Your official BigBasketball 2015/16 NBA season preview - now with 15% more childish humour

[stewie griffen]

Disappointed no JR segue mention

Definitely

Needs gif sos

 

[djrossie16]

As always stellar work Son of Skeletor. I've been quiet I know. That damn finals series took a lot out of me. Still recovering.
I'm was of the opinion it was a mistake giving Love that massive contract. But it's done so they have to live with it. I felt they could have built better pieces but he's a good player won't go on too much about it. To be fair before he got injured it felt like things were really starting to gel offensively.
Tristan is a playoff beast so gathering together what ever leftovers they have and retaining him for the long term would be wise.
Let's see how long it takes to get Kyrie back. For any other team it would be a blow but you'd expect the Cavs to absorb his absence as well as any team. Only injury to Lebron would stop them getting back to the finals. In the early part of last season Lebron had a very slow start. If you can recall there were question marks on whether he cbf. Not sure they'll be any real pressure on them to contest the regular season after the mess they made out of Atlanta in the playoffs. I think they'll be content to just hang around the top and peak at the finals.

 

[jod23]

LeBron does need more rings. He will have a good chance at getting one this coming season.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Disappointed no JR segue mention

Definitely

Needs gif sos

Tough crowd - done!

As always stellar work Son of Skeletor. I've been quiet I know. That damn finals series took a lot out of me. Still recovering.

You bleed more for your boys than Delly mate

Consider yourself quoted.

 

[stewie griffen]

Just to add on taj, turns out was playing on a torn ankle ligament throughout the playoffs

 

[Son of Skeletor]

2014/15 Record: 41-41 (3rd in Central, 6th in East), lost 4-2 to Bulls in first round

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #26 offensively, ranked #4 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: Michael Carter-Williams (14.1 ppg), Zaza Pachulia (6.8 rpg), Michael Carter-Williams (5.6 apg)


New Bucks: Greg Monroe (3/50), Greivis Vasquez (trade), Chris Copeland (1/min)

Old Deers: Ersan Ilyasova (Pistons), Zaza Pachulia (Mavs), Jared Dudley (Wizards), Kendall Marshall (Sixers)

Draft: SG Rashad Vaughn (#17)

Notable: Re-signed Khris Middleton (5/70)


The Lowdown

Well that was unexpected.

Fresh from years of ridicule over becoming the ultimate road-to-nowhere franchise, the Bucks defied expectations to vault to the heady region of a .500 record and a first round playoff exit. Now after the swiftest of rebuilds, they're the toast of lower-middle class teams everywhere - ah, never change NBA.

Of course we're being factitious - there's a lot going on, both on and off the court, that makes Milwaukee a deserving (if well overdue) good-news story in 2015. The roster abounds with youth, athleticism and even charisma, while things off the court have never looked better. Something, something arena deal, something something ka-ching.

Don't look now, but Milwaukee is sucking everything that's cool out of Manhattan, and moving it all Midwest. First they recruited their glamorous new owners outta NY, then they fleeced Brooklyn of their up-and-coming young coach. Now having stolen coveted free agent Greg Monroe from under the Knicks' noses, it seems the Bucks won't be satisfied until they've completely devoured the Big Apple's soul...

Now that they're winning coaches, players, casual hearts and perhaps even their own fans back, the next stop for the Bucks will be to actually win a playoff series or two. Of course it won't be as easy as all that - there's the not so insignificant hurdles of inexperience (OJ Mayo is now the most experienced player on the roster!), unfamiliarity (a lot of new pieces for Jason Kidd to incorporate) and improving an offence that was lethal only to eyeballs at times last season to overcome.

But for all that there's no denying that for the first time in a long time, the Bucks may be giving the rest of the league cause to fear the deer; where precious momentum carries them, only time will tell...


The Roster

GUARD: The only thing bigger than the potential size of Milwaukee's backcourt is the question that will dog it all season - did the Bucks choose the right course here?

Brandon Knight had his foibles as a lead guard, but there's no question that the Bucks looked a better team before the trade that sent him to Phoenix than after. Michael Carter-Williams's faults are equally well known (cue stewie 'shot chart' griffin), but the question of the wisdom of the trade is a complicated one.

While MCW's wingspan and instincts suit Kidd's manic trapping defensive schemes down to the ground, the shooting fall-off from Knight (104 threes made at 41%) to Carter-Williams (four threes made at 14%) was significant to say the least, particularly for a team which had enough trouble scoring to begin with. And while Knight was never a natural playmaker, MCW's assist rate and assist/turnover ratio were virtually identical, which would concern the Bucks more than anything. Now that Milwaukee finally has a legitimate inside scoring threat in Monroe, it further seems that Carter-Williams is miscast as a ball dominant, poor-shooting floor general.

On the other hand the Bucks weren't so bad with Carter Williams on the floor last season, and it could reasonably be expected that a full off-season's preparation might cut those unsightly turnover numbers. Moreover it might be argued that by avoiding paying Knight a big contract, the Bucks found the room to add a badly needed frontcourt scorer in Monroe - it will be intriguing to see how it plays out over the coming eighteen months.

Milwaukee (by consensus, wisely) ponied up the dough to retain Khris Middleton, whose marked improvements in his defensive game only made his efficient offensive game appear that much more valuable to the offensively-challenged Bucks. Unlike MCW, he figures to be a logical complement to Monroe's inside game - Middleton's lethal perimeter shot was arguably under-utilised by the Bucks last season. At 6'7 he's a big two-guard, but that seems to be the way Kidd likes 'em.

There's a lot of depth behind the starters, although the quality of the help is open for debate. Greivis Vasquez brings yet more size to the guard position, although he'll hardly add to Milwaukee's defensive prowess. Still, he's a better long-range shooter and passer than Jerryd Bayless and probably projects as a better option as third guard. Meanwhile OJ Mayo will similarly provide instant offence off the bench, although he'd probably want to lift those shooting percentages - even allowing for Middleton playing some minutes at forward, it's hard to escape the conclusion that one of Mayo or Bayless will be squeezed out of the rotation, probably the latter. There's yet more depth at hand in the form of youngsters Tyler Ennis and first round pick Rashad Vaughn, both of whom will struggle to see action this season.

FORWARD: This is where the Bucks get really interesting - no young forward combination in the NBA is as intriguing as the pairing of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker.

After an abrupt early ending to his first year in Milwaukee and a large roster turnover in the meantime, 2015-16 looms as something of a repeat 'rookie' season for Parker, who was just starting to show glimpses of his offensive potential before he did his ACL. Whether he or Antetokounmpo eventually solidify themselves as the nominal 'power forward' in the starting line-up is of secondary importance compared to the further development of Parker's shooting range - now that he'll find himself playing alongside a genuine low-post force in Monroe, Parker's (and Milwaukee's eventual) effectiveness will hinge on whether his presence allows the Bucks to properly space the floor. A template might be found in Sacramento where Cousins and Gay have been able to work reasonably well together.

Despite fanciful notions that he might become history's tallest point guard or most unconventional centre, Antetokounmpo spent the entire 2014-15 season playing forward. Although he still defies definition as a basketball player, his long arms and quickness seem best suited to a roaming role in the frontcourt - he's at his best disrupting the passing lanes on defence and in the open court at the other end. While his outside shooting regressed from his rookie season, Giannis's overall play was much improved - there were encouraging signs that beneath the freakish athletic exterior a real basketball player was emerging. Which is not to say we can't enjoy Freaky moments like this:




Depth is a bit light-on here after the departure of veterans Ilyasova and Dudley, so it might be reasonably expected that Middleton will see a lot of time at small forward as Parker continues to rehabilitate. John Henson, yet another athletic specimen with barely tapped potential probably figures to see minutes here too.

CENTRE: After cutting loose their break-dancing giraffe and finding nothing easy about NBA life with a role-player at centre, the Bucks went and bagged themselves a Moose.

If casual observers were curious about Monroe's decision to eschew the bright lights of NY and LA for sleepy Milwaukee, league-pass addicts (and Detroit fans) will be more curious to see how Monroe performs in what he feels is his natural position at centre. The Bucks could certainly use his scoring ability in the half-court, although whether they have the requisite shooters to take advantage of his low-post game and passing ability remains to be seen. Shooting the three was one of the few things Milwaukee did well offensively last season (7th in the NBA by percentage), but most of those shooters (Knight, Dudley, Ilyasova) have since moved on. Whether the likes of MCW and the Greek Freak are natural playing partners for Monroe is the unanswered $50 million question, although some believe that the Bucks possess enough flexibility to make it work.

There will also be questions to answered at the defensive end when it comes to Monroe's fit with Milwaukee's young core. Monroe's certainly no shot-blocker, and neither does he possess the swiftness of foot that the Bucks boast in spades on the perimeter. On the other hand the Bucks did just fine last year with a similar type in Pachulia, while Detroit line-ups featuring Monroe at centre (sans Drummond and Smith) were very respectable defensively. Milwaukee also undoubtedly coveted his defensive boardwork, a rare area of weakness at that end of the court last season (24th in NBA).

John Henson probably figures to be Monroe's primary back-up here rather than partner in crime, particularly if the Bucks are serious about solving their offensive spacing issues. Many wondered if Monroe's signing would signal Henson's departure via trade, but Milwaukee reportedly see him as part of their long-term core. He flatters to deceive at the offensive end, but can cause disruptions at the other end of the court with his shot-blocking prowess. His game is eerily reminiscent of former Laker Elden Campbell's.

Miles Plumlee is pretty good insurance as a third string centre. If Parker is unavailable early doors, he might see regular playing time with Henson sliding over to PF.


Pick & Pop - where we pick at a few scabs and pour salt into the wound

In the Gun: MCW

Monroe and Middleton may have got the big money, but it's the former ROTY whose game will be dissected daily in Wisconsin. He's going to have to learn a few tricks from his coach about how a suspect outside shot need not necessarily hinder a floor general from helping his team. Passing more often, and more accurately, would be a start.

Is a Gun: Middleton

Has trodden the Parsons path from second round pick to highly paid gun in three short years. It probably bears repeating how much he helps this team on the court.

Needs Improvement: Offensive everything.

They were 29th in turnovers, which means decision-making is top of the fix-it list. Putting the ball in Monroe and Middleton's hands more often and MCW's less would be a good place to start, while Vasquez will also need to tread finely the line between floor spacer and ball-dominant distributor. They probably could, and should, run more.

Big Question: Have the Bucks rebuilt too quickly for their own good?

This ties into the age-old Milwaukee dilemma vis-a-vis building a contender vs remaining competitive. Would the Bucks have been better off taking the virtually unprotected Lakers' pick instead of rolling the dice with MCW, or biding their time before splashing out on a playoff virgin in Monroe? On the other hand Milwaukee's roster remains very young, and there's still untapped potential galore in the the form of Jabari, Giannis, MCW, Henson and even Middleton. Re. Monroe, sometimes momentum matters.


And now, a word from our sponsors:

https://espngrantland.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/mcw_1152.jpg?w=694

Goldsberry notes that he is the only player in the NBA who has attempted 200 mid-range shots and made less than 30 percent, and that Carter-Williams is only slightly better on 3-pointers, ranking 200 of 202 players who have attempted more than 100.

I dont even need to write anything

Theres an article looking at the mechanics of his shot here, going back to his rookie year.

http://www.libertyballers.com/featu...chael-carter-williams-sixers-dante-exum-draft.

His release, whilst not great, isnt particularly horrible, but the feet position is all over the shop.

Whilst he is young...he's not really that young anymore, just turning 24. For comparisons sake, thats Lillard age. Your mid 20's is not when you want to ideally be rebuilding your lower body mechanics of jump shooting.

That said, he abused Rose on the block in the playoffs last season so its not all bad news. Surrounding him with guys that can shoot the ball is one way on counteracting that horrible jump shot, which is some ways makes the Monroe signing surprising to me. MCW is at his best when getting to the rim and any lineups using Monroe at the 4 are going to hurt their spacing to some degree.

And somehow we need to get this in lol

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-completely-misses-lob-pass-to-jerryd-bayless

The Magic Eight Ball:

Don't be surprised if there's a continuation of last year's late-season teething problems with this young group. Most of the heady veterans (Dudley, Pachulia) have gone, while those who remain are either raw pups or new to the team, if not both. Adjustments will need to be made at both ends of the court with regards to personnel.

Despite the young talent on the roster and the Eastern Conference's ongoing weakness, the Bucks are not yet ready to reach the relatively heady heights of 50-win seasons or home-court playoff advantage, let alone true contention. MCW, Giannis and even Jabari, for all their potential, cannot be counted upon to lead Milwaukee beyond the level of intriguing curio and playoff nuisance... for now.

 

[stewie griffen]

Because i cant be bothered figuring out how to send it to you another way Son of Skeletor, doesnt want to attach to a private convo

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Good to see John Henson get some props. I really rate him and think he'll be a valuable piece this season.

 

[Hipster Doofus]

I love those new uniforms, I want to see MCW flourish under Kidd.

 

[peternorth]

I love those new uniforms, I want to see MCW flourish under Kidd.

i will strongly consider purchasing a bucks shirt

 

[jod23]

I like the Bucks. Just getting back Parker will help immensely. You still worry about floor spacing and shooting.

The NBA goes through different era's and right now it's the era of the shooter. Nothing is more important in the NBA than being able to shoot. It's a big reason why the Warriors are the champs. The Bucks are horrible offensively and have no shooters. Monroe and Parker will help them score but they wont spread the floor and the Bucks still cant shoot the three.

Who doesnt love Middleton though?

 

[stewie griffen]

So last season....





Well the Pistons cut Smoove lose, and unsurprisingly losing the highest usage guy on the team with the worst TS% had a positive impact.

Whilst they finished the season well, beating the Cavs and Spurs on the road, a 5-23 start was the death knell.

2014/15 Record: 32-50

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #17 offensively, ranked #21 defensively (and 26 in TS%)

2014/15 Leaders: Monroe (15.9 ppg), Drummon (13.5 rpg), Jennings (6.6 apg)

New: Ilyasova, Marcus Morris, Baynes, Blake

Draft: Stanley Johnson, Darrun Hilliard

Guards Reggie Jackson, Steve Blake, Brandon Jennings

Reggie Jackson re-upped for a *tonne of coin, whilst Jennings is an 8.3 million expiring. 80 million is a hell of a price to pay for Westbrooks old backup. Reggie can score the ball for fun, attack the rim and hit the 3-10 footer (43% in that range, a vast improvement over Jennings and DJ). His pick n roll game with Dre is something to behold, with Reggie being the highest synergy ranked guy in pick and roll point production.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/35661203@N05/17086037047/

The replacement of Monroe with Ersan should open up lanes for Reggie to attack. Unfortunately his range doesn't extend much past 16 feet


Still, I'm of the opinion that they had to keep Reggie, and with the cap going up its not that big a price to pay.... hell its not as if they signed Josh Smith....

Paying Reggie tho, means that Jennings should be playing the bench gunner role, if he can be happy doing that..... He doesnt return from the Achilles till December-ish, but I'd not be surprised if he found himself on the trade block come deadline time.

Of course Jennings has his own foibles, being hot and cold from deep, sub par at the rim and not the greatest defensive player around, although his post Smith numbers were great.

Blake will provide some vet leadership and shooting from the backup role in the meantime.

KCP, Meeks, Reggie Bullock

KCP is the best perimeter defender on the roster and hasnt missed a game through injury in his career. He saw a 6.8ppg increase in scoring, averaging 12.7ppg, doubling his rookie scoring production. A further increase in production should be on the cards this season, and KCP should establish himself as a future All Star... well maybe in the East its possible. As the team finds its feet, the lanes should open up and with shooters in the mix, more free looks will be around from deep. One thing he has to sort out is his production in away games, putting up 15.8ppg on .444 and .387 from deep at hoime vs 9.6, .342 and .265 on the road.

Meeks is a solid enough bench option

Stanley Johnson, Marcus Morris, Danny Granger

If the shitter Morris keeps himself out of jail and away from his brother.... Look2Me4Guidance can provide some guidance on what to expect here

Johnson is tailor made for this roster and was great in Summer League. He's a real ROY candidate this season, coming in at 245 and 6'7", he's got a pro body, but will need to develop his jumper. Defensively he looked decent as well, albeit... Summer League Stan has toyed with the idea of playing him at the 2 if need be as well.

www.gifs.com/gif/y0NdZ5

www.gifs.com/gif/y3JeQd

Granger, if fit. Seems we said something like that last year.... and the year before. Veteran leadership off the bench, can shoot, and won't be expected to contribute that much.... if Johnson can develop into a starting calibre player.

Ilyasova, Tolliver, Drummond, Baynes

In Ersan, Detroit gets itself the stretch 4 they have always wanted, or do they? He shot 44% from the 3 the last 2 seasons, but only took 34% of his shots from deep. Meanwhile Tolliver takes some 70% of his shots from 3. He can put the ball on the floor and is reasonable defensively in the pick and roll, and comes under a cap friendly deal.

Similarly, Morris offers a big who can split between the 3 and 4 if need be, can shoot... well sometimes, post and is an above average rebounder.

Baynes.... wow, that contract.... thats possibly the biggest overpay of the off season. Backup, sure, but given Drummonds foul shooting, if they find themselves in close games there's a real possibility Baynes will see extended minutes. He can shoot the ball from midrange, which opens up the lane further, and can slot into the 4 against the likes of Memphis, Chitown or the SPurs.

Drummond is a beast. I'm not going to say anything you don't already know. Great defender, great rebounder, great dunker, poor shooter

In the Gun: SVG

He's got the dual hat of coach and GM, now we find out if he's any good at either.

Is a Gun: Drummond

Beast.

Needs Improvement: Everything.

A lot of their defensive numbers were hangovers from Smith. With Johnson and KCP on the wings and Reggie at point suddenly they have 3 legitimate defenders to provide some measure of protection for Dre. Their shooting projects to improve with their off season additions, along with the loss of Monroe opening up the paint this should provide a more efficient offense

Big Question: Can the youngsters handle it?

Detroit are still a young team, and we are talking Johnson coming in as either a starter or playing significant minutes, along with Reggie and KCP taking steps forward.


And now, a word from our sponsors:
Drumroe after losing his namesake

Predictions
I'm thinking the Pistons will be in the market for a 40 win season and around the mark for the 7th or 8th spot in the east

 

[djrossie16]

Steve Blake

 

[Drumroe]

Will have my input by this time next week. Awesome stuff Stewie, not much I disagree with. Think Granger will likely be cut from the 15.
15 wi ll look like:
Jackson, Jennings, Dinwiddie, Bake
KCP, Meeks, Hilliard
Morris, Johnson, Bullock
Ilyasova, Tolliver
Drummond, Baynes, Anthony

Baynes, while an overpay was really our only option. Other teams would've given him the full MLE, so we needed to go a bit higher, and we needed a backup centre who could hit free throws and hes one of the best bigmen in the league from the line.

Hoping Reggie can produce like he did in his last 16 or so games of the season where he averaged like 18 and 10 on 50/40/80.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Marcus Morris. Let's face it, he's a total head case. Can Stan control him? Maybe. His ideal spot is the 3. Above average rebounder at that position and can drain the 3 ball. The issue is that he's bi-polar and not just in his head. His shooting is either hot or cold and not much in between. Will never be much more than a backup 3 and sometime 4 but if he can focus on basketball he might be a good acquisition. Will back him to get ejected in the first game against the Suns though.

 

[djrossie16]

Will have my input by this time next week. Awesome stuff Stewie, not much I disagree with. Think Granger will likely be cut from the 15.
15 wi ll look like:
Jackson, Jennings, Dinwiddie, Bake
KCP, Meeks, Hilliard
Morris, Johnson, Bullock
Ilyasova, Tolliver
Drummond, Baynes, Anthony

Baynes, while an overpay was really our only option. Other teams would've given him the full MLE, so we needed to go a bit higher, and we needed a backup centre who could hit free throws and hes one of the best bigmen in the league from the line.

Hoping Reggie can produce like he did in his last 16 or so games of the season where he averaged like 18 and 10 on 50/40/80.

I believe you showed a glimpse of what you're capable of mid season when you were went on a winning run beating good team. I think with SVG at the helm and the roster improvements things are looking pretty damn good. Really keen to see if Reggie steps it up and really becomes the man this season.

 

[stewie griffen]

The issue i think Detroit face is they are in with the 'improving' teams out East.

Indiana and Miami project to be better, Orlando look like they are going to take a step forward, the Knicks might actually be 25% competitive, Boston think they have a solid core to continue their progression, Charlotte look to improve after losing Lance, Washington are looking to consolidate a good year

Ultimately tho, there are only so many wins to go around, and for every team that takes a step forward someone has to take steps back. There's some candidates in there to win less games, certainly i think Atlanta will come back to the pack a little, Cleveland will probably win a few more, the Bulls could lose a few in there too. I'd guess that the Raps lose some ground, and maybe the Bucks don't progress as much as we all think, and Boston (and the Nyets) i could see sliding back as well

 

[Son of Skeletor]

Great stuff stewie griffen , probably my favourite preview yet.

Drumroe I'd be interested to get your opinion on Drummond's defensive chops - some conjecture that he still needs to improve at that end?

Baynes, while an overpay was really our only option. Other teams would've given him the full MLE, so we needed to go a bit higher, and we needed a backup centre who could hit free throws and hes one of the best bigmen in the league from the line.

From this line?

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Go Spurs go!!

My tip for the NBA Championship

 

[Son of Skeletor]

2014/15 Record: 38-44 (4th in Central, 9th in East), DNQ

2014/15 Stats: Ranked #23 offensively, ranked #7 defensively

2014/15 Leaders: George Hill (16.1 ppg), Roy Hibbert (7.1 rpg), George Hill (5.1 apg)


In-diana: Monta Ellis (4/44), Jordan Hill (1/5), Chase Budinger (trade), Glenn Robinson III (3/min), Toney Douglas (1/min)

Out-diana: Roy Hibbert (Lakers), David West (Spurs), Luis Scola (Raptors), CJ Watson (Magic), Damjan Rudez (Wolves)

Draft: C Myles Turner (#11), F Rakeem Christmas (#36), G Joe Young (#43)

Notable: Re-signed Rodney Stuckey (3/21) & Lavoy Allen (3/12)


The Lowdown

Vale Smashmouth TM basketball.

You've gotta give Larry Bird and the Pacers props for having the cojones to plow their own path. In recent years Indy has zigged while the rest of the league zagged, believing that big and bad could be just as beautiful. A throwback to the successful Pacer teams of yore, Frank Vogel's bunch bruised and bullied their way to within spitting distance of ultimate success in 2013. They didn't win any points for style, but they brought a nostalgic tear to the eye of those raised on rough & tumble 90's basketball.

However by 2015 a combination of attrition, regression, stupidity and plain bad luck has seen best-laid Pacer plans go awry, and Bird has decided to change track - and how!

Gone are the dinosaurs and pensioners of the Smashmouth-era Pacers - no more will Roy Hibbert clog the Indy paint at both ends, and never again will the YMCA games of David West and Luis Scola virtually guarantee that Pacer games remain an ESPN-free zone. It's time to meet a new team in Indiana - one that might finally put the 'pace' back in Pacers.

Of course there are still enormous question marks over the wisdom of this almighty change of direction, not least in current balance and composition of the roster...

Hill/Douglas(?)/Ellis(?)
Ellis/Stuckey/Miles
George(?)/S.Hill/Miles/Budinger
J.Hill/Allen/George(?)
Mahinmi/Turner

George Hill will be the point guard, and Paul George will get a lot of minutes at forward - beyond that, good luck guessing Vogel's starting line-up come opening night, let alone the distribution of minutes up and down this unorthodox roster. If the Pacers plan to open up their hitherto constipated offence - and all indications are that they do - it's hard to avoid the conclusion that any combination of Jordan Hill, Lavoy Allen and Ian Mahinmi (the three most established bigs on the roster) will make this nigh on impossible.

The further inescapable conclusion is that either the Pacers are REALLY high on the potential of top pick Myles Turner, or that Paul George will indeed be seeing significant minutes at the 'four' (likely a little from column A & column B). That's the only way that Indy will be able to avoid the type of clogged-toilet offence that hastened Hibbert's departure to LA, let alone make it possible for Vogel to find minutes for all those shooting guards and small forwards.

So give Indy and Bird their dues - when they go, they go large. Even when they go small.


The Roster

GUARD: They may not be the most orthodox group in the league, and certainly none were born ready (sorry) to be a classical point guard... but when it comes to creating offence off the dribble drive, the Pacer guards have it all covered.

Lost amid the drama of Paul George's sickening injury and Lance Stephenson's douchiness departure was the fact that George Hill a career year in 2014/15. After the Pacer offence unsurprisingly spluttered out of the gates with the team deprived of three previous starters (Hill, Lance, George), Hill's return heralded a revival in Indy's fortunes. He seemed to relish the responsibility of driving the offence as opposed to merely deferring as previously - he lifted his per36 averages markedly from a pedestrian 11 & 4 to a blistering 20 & 6, simultaneously increasing his PER from 13.4 to 21.5.

With George's re-integration into the line-up and the signing of another ball-dominant guard in Monta Ellis, it's to be expected that Hill's numbers will take a dip from those gaudy heights. Indy will live with that, but they still desperately need him to retain the assertiveness he so impressively demonstrated in 2014/15. While nobody will confuse him with John Stockton, he's the closest thing to a true point guard on the roster - he's also by far the best defender of the bunch.

Rodney Stuckey also surprised many with a strong bounce-back year in Indiana after wearing out his welcome in Detroit. His ability to create a shot off the dribble has never been in question, but his ability to hit the outside shot consistently was a pleasant development. The Pacers obviously liked what they saw, because they gave him a significant pay-rise in July. He's not really point guard material, or even starter material for that matter, but as 6th man he gives Indy's bench potency and his coach the opportunity to keep two shot-creators on the court at all times.

The third and most intriguing of Indiana's triumvirate of hybrid guards is marquee off-season signing Monta Ellis. The fit is curious to say the least - how he meshes with his fellow guards, with superstar-in-waiting George, with the offensively challenged Indy front-court and not least with his old-school coach in Vogel... is anyone's guess.

Indy's anemic offence definitely needed a kickstart from somewhere, but the overlap in skill-sets with Stuckey (in particular), and to a lesser extent with Hill and George is hard to overlook. Still Monta remains one of the most explosive scorers in the league and a potent weapon down the stretch:



Ellis is a more creative passer than Stuckey, which is an upgrade that Indy could benefit from. I say could because playing with the likes of Mahinmi, J. Hill and Allen doesn't bring with it quite the same advantages as does sharing a court with one Dirk Nowitzki. If the Pacers need more shooting from this position - neither Monta nor Stuckey are exactly sharpshooters from distance - they can always go with feast-or-famine option CJ Miles.

FORWARD: If you can figure this logjam out, you're doing better than me.

Let's start with the obvious - Paul George (health willing) will be getting 30-35 minutes at one forward position or another. It's probably worth taking a minute to re-acquaint ourselves with the player the Pacers will be hoping to get back:



As one of the few legitimate two-way forces in the NBA, George's potential return to health means everything to Indy. If he regains his powers, the Pacers can dare to dream about building a contender around his considerable talents. If however his game is diminished on account of the horrific injury suffered, then it leaves the team in no-man's land, and with no obvious means of regaining their former contender status. Fingers crossed for all concerned.

There's an absolute glut of options behind PG at the three - the aforementioned streak shooter Miles, the rugged Solomon Hill and the newly-acquired Chase Budinger. If and when Vogel experiments with George as a stretch-four, the Pacers might well opt to fill the SF hole by committee, alternating between shooting and defence as needs dictate.

At power forward, one presumes that the first two somewhat conventional cabs off the rank will be Jordan Hill and Lavoy Allen, not necessarily in that order. Hill had an interesting season in LA, increasing his shooting range and volume (more than 38% of his shots came outside 16 feet, converting a passable 39%) at the cost of diminishing his most valuable skill - offensive rebounding. Two seasons ago Hill grabbed an eye-popping 20% of all available offensive boards - last season that figure had halved.

Lavoy Allen brings a similar skillset as an above-average offensive board workman with 37% accuracy on his ranged jump-shot. He's less capable offensively than Hill, but is probably the better defender. Bluntly, neither Hill nor Allen are exactly going to put the fear of God into opponents at either end of the floor. With the abundance of guard penetration that Indy expects to bring this season, now would be a good time to bring up how much they're going to miss David West's shooting touch.

CENTRE: Roy who?

I've got Myles Turner penciled in here rather than Hill because he brings something to the table - namely a shot-blocking presence in the paint - that the Pacers have hitherto prized in their big men (cough, verticality, cough). While we're on the subject of bringing things to the table, Turner demonstrated an impressive post fadeaway move and outside shooting touch at college and in summer league, skills which largely elude both Hill and Allen, not to mention Indy's erstwhile Hibbert-lite Ian Mahinmi. In short, Turner in theory brings most of the skills needed to play with a bevy of penetrating guards - in theory. But while the Pacers doubtless have high hopes for their first lottery draftee since a certain Paul George, it might be asking a bit much for a rookie to play the lynch-pin role in this newfangled small-ball modus operandi.

The sobering alternatives to Turner at the pivot in this brave new post-verticality world are Hill - passable on offence, slipshod defensively and undersized - or a big Frenchman who shoots free-throws successfully roughly 30% of the time. Ah, the agony of choice.


Pick & Pop - where we pick our nose and hope for the best

In the Gun: Monta's a monty here.

The Pacers splashed out $44 million in the hope that he could help take the pressure off the still-recovering George and lift the offence in general beyond the level of schiessenhausen. With Hibbert no longer around to suffer the slings and arrows, the Mississippi Bullet has it all... to do.

Is a Gun: George

Paul, George and a couple of others once sang something or other about how happiness was a hot gun. When it comes to PG, we concur. Seriously, it'd suck majorly if we were no longer to say this in the present tense. Coming back earlier than anticipated gives us all cause for cautious optimism.

Needs improvement: Putting the ball in the large hoop thingy.

Indy ranked in the bottom half of the league when it came to basically every important offensive category. We'll let you know how more playing time for the likes of Ian Mahinmi and Lavoy Allen goes with fixing that...

Big Question: Are the Pacers hedging their bets?

On one hand you've got the makings of a good young core in Hill, George and Turner. On the other hand, you've got Larry Bird handing out $65 million to veteran guards in Ellis and Stuckey and signing journeymen like J. Hill. To be sure none of these players are grey-beards yet, but they are the kind of signings you'd expect from a team moving into contention mode. The Pacers were in that mode 12 months ago - do they still believe they're thereabouts? Or are they merely attempting to rebuild on-the-run?


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The Magic Eight Ball:

I've gotta be honest - I keep looking at that big-man rotation and wondering how the hell Indy are going to pull this off. When you employ Monta Ellis, then you probably also want to have a big with shooting range, or at least a gold-standard defensive stopper at the other end - ideally you want both.

J. Hill, Mahinmi and Allen are all essentially variations of the same player - a role playing big off the bench. They're not playoff-level starters. Myles Turner seems the most likely fit, but he's played exactly zero NBA games, which incidentally equals the amount of games that Paul George has played power forward in his life. Indy have some interesting pieces, but as currently constructed they're a quick first-round out at best.

 

[Look2Me4Guidance]

Paul George. The Pacers simply will live and die by his output this year. Would expect Stuckey to feature heavily in crunch time, along with Monta and Hill (Suns fan here, it can work). If PG gets up and going may just give this franchise the spark it needs to cause some trouble in a first round series.

 

[stewie griffen]

Mired in mediocrity.

As it stands they are neither competing or tanking. We shall see how that changes as the season progresses.

Sure they could compete for a playoff spot, it is the East after all, but PG is back from a year off, Monta be Monta and George Hill is a crab.

 

[smashh]

Mired in mediocrity.

As it stands they are neither competing or tanking. We shall see how that changes as the season progresses.

Sure they could compete for a playoff spot, it is the East after all, but PG is back from a year off, Monta be Monta and George Hill is a crab.

Pretty hard to tank in the East. Even if they get rid of everyone bar PG and add a bunch of 2nd rounders, they're still a borderline Playoff team in the East. At least this way they'll (probably) make the playoffs and give them a chance to win a series, add assets along the way and build from there. (See also, Boston)

 

[stewie griffen]

Pretty hard to tank in the East. Even if they get rid of everyone bar PG and add a bunch of 2nd rounders, they're still a borderline Playoff team in the East. At least this way they'll (probably) make the playoffs and give them a chance to win a series, add assets along the way and build from there. (See also, Boston)

New York didnt even have to try

 

[jod23]

I dont think PG will struggle to return. It was a broken leg, it wasnt an ACL or anything like that. Broken legs mend. You just need to find your confidence again. It's ligament injuries that can derail careers.