Pacers Stomped by Hawks/Imploding

[nickagneta]

I don't see Gay, Thomas and Cousins being a core of a good team. I don't care how much quality depth you put around them. All three players are young, me-first players offensively that play poor defense. All are rather immature and their games show it. None of them have learned that sacrifice of one's personal game is the way to make your overall team better, unless you are a superduperstar in this league. None of them are superduperstars nor will any of them be superduperstars.

I think Thomas, Gay and Cousins need to grow up as people and players before they could ever be considered a core of a good team.

[PhoSita]

I don't see Gay, Thomas and Cousins being a core of a good team. I don't care how much quality depth you put around them. All three players are young, me-first players offensively that play poor defense. All are rather immature and their games show it. None of them have learned that sacrifice of one's personal game is the way to make your overall team better, unless you are a superduperstar in this league. None of them are superduperstars nor will any of them be superduperstars.

I think Thomas, Gay and Cousins need to grow up as people and players before they could ever be considered a core of a good team.

This sounds like circular reasoning to me.

They're immature players who don't know how to win because they haven't won and so they're bad and they won't win therefore . . .


Put a solid supporting cast of veterans who know how to win games and complement Cousins, Gay, and Thomas, and I think you'd have the makings of a nice team.  Maybe not an out-and-out contender, but a much better squad than what they've had for a while.

Also, Cousins may never be a "superduperstar" but he's already among the most dominant big men in the game.  Personally I like his attitude.  He's always reminded me of Perk.  I think that sort of player requires the right situation with the right influences around him.  But I don't mind his fire.

[Timdawgg]

I think they realized they couldn't win it all and decided to tank for a better draft position.

I mean, that is what you are supposed to do once you know you can't win a title, right?

LOL...NICE.....TP!!!

[sed522002]

I think they realized they couldn't win it all and decided to tank for a better draft position.

I mean, that is what you are supposed to do once you know you can't win a title, right?

LOL...NICE.....TP!!!

My train of thought instantly leaves when I see your Sig picture...LOL. I can't stop laughing or look away.

[staticcc]

Interestingly enough, as long as Indy can get past their 1st round opponent, which I still think they will, their fall from the top seed may not be so terrible. It could actually set them up well, by allowing them to avoid the winner of the Chicago/Brooklyn series, and in turn forces Miami to play the winner of that matchup.

I doubt Miami is worried, but I could see Brooklyn giving Miami all kinds of problems. KG and Paul are chomping at the bit to get back at the Heat, you can count on that.

Getting the #2 seed in the East is probably better than the #1 in this year’s playoffs, as the #2 seed looks like they’d have a much easier playoff path.

#2 seed likely faces 2 of these 3 teams before the ECF:
Charlotte, Washington, Toronto

#1 seed likely 2 of these 4 teams before the ECF:
Chicago, Brooklyn, New York, Atlanta

It's better UNTIL both the #1 and #2 seeds get to the ECF. No home court for the 2 seed.

[Lucky17]

Funny how people give Paul George a free pass, and are still down on Rudy Gay. Since his relocation to Sacramento, Gay is putting up better numbers than George. [I'd recently read this on ESPN/Grantland somewhere, but can't seem to find the link.]

Re: Thomas, for a guy who entered the league as a scoring guard (drafted #60 overall in 2011), he's taken great strides this season in learning how to set up his teammates. He has more assists this season than Kyrie, Dragic, or Mike Conley.

[Roy H.]

Funny how people give Paul George a free pass, and are still down on Rudy Gay. Since his relocation to Sacramento, Gay is putting up better numbers than George. [I'd recently read this on ESPN/Grantland somewhere, but can't seem to find the link.]

George plays excellent defense, which is 50% of the game.  For that reason alone, he's elevated greatly above Rudy Gay.

Re: Thomas, for a guy who entered the league as a scoring guard (drafted #60 overall in 2011), he's taken great strides this season in learning how to set up his teammates. He has more assists this season than Kyrie, Dragic, or Mike Conley.

It's not hard to get assists when you've got the best offensive center in the league to pass to. 

[Fafnir]

Funny how people give Paul George a free pass, and are still down on Rudy Gay. Since his relocation to Sacramento, Gay is putting up better numbers than George. [I'd recently read this on ESPN/Grantland somewhere, but can't seem to find the link.]

Re: Thomas, for a guy who entered the league as a scoring guard (drafted #60 overall in 2011), he's taken great strides this season in learning how to set up his teammates. He has more assists this season than Kyrie, Dragic, or Mike Conley.

Rudy Gay has 50 games of good play in Sacramento and 3 years of pretty crappy ball in Toronto/Memphis.

Paul George has his poor play after a hot start this season and last year's breakout as an all-star.

Just more baggage with Gay and longer periods of poor play.

[Timdawgg]

I think they realized they couldn't win it all and decided to tank for a better draft position.

I mean, that is what you are supposed to do once you know you can't win a title, right?

LOL...NICE.....TP!!!

My train of thought instantly leaves when I see your Sig picture...LOL. I can't stop laughing or look away.

LOL..I know I probably should change it but I laugh at it almost every time I post...What an awkward picture. I cannot imagine a single player in the NBA today that would do that picture...

[D.o.s.]

Cool article insight bump:

What you see is that The Five of the Pacers have played — on average — almost 300 minutes more per player than the top 5 for Houston, who hold the second most minutes. That’s 10 30-minute player games per player. The difference becomes even more exaggerated (almost 700 minutes per player) when you compare to paragons of economy: Greg Popovich’s San Antonio Spurs.

But, it’s not just this year. It’s important to remember that only two teams played deeper into last summer than the Pacers. If you expand the data to incorporate the 2013 regular season and playoffs, the gap grows.

The almost 500 more minutes than Miami’s top five means an extra 17 30-minute games – on average – per Pacer starter. The gaps to the other teams are near or above 1,000 minutes per player.

On an individual basis, the numbers skew even higher. Of the 565 players who have seen at least 1 minute of NBA play over the last two seasons (including playoffs), only 27 have logged more than Hibbert’s 5,295. Once again, Hibbert has the lowest total of his starting brethren, which means that all five Pacer starters are in the 96th percentile or above.

Paul George leads the way, with his 6,575 minutes being only 13 fewer than LeBron James, who has logged the most minutes. George Hill has played the 12th most minutes, Lance Stephenson the 15th, and David West 20th. These figures are buoyed by the Pacers’ deep run last year, which means the team has played 178 games since opening night of 2013. Coming into play on April 8th, only Miami (181) and San Antonio (180) had played more.

http://8points9seconds.com/2014/04/09/numbers-consider-pacers-fatigue/