Three questions the Pacers face heading into training camp
With training camp about to tip off, here’s what to watch for as your favorite team prepares for the 2015-16 season. Some of these questions will be answered quickly; others could linger into the regular season. Either way, here are three things that will define the first month of this new season:
Can small ball work?
The Pacers are going through a considerable identity change. Gone are the days of Roy Hibbert and David West patrolling the paint and bullying undersized opponents. Now, the team is adopting small ball, shifting a semi-reluctant Paul George to power forward to leverage the team's speed and athleticism with an up tempo style. Can it work? Sure. Still, George has almost exclusively played on the wing throughout his career, and the interior trio of Ian Mahinmi, Myles Turner and Jordan Hill might be too limited to make a playoff push. There will be growing pains; it's just a matter of how long it takes the Pacers to overcome them.
Will Paul George return to All-Star form?
This is perhaps the most important question of all. Indiana will only make the playoffs if George returns to his All-Star-level production of two years ago. He doesn't have to necessarily be as good as he was before his injury, but he better be darn close. The slightest of drop-offs means that Monta Ellis, George Hill, Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles will need to pickup the offensive and/or defensive load, which isn't promising. The East is deeper this season, and while the Paces certainly have the talent to be in the thick of the playoff race, they need a star to make some noise. If George can return to being a top-15 talent, the Pacers will be in good shape.
What's Indiana's ceiling?
The predictions for the Pacers next season are all over the place. Some pundits see them vying for home-court advantage, while others think they'll barely miss the playoffs. Paul George sees them fighting for top-3 status in the East. The reality, of course, is probably somewhere in the middle. The Pacers have enough talent on paper, but may find themselves relying to heavily on inconsistent perimeter players and flawed big men. They will likely be worse than the Cavaliers, Hawks, Bulls and Heat, joining the Wizards, Raptors, Celtics and Bucks in the next tier of playoff contenders. Though the first two questions will determine whether they make the playoffs or not, the Pacers are one of the hardest teams to project.
