(Preseason) Game Thread 10/08: Pacers vs. Cavs

[boomershadow]

Now with James gone, the Pacers are the favorites to win the division. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, aren't in full-on rebuilding bode, but they're also not serious threats for the conference title for the first time in five years.

Indiana enters Monday's exhibition coming off an overtime loss in Memphis in which none of the Pacers' five starters played. Coach Nate McMillan wanted to get more minutes to his younger players, but there also might have been a little gamesmanship at play since the Blue & Gold open the regular season against the Grizzlies on Oct. 17.

Expect at least some of the starters to return to action against the Cavaliers, possibly even power forward Thaddeus Young, who has yet to play this preseason due to a bone bruise in his left foot.

Wheat Hotchkiss
https://www.nba.com/pacers/preview-pacers-cavaliers-181008

[Wizop]

hope he's right calling us division favorites. lots of national media saying Bucks.

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[Topofthekey]

Pacers finished higher on the standings and won the head to head series

Not saying the Bucks aren't a good team, but they are so far more hype than substance

Middleton is overrated (watch some of his low IQ plays), Giannis looked genuinely lost in their series against Celtics last season, and Bledsoe just doesn't come across as a winner

Still, they have someone called "The Greek Freak", and a recent RoTY in Brogdon, so it is inevitable that people who don't watch Pacers closely rates Bucks ahead of Pacers

[Scoot McGroot]

Pacers finished higher on the standings and won the head to head series

Not saying the Bucks aren't a good team, but they are so far more hype than substance

Middleton is overrated (watch some of his low IQ plays), Giannis looked genuinely lost in their series against Celtics last season, and Bledsoe just doesn't come across as a winner

Still, they have someone called "The Greek Freak", and a recent RoTY in Brogdon, so it is inevitable that people who don't watch Pacers closely rates Bucks ahead of Pacers

Well, Giannis is the best player between the Pacers and 5e Bucks, so it’s not hard to predict the Bucks instead of the Pacers. Middleton is also a great glue guy on the wing (seriously, be prepared to hear next summer that we’ve thrown a max offer at him, it seems like a Pacers move), and they won’t have Jason Kidd trying to tear them apart from an organizational standpoint, so there’s reasons that prognosticators like them.

[Wizop]

Middleton is also a great glue guy on the wing (seriously, be prepared to hear next summer that we’ve thrown a max offer at him, it seems like a Pacers move.

don't know about max, but he'd sure fit nicely at the 3.

[Wizop]

I wouldn’t worry about tape. If that’s the worry, we shouldn’t run the play until the one time we need it in the playoffs.

Memphis was an unusual situation as we play them again on the 17th. neither team chose to give anything away. the game was played like an NFL 4th preseason game. I won't be surprised if we play tonight like an NFL 3rd preseason game.

[Scoot McGroot]

I wouldn’t worry about tape. If that’s the worry, we shouldn’t run the play until the one time we need it in the playoffs.

Memphis was an unusual situation as we play them again on the 17th. neither team chose to give anything away. the game was played like an NFL 4th preseason game. I won't be surprised if we play tonight like an NFL 3rd preseason game.

Again, I’d worry more about rust and misfiring than giving someone tape.

[Pacers_Freak]

I wouldn’t worry about tape. If that’s the worry, we shouldn’t run the play until the one time we need it in the playoffs.

Memphis was an unusual situation as we play them again on the 17th. neither team chose to give anything away. the game was played like an NFL 4th preseason game. I won't be surprised if we play tonight like an NFL 3rd preseason game.

Again, I’d worry more about rust and misfiring than giving someone tape.

We disagreed in the other thread about tape a little bit. I think the main reason of giving the starters off the Memphis game was the fact we play our 4 pre-season games in 7 days. No need to run off their legs in that stretch in meaningless games. When the pre-season schedule came out I thought Nate would sit them either Sat or tonight. Saturday obviously made more sense with Memphis up on the regular season schedule first.

[Scoot McGroot]

Memphis was an unusual situation as we play them again on the 17th. neither team chose to give anything away. the game was played like an NFL 4th preseason game. I won't be surprised if we play tonight like an NFL 3rd preseason game.

Again, I’d worry more about rust and misfiring than giving someone tape.

We disagreed in the other thread about tape a little bit. I think the main reason of giving the starters off the Memphis game was the fact we play our 4 pre-season games in 7 days. No need to run off their legs in that stretch in meaningless games. When the pre-season schedule came out I thought Nate would sit them either Sat or tonight. Saturday obviously made more sense with Memphis up on the regular season schedule first.

That’s very different from running a vanilla non offense to avoid giving the league “tape” on your offense. Rest makes complete sense.

[Wizop]

Cleveland without Love and that Laker is sad.

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[Jake0890]

Sumner looks GOOD. Great call Wiz.

[Wizop]

Sumner looks GOOD. Great call Wiz.

thanks, but this is beyond my expectations. I thought he'd make bottom 3, but he's pushing for 2nd 5.

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[basketballwacko2]

Pacers look good.

[Topofthekey]

Thad Young and CoJo did not play due to injuries

YET there weren't enough minutes for Aaron Holiday, Kyle O'Quinn, and Alize Johnson to play much

Partially due to the emergence of players like Leaf and Sumner, the Pacers roster is quite congested now; you want to encourage the continued development of these young players by giving them steady playing time, you do not want to stunt their growth by having them be cheerleaders

The roster is full of solid, decent players who all deserve playing time, but it's a finite resource, someone's going to end up being wasted on the bench

Perhaps they should address this now with a trade before it becomes a problem; an early trade also gives the team a bit more time to gel before the playoffs

[basketballwacko2]

Thad Young and CoJo did not play due to injuries

YET there weren't enough minutes for Aaron Holiday, Kyle O'Quinn, and Alize Johnson to play much

Partially due to the emergence of players like Leaf and Sumner, the Pacers roster is quite congested now; you want to encourage the continued development of these young players by giving them steady playing time, you do not want to stunt their growth by having them be cheerleaders

The roster is full of solid, decent players who all deserve playing time, but it's a finite resource, someone's going to end up being wasted on the bench

Perhaps they should address this now with a trade before it becomes a problem; an early trade also gives the team a bit more time to gel before the playoffs

Thad has a bone bruise on his right foot, he's not gonna play till the opening game. Mostly just a precaution.

[Wizop]

Perhaps they should address this now with a trade before it becomes a problem; an early trade also gives the team a bit more time to gel before the playoffs

I can see DC or CoJo giving up PT to newcomers but I think we will keep the gang together. now next summer is another matter.

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[Topofthekey]

I think let's just trade Bogie

Myles/Domas/KoQ
Thad/Leaf
Doug/Tyreke
Vic/CoJo
DC/Sumner/Holiday

With him gone it would open up some minutes for Sumner and maybe Holiday as well

[Wizop]

I think let's just trade Bogie

Myles/Domas/KoQ
Thad/Leaf
Doug/Tyreke
Vic/CoJo
DC/Sumner/Holiday

With him gone it would open up some minutes for Sumner and maybe Holiday as well

trading CoJo makes more sense to me but that would be poor reward for someone who opted in early. any trade now needs to take TTT into account. can't preach Trust and Together if you play the it's a business card. then again, Lance is gone and the bench is remade.

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[Pacers_Freak]

I think let's just trade Bogie

Myles/Domas/KoQ
Thad/Leaf
Doug/Tyreke
Vic/CoJo
DC/Sumner/Holiday

With him gone it would open up some minutes for Sumner and maybe Holiday as well

Meh..... Leaves you quite weak on the wing. McDermott has done nothing to show me he can be a starter. He is a 16 min a night guy and if he gets hot let him roll. Him in the starting lineup would give me nightmares. Not sure he could stop me off the bounce.

[Scoot McGroot]

I think either Collison or CoJo could be the one dealt, and likely only into the season, and likely only if Holiday and Somner show themselves truly ready for the nba level night in and out.