in any way.

I really do hope he improves on this...not sure he will though. Its crazy that our 19 year old rookie shows more mental intelligence both on/off the court and with the media, but thats more of a credit to Turner and his upbringing.

[mizzoupacers]

Before the season started, 45 wins was right around my "best case scenario" guess for this year.

45 wins + PG proving he is not damaged goods + Myles Turner turning out to be good = good year. Bonus points for Ian Mahinmi successfully impersonating a legit starting center.

Those things more than make up for an underwhelming year from our big free agent acquisition and having to come down from unrealistically high hopes created by the early hot streak.

Also liked what I saw from Lawson down the stretch--hoping he can be the X factor the team needs to surprise in the playoffs. But just getting to the playoffs is in line with my preseason hopes.

[Wizop]

{The draft} might allow us to make a move to trade Monta either this coming season or after next season. It's not that I dislike Monta, but the Pacers are a young team and Monta is gonna be 31 in October.

The close game loses were tough to take, I credit them to the lack of veteran leadership.

But the closest thing we have to a veteran leader is Monta. He won't be a starter much longer but he brings more to the table than I expected. With the cap going way up, his contract is going to get more and more reasonable. I keep him.

[Miller4ever]

The tricky part is putting him in positions where he can continue to be a net positive for the team as his playing ability diminishes.

[pacers33granger]

The bickering at the refs was especially frustrating...on some occassions it really took all the enjoyment out of the game for me. That was something that always irked me about David West, and I really hope PG dials back on this. It hasnt helped him this season in any way.

I really do hope he improves on this...not sure he will though. Its crazy that our 19 year old rookie shows more mental intelligence both on/off the court and with the media, but thats more of a credit to Turner and his upbringing.

That was the one thing about David West that always pissed me off too. The guy was a consummate pro, except for that. I get that sometimes you need to game the refs, but it definitely seems to have impacted how PG leads.