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With a starting schedule of Detroit, Boston, Phoenix and Cleveland, most Pacers’ fans would be happy with a 1-3 record.  But with the way this team has been playing, you realize they are capable of doing so much better.  They have been playing without at least 1 starter and the last 2 games without 2 starters and were still competitive and had chances to win in each game.

What I got from their first three games as a sign of this team’s potential, is that as of right now they are not a competitor for their division. (at the beginning of the year that thought would not have even come up) A division contender would have gone 2-2 through that stretch.  On the positive note, this team is a solid playoff team in the East and when Mike Dunleavy comes back and if he’s healthy, this team could upset teams in the playoffs.

Cleveland Loss:

This team must take care of the ball.  I said that in my last post as one of the things that is a key for this team and they showed why it hurts them again in this game.  I realize this team has more posessions than most teams in the NBA because of their pace, but their is no excuse to have 24 turnovers on the night.  Even Danny Granger contributed 6 TOs.  If they are going to be a good playoff team, they must take care of the ball plain and simple. They need to stop giving up over 20 turnovers.

V. New Jersey Tonight:

The Pacers should have no problem with this matchup.  They have better players all the way around and do not have to worry about a low post threat seeing that the Nets do not have one.  This team just needs to keep playing good defense (besides the Cleveland game) and moving the ball like they have done in the first four games.  If they do that and take care of the ball (of course), this game should be a blowout.  I expect them to win by double digits in this one.  At least 10, maybe even 15.

The Pacers have an easy three game stretch where they can right their record and give them a few needed wins.

Let me know what you think this team’s biggest weaknesses and strengths are so far this season.  And how have they played compared to your expectations/what does it mean for the rest of the year?

Without two starters, this Pacers team did a solid job against Phoenix.  What I was afraid would happen did happen though.  They were dominated on the inside.  Stoudemire had his 2nd highest point total in his career and had his way all game long.  I was afraid that was going to happen (see last episode).

The Pacers blew a chance to pick up a 2nd consecutive win over a playoff team.  Instead they tired down the stretch and did not really have an answer when Phoenix went on their final run.  Though it is early in the season, this team has to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities from now on if they are going to make it into the playoffs.  They can’t be a team that is competitive in all games but cannot pull out a win.

With that being said, I do not think this team is that kind of team.  they look to be playing together on both sides of the ball.  So much so that their play (not necessarily their record) is one of the biggest surprises in the NBA.  This team took advantage of their advantages on the wings and in the backcourt against Phoenix.  They must continue to do this because that is going to be there advantage over most if not all teams they face.

It is exciting to think of the possibilities of this team.  Once they get Rasho and Mike back from injuries, they will have another big man and their second leading scorer back.  If Marquis Daniels keeps playing like this he will be in contention for NBA’s most improved or 6th man awards.  The guy that might beat him out for most improved could be TJ Ford.  He has taken command of this team and offense better than anyone could have expected.  His assist numbers aren’t as high as people might expect but that is because of how well the team as a whole is moving the ball.  And of course, Danny Granger is morphing into the all-star that everyone in Indiana knew he could be.  This lineup is potent and will be more so when they get their other two starters back.

Cleveland Preview:

This will be a tough game for the Pacers.  In Cleveland after the Cavs have started to look more like a team coming off 2 straight wins.  You always have to worry about Lebron, but the best way to deal with a superstar is taking away the other options he has.  They must contain Mo Williams, Z and Delonte West.  TJ should be fine containing Mo.  Marquis can handle Delonte.  the problem lies with Z who is a bit of a mis match with his length and low block offensive skills.

This is a big early season game.  If the Pacers lose they will drop to 1-3 which is a very different record than 2-2.  Granted, they have the hardest start of the year of any Eastern Conference team, but they still must maintain a good record throughout the games.  This would yet again prove that they are contenders for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  After this, they have 3 cupcake games.  2 v. New Jersey and 1 v. Oklahoma City, so they should not be looking ahead to anything.

I think the Pacers can pull this one out but they will have to take care of the ball, contain Lebron (that’s all on Danny), and take away from Lebron’s help.  If they can do 2 of those 3 then they will pull out a win.

Oh my god.  I cannot believe what I just saw.  A 20+ point lead v. the Celtics and forcing Doc Rivers to basically give up and sit his stars with 5 min in the game.  I never thought I’d see that from Pacers basketball this year. 

This shows how this team can play and shows that they could be a playoff team after all.  They don’t even have Mike Dunleavy and they did this.  The small lineup of Ford, Jack, Daniels, Granger and Foster/Murphy tore apart Boston.  The ball movement was great.  The shot selection was great.  Attaking the basket was great.  Defense was great.  All these things were good and added up to a W.  This team is buying into O’Brien’s offense and it is paying off.  They were fun to watch tonight playing so much team basketball and executing it. 

On top of all of this, the fans packed the fieldhouse and were in the game from the start.  That is the most important part in my books. They neede the fan base back and that was a good start.

Post your comments or send your emails to hosts@pacerscast.com to tell me what this win means to the Pacers this year and in the future.

Turnovers kills them.  That was the difference in the game.  The team played the Pistons close the entire game but could never quite take the lead purely because of having too many turnovers.  They played well on offense.  They could have played better on D.  They got beat too often on the Piston’s penetration and kick out jumpers.  But the team kept in the game with the 2nd best team in the conference.

Mike Wells of the Pacers Insider (link below) said there are no such thing as moral victories in the NBA. It is all about wins and losses.  I think the total opposite.  This team is looking to restore the respect both within the NBA and the fan base.  This first game being competitive instead of a blowout (which it very well could have been) was a great sign that this team can compete.  This was a moral vicory because they are moving on from the past. They gaven the 2nd best team in the conference a good game even with 22 turnovers!! Come on now.  After last year of being dominated by the upper tier teams almost night in and night out.  This seemed like progress and was a moral victory.

The Good:

Danny Granger!! What a beast! He finally showed the aggresiveness and killer instinct I’ve been criticizing him for.  That aggresiveness was the last thing he needed to jump to that upper-tier of players.  He fought and clawed to get back into this game.  He looked like the superstar that was trying to take over down the stretch and he kept this team in the game.  He also showed the ability to take people off the dirbble and create fouls. (something else I criticized him for) He really didn’t settle for jump shots except for just a couple of occasions.  He showed the maturity to put up All-Star numbers this season.

Brandon Rush-He looked like a solid veteran coming onto the floor not a rookie. He was in the flow of the game as soon as he came in.  He played tough defense throughout and was not shy about getting to the hoop and trying to create shots.  He’s already a good shooter, but he showcased his driving ability.  Not huge numbers but great play.

TJ Ford-Not everybody would put him in this category with his 4 TOs and only 5 asts, but he looked like the leader for this team.  He had no problem stepping in and taking charge and managng the offense.  His comfortability and leadership made him a good thing.

Creating fouls-This is something this team did horribly with last year.  In the opener they did a good job of slashing to the basket and getting to the free throw line. Daniels, Granger, Jack, Ford and Rush all stood out as being aggresive going to the hoop.  They out shot the Pistons 29-16 from the free throw line.

The Bad:

Turnovers-I have to put this on here again.  They must and I mean MUST take care of the ball better.  no one really seemed to do that for this team.  This will be key because there are plenty of good defensive teams in the East.

Perimeter Defense-This team did not do a good job of closing down on shooters and often left people wide open. This shows by having Billups, Hamilton, and Prince all in double figures with Stuckey just missing out with 8.  Detroit also shot 46% from the 3-pt line.  This was a problem for the team last year and still needs to be fixed.

Roy Hibbert-He looked like a rookie out there.  He looked lost on both ends of the floor.  He did have a good spin move to create a bucket for himself, but besides that he didn’t reall show up.

Celtics Preview:

I don’t see how this Pacers team will be able to upset the C’s.  Boston has too many good perimeter players.  The Pacers perimeter defense showed me nothing against Detroit that said they could stop anyone.  Now you have the likes of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce coming to IN.  I think those too will ech have big nights.

The PG matchup is going to be one to watch.  These two might be the quickest in the NBA (besides Chris Paul of course).  Rondo and Ford will be running all night long and the matchup will hopefully lean toward the Pacers. 

The interior matchup looks to lean slightly toward the C’s just because of KG.  The Pacers did a good job on the inside v. Detroit, but Sheed and Amir Johnson are no Kevin Garnett.  KG will be himself but I think the Pacers will keep him in check.

Look for Danny Granger to have another big night.  They say Paul Pierce locked down Kobe.  To be honest, it was mostly James Posey and it is a team defensive philosophy so it doesn’t exactly go on his shoulders.  Danny should be able to create on Pierce and hopefully take this game over like he did the last one.

The Pacers are going to come up short in this one, but I think it will be much closer than people think.  Much Closer.

Comment on the blog of email me at hosts@pacerscast.com to get your thoughts in on the upcoming game against Boston or anything Pacers.

I am going to do a live Game blog for the season Opener v. Detroit.  My season preview podcast will hopefully be up by tomorrow.  Check it out.  It has a lot of my takes on what this season might have in store for the Pacers.  About 5-10 til the season kicks off!

Sadly the Pistons broadcast is on NBA League Pass.  Great I’ll be getting a load of Pistons coverage.

Predictable Starting Lineup:

Ford, Daniels, Granger, Murphy, Nesterovic

1st Quarter

11:54-Pistons get the tip and a quick foul on TJ. Not a good way to start off.  Chauncey posted up TJ.  Something I was afraid of.

10:00-Good early lead and got the big men involved early.  Ford did a good job of using his quickness to draw the foul and then get to the hoop.  Good start from him

9:00-Great start!!! Everyone is getting involved.  Need to get Danny off hot and he hit his first.

8:00-Where did Nesterovic get inside moves from???  Can’t complain about a 12-6 lead.

7:00-Jack in for Daniels.  Good move to deal with Marquis not making good decisions and looking a little lost early on.

5:40-TV Timeout.  Pacers looked good early on.  They kind of lost their edge now taking a couple bad shots and not getting back on D but solid so far.

4:00-Rush, Foster and Daniels off the bench.  They need to stop this 9-0 run from Detroit now before they start to get a big deficit.

3:00-Hibbert off the bench as his new slimmed down self.  Looked a little out of place his first time down, but it’s his debut.  I like the aggresiveness from Rush to take it to the basket even if he didn’t convert.  Good job by Jack to draw the foul on Stuckey. 2nd Media timeout.  They need to lock down better on defense.

2:00-Great spin move by Hibbeert.  They need to lock down Tayshaun on the other end.

End of 1st-19-5run by Pistons puts the Pacers down.  They need to come out stronger at the start of the 2nd to avoid going down big.  Tayshaun Prince is winning the battle v. Danny

2nd Quarter

11:00-Great take by Rush and finish with the foul.  Theold school 3 pointer keeps them in it.

9:00-They have done a great job drawing fouls. Hopefully that will pay off later.  Granger looks to be settling in and has improved his ability to get to the hoop.  They’re doing a good job of staying in this one.

7:00-Ford is looking like he’s been in htis offense for a couple years already.  He is definitely the floor general keeping this team in it.  Small lineup with Ford and Jack.

6:00-Good timeout by O’Brien. The Pistons were on another run. They needed to stop it before it got too bad.  The Pacers look good but the NEED to get back on defense faster.

4:00-Is it too early to take Rush as ROY already? He looks like a veteran. They must better stopping the open Js and get to the basket more.  They’ve been able to drive on this team all game and they need to do it more.

2:45-Media Timeout-Pistons up 5-Pacers have looked good at times.  They have not settled for shots but they do need to hit better from the field.  They are only shooting 42.5% from the field right now.  It’s most likely because of rust, but they need to fix it.  I really like the way this team moves the ball though.  They also must shore up the defensive side of the ball.  They’re giving the Pistons too many open jumpers.

1:00-Played more uptempo for a little while but the Pacers couldn’t take advantage of it.  Good ball movement but passed up too many shots.  They need to penetrate.

End of Half-They let this one get away at the end of the half.  That could be costly.  Being down 10 against the Pistons is not good.  The defense needs to improve.  They need to get back into position quicker and move their feet instead od bodying people.  The offense looked good at times and then at other times they didn’t take advantage of their speed and getting to the basket.  If you take out the last minute of the half, the Pacers had 11 free throws compared to the Pistons’ 2.  They had success getting to the hoop and converting or at least creating fouls.

3rd Quarter

10:00-The Pacers needed to get off to a good start and they did.  Good pressure on the defensive side of the ball except for the rotation off of the Johnson screen.  Keys: Penetrate & don’t turn the ball over (11 at half), as well as rotate on D. 2 quick on Sheed!

8:00-Good ball movement.  good pass by Nesterovic but needed to take it up stronger the next posession.  They must get out on the shooters!!!

7:00-Pistons TO-Pacers are doing a very good job moving without the ball.  With JO, they often would stand and watch.  They’re also looking for their open teammates in open spots.  What they are not doing is getting to shooters.  The interior defense has not been a problem.  It has been stepping out on guys along the perimeter.

5:00-Amir Johnson is killing this team this half. Come on now a 21 year old? Ford again is using his speed.  Foster is his same old self taking the charge.  I just looked at the boxscore and Murphy already has 10 rebs.

3:00-Tough shot by Danny! Then Amir shows his youth.  This team has still kept up getting the Pistons into fould trouble.  Still hoping that hurts them in a little bit.  Pacers are also shooting lights out from the free throw stripe. Too many turnovers so far as they give th ball right back to Detroit.  That’s number 15. Danny just being Danny.  All-Star level is showing.  Danny got fouled by Amir on the 3!!! The ref ripped him on that one.

2:47-TO-Pacers need to make another run.  They’re just hanging around but they have not yet been in control of this game.  They have to take control at some point to pull the upset.

1:00-The penetration and kickouts or swing around passes to open shooters have been their achilles tonight.  This one might be slipping away from them just a bit.  Down by 10 really hurts.

End of quarter-Daniels needs to do that more.  He settles for too many jumpers instead of slashing.  They need a bucket here in the last posession.  Yet another turnover.  Looked like Foster thought it was off Maxiel.  How do you let a guy go to the length of the court and get a bucket AND A FOUL??!! That’s inexcusable.  This might be out of the Pacers’ hands now.  We’ll see if Danny can start to climb the Reggie ladder with a comeback.

4th Quarter

10:00-They need to stop the Pistons run.  Of all the fouls the refs haven’t called they call the touch foul on Marquis?? This one is definitely getting out of hand.  Granger is trying to fight his way back in.  He is doing what I wanted him to do and take this game over.  That’s what a star does and it is exactly what he’s doing.  Good job by Marquis and Ford again getting to the basket.  If those to do tha instead of shooting the ball, this team could be very surprising.

9:00-A shot clock violation in a time where it was the last thing they needed.  Back to single digist after Troy’s 3.  They need a stop on this end to trim the lead.

8:00-Block out please!!! Two offensive rebounds for Detroit cost them what could have been a key stop.  Boy do I love Danny. He’s still trying to take this game back.  I’ve said he doesn’t have that killer instinct but he’s showing it now.

6:00-Down to 8.  Need to keep chipping.  More good movement without the ball and great looks even from the big men.  This team is not giving up and they’re playing tougher D.  Now down to 5 after the Troy 1-2 at the FT line.  Still did not close out of Rip for the jumper but it didn’t hurt them. Another turnover and follow up basket.  Danny took that shot out of rhythm of the offense showing he’s trying to do a little too much.  Turnovers might just cost this team a W.

5:00-A failure to box out leaves Sheed open for putback dunk. The refs are inconsistent on both sides of the court in this one.  They are letting them play a lot but at other times they’re calling the game really close.  It’s hard to get a feel for the refs even with only 5 min in the game.

4:00- The Pacers need to get this under 5 points within the next couple of minutes in order to have a chance of winning. Got a TO. Need to convert.  Whoa! Maqruis Daniels taking over and making it a 5 point game.

3:00-B Rush did a gewat job on rip but Jack misses the layup!!! Come on Jack.  That was a big miss because Billups then came down and hit a 3. This puts the game close to out of reach for the Pacers.  They had a little run and a glimpse of a chance to steal the game but I am afraid it’s closer to over now.

2:00-just saw a graphic Pistons lead 18-3 in fasbtreak points.  Danny still is fighting!  Need a big stop and instead they leave Sheed wide open.  Down 6…hope is almost done

1:00-Foul on Danny?? What? that was 2 clean blocks.  They need a couple 3s to pull this one back.  Don’t jack up a shot but they need a quick one.  Nice jumper by Danny…again.  Anothr big stop and Marquis instead flops.

Yet another TO-that’s the storyline in this one.  Nice steal and quick basket by the Pacers. Unless they can get another steal or Danny can pull a Reggie v. Knicks, I don’t know if they can come back.

Good double team off inbounds to force Chauncey to call a timeout.

I wonder what O’Brien is drawing up down 7 with about 24 sec to go.  Hopefully something for Danny.  Surprisingly he hasn’t relied on his 3 ball that much tonight.  DEEEEEEEP 3 by Danny!! Now that’s range

Another quick foul=good.  That 3 ball was 6 feet behind the line! And he didn’t even change anything.  Rip sadly didn’t miss either free throw.

Quick 2 by Murphy was good execution.  Why can’t they shoot like this earlier in the game??  Sadly Rip won’t miss from the line.

Missed shot by Jack and the Pacers fall short of a come back in the opener of the Pacers Redeem Team.  That makes it final.  Pacers start 0-1.