The Indiana Pacers drafted 3 players on Thursday night to help with their potential rebuild following Paul George's decision to leave the club. The first one drafted by the Pacers was T.J. Leaf with the 18th pick, a freshman PF out of UCLA. T.J. Leaf is 6'10", 225 and has good size for the Power Forward position. He has a good 3-point stroke, hitting an exeptional 46.6 % from 3 during his sole season at UCLA. However, he does not take a lot of 3's and we will see if he can translate that into the pro game. Thus, the Pacers potentially have 2 big men in Leaf and Turner that will be able to stretch the floor. Most notably, T.J. Leaf is a very good playmaker. He is a solid ball handler who can put the ball on the floor, and he's also a good passer at his position. When it comes to his weaknesses, he, similarly to Myles Turner, lacks some strength and can possibly be bullied by bigger, stronger players. He has had good rebounding numbers in college, but it might be difficult to replicate that straight away in the NBA. If he will be paired with Turner next season, rebounds may continue to be a problem for the Pacers short-term. Leaf also struggles defensively and is not very quick. He also did not have great recognition in the pick and roll, and that will need to change. Although a decent shot blocker, he does not affect enough shots at the rim, and can not be put in the same bracket as Turner here. With the 47th pick of the draft, the Pacers took another UCLA freshman, Ike Anigbogu. He was the youngest player drafted this year, and will bolster the Pacers up front. A 6'10" center, Anigbogu fell in the draft due to his injury woes, but the Pacers have a high-risk, high-reward type of player here. Anigbogu's biggest strengths are his defense and his athleticism. He has an excellent reach, he's quick with a high motor. These skills will fit in well with the NBA game, and he might be able to have an impact straight off the bat. He is long and has the potential to be an elite shot-blocker in the NBA. He also defends the pick and roll well, imperative in today's NBA. He is a strong defender in the post, so his defensive skills should help him consolidate in the NBA. His weaknesses show offensively where he has a very rudimentary game. He's strong on the offensive glass, but has a tough time converting those into points, due to his poor touch around the rim. He does not shoot the ball at all, and is clearly uncomfortable doing so. This translates to the free-throw line as well where he shot 53.5%. He struggles in the post offensively. He lacks touch, but he also does not have the footwork to excel here. He can have an impact offensively in transition, where his quickness allows him to beat his man down the court for easy points. Do not expect much from him in half-court yet. He rebounds well offensively, but not nearly as well defensively. However, this is due to him attempting to contest shots at the rim, where he needs to make better decisions. With the 52nd pick, which was acquired from New Orleans, the Pacers went away from UCLA and picked Xavier sophomore Edmond Sumner. He has good size for the Point Guard position at 6'5", but he has, like Anigbogu, suffered som injuries. He redshirted his sophomore season, but that was cut short due to an ACL injury. He will be coming off an injury to start his professional career. Sumner has the physical tools to succeed in the NBA. He is long, quick and explosive. It will be interesting to see if that continues following his rehab from injury, but if they do, he has the chance to be a solid player in the league. He can attack the rim at will, playing above the rim with athletic finishes. He is also willing to fight through contact. He is a decent defender with his quickness and wingspan, and could prove to be a versatile defender in the NBA if he continues to develop that aspect of his game. He rebounds well for his position due to his height and athleticism. Although freakishly athletic, he is not a polished basketball-player. He does not shoot the ball well and although he gets assists, he struggles with his decision-making, which leads to some turnovers. As a Point Guard, this is something he has to improve. He also lacks the touch around the rim to finish consistently. Although he can get there easily, he is not a great finisher at the rim when challenged. Sumner is rehabilitating from knee and shoulder injuries and will miss parts of this season because of that. In other news, the Pacers have declined Lavoy Allen's team option, worth $4m. This was highly probable, considering the Paul George situation and that the Pacers have drafted 2 big men, thus, there is no room for Allen. Lavoy Allen came to the Pacers during the 2013-14 season and was a role player off the bench for most of that time, only starting 33 games out of the 217 games he featured in. He had his best season during the 2015-16 season, averaging 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 points. Lavoy Allen joins C.J. Miles and Jeff Teague as free agents, with Allen definitely not returning.
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Guard/Forward C.J. Miles has reportedly declined his player opion for the 2017-18 season. Exercising the option would have made C.J. Miles $4.3 million next year, but he has decided to test free agency, which is a logical and expected decision. With the cap rising again, and coming off a very solid year off the bench for the Pacers, Miles is due a significant salary rise next season. He averaged 10.7 points and shot a career-high 41.3 percent from 3-point range this past season, outdoing his exploits in Cleveland during the 2013-14 season. Miles joined Indiana in 2014 after spells in Cleveland and Utah, signing a 4 year, $18 million deal. He became the youngest player in Jazz history during the 2005-06 season, debuting at the age of 18 straight from Skyline High School in Dallas, Texas. In his time with the Pacers, Miles has mostly come off the bench, but started 40 games in his first season, averaging a career-best 13.8 points. Miles should probably have gotten more starts last season, if not for the Pacers braintrust to start the underwhelming Monta Ellis for most of the campaign It is difficult to tell what is next for Miles, other than a lucrative contract. He will likely have multiple suitors this off-season, and is capable both as a starter and as a firestarter off the bench. Both himself and the Pacers are reportedly interested in fleshing out a new deal that would bring Miles back next season, but the primary focus will still be on All-Star Paul George. With limited cash to spend, it will be interesting to see if Indiana are capable of matching ensuing offers for the 12-year veteran. Still only 30 years old, he has plenty left in the tank. The Indiana Pacers with Kevin Pritchard as the main man following Larry Bird's departure are at a crossroads. The path they take now could define their future. Stick or twist? Paul George signs a contract extension: This is probably the most unlikely scenario of the summer, but if this happens, the Pacers know where they stand. A Playoff-team, sure, but a long way from being a viable contender, especially considering that LeBron James runs the Eastern Conference. The focus has to be win now. Paul George is due another $19.3 million this season, and the Pacers had a payroll of $90 million this season, ranking 24th in the NBA. As we know, the Pacers hierarchy are reluctant to overspend unless they feel that they have a viable contender, and this team certainly is not there yet. A logical step would be to bring Free Agent Jeff Teague back to run the point. Then it gets more difficult. Monta Ellis is due $11 million next season coming off a sub-par season. The Pacers probably cannot afford to keep him if they want to get a solid starter at SG next season, but it is hard to see any takers for him in a trade. Bringing back C.J. Miles is an option, who played well with Teague, as well as Glenn Robinson III. Is Lance Stephenson a viable option as a starter? Personally, I'd like to see him continue to run with the bench. If they decide against bringing Miles back, one could consider a J.J. Redick, but I would not be paying a king's ransom for a player who will be 33 in June. The Pacers are commited to spending $69.6 million as things stand, but they can renounce the rights to Lavoy Allen, who's set to make $3.5 million, and Joseph Young, who's set to make $1.1 million. This would trim the payroll to $65 million, but a potential re-signing of Jeff Teague and maybe C.J. Miles will probably see that number go up to $80-85 million. Granted, the Pacers won't be able to make a big splash this off-season, but come 2018 they could free up a lot of money. Waiving Monta Ellis and renouncing Al Jefferson will give Indiana an extra $21.6 million to spend, and if the Pacers can at least solidify their bench by then, we could see major strides. Paul George stays without extending: This would be an extremely risky move. The quintessential leap of faith even. Now the Pacers are "on the clock", and time is running out. The Pacers would need to somehow convince Paul George to commit by the end of the 2017-18 season. There is no doubt that they would need to make a splash in free agency, as Paul George wants to win. If they cannot convince him, he walks for nothing. Indiana would need to go after a Gordon Hayward, or maybe Paul Millsap. Both are unrestricted and may command max-deals, at least in Hayward's case. To make this happen, the Pacers would need to trim the payroll. Indiana would probably let Teague go, possibly running Lance Stephenson at the point, which is a risky move in itself, and somehow managing to move Ellis and/or Jefferson. At the same time it would be a plus to draft a player who can make an impact straight away. Again, everything would need to click in order for this to happen. An extra factor to consider is that Paul George would be eligible for the Designated Veteran Exception contract should he make an All-NBA team in 2017-18, giving the Pacers the ability to pay George significantly more than any other team. Trade Paul George: Seemingly a likely option, but it may not be that they can get a perfect package. Both Boston and the Lakers will be reluctant to trade away assets to get Paul George. In Boston's case, they want Markelle Fultz with the #1 pick in the draft, and still have lots of room to go after Hayward in Free Agency. The Lakers are confident of getting Paul George in 2018, and unless they start to feel pressurized, we are unlikely to see a trade with either of them. More likely trade partners could be Philadelphia or Denver. Both would be able to offer som assets that could help the Pacers in a potential rebuild around Myles Turner. A top 10 pick and some good, young players with potential could be enough to make the Pacers pull the trigger. In an offseason filled with uncertainty and questions, one has to recognize that it will be difficult for Indiana to keep Paul George, the face of the franchise, for the long haul. The most intriguing offseason in a while is commencing. So, will they stick or twist? The Pacers suffered a toug loss to the New York Knicks, 87-81. They led by 13 early in the 3rd, but collapsed in the 2nd quarter. This sparked team discussios, led by Aaron Brooks, who has become somewhat of a forgotten man within the Pacers' roster. However, he led by example and is an experienced veteran in the NBA. After this loss and subsequent discussions, they went on to smash the Hornets 98-77.
Paul George had a season-high 39 and has had a dominant March overall. The Pacers remain 6th in the East before facing Toronto tonight at the Air Canada Centre. This could be a potential playoff preview, as Indiana has an outside shot on the 5th seed. Getting that requires a win tonight and a strong finish to the season. On 2000's Decade Night, the Pacers took an important win against the in-form Miami Heat to continue their solid home form, while trying to pull away in the race for the Playoffs. The Heat, on the back-end of a back-to-back, struggled early as the Pacers took control in the 1st quarter, hitting Miami for 32 points, outgunning them by 10. Myles Turner, who has been struggling recently, got going in the 1st. He had 9, while Paul George and Thaddeus Young had 8 points Miami fought back in the 2nd quarter, and had the game tied at 48 following a pair of free-throws from Hassan Whiteside, who put on a dominating display in the middle. However, Pacers quickly went ahead following a 3-point play by C.J. Miles. Miles also hit a 3 to send Indiana into the locker room with a 60-53 lead. The Pacers played a solid 3rd quarter, as Paul George carried the team with 14 points. He had a points/rebounds double-double, his 6th double-double this season. The Pacers just edged the Heat in the 3rd, leading 83-75 before the final frame. In the 4th, the Heat closed in. Whiteside continued his great game, but he was helped by solid play from Dion Waiters, who had 20 points, and Wayne Ellington, who had 19 off the bench. The Heat made 3 straight 3's to take the lead, but Jeff Teague wrestled it back with a floater at 97-96. Myles Turner then hit a couple of FT's to make it 99-96. Myles Turner the made a game-clinching play after Thaddeus Young had split his FT's. A fight for the rebound and an emphatic dunk made sure there was no way back for the Heat. Team Leaders: MIA: Points: Hassan Whiteside (26) Rebounds: Hassan Whiteside (21) Assists: Dion Waiters (6) IND: Points: Paul George (28) Rebounds: Paul George (10) Assists: Jeff Teague (4) ------------------------------------------------- The Pacers move to 34-32, retaining the 6th seed in the East. They will play the New York Knicks tonight. The Pacers fell to the Bucks for the 3rd straight time this season, as they again couldn't handle the Bucks' length and athleticism. The Pacers were fast out of the blocks though, going on a 10-0 run to start the game before Thon Maker's dunk on Thaddeus Young. The Pacers led by as much as 11 in this game, a lead they got early. Crisp movement of the ball ran Milwaukee ragged as they were chasing their matchups from behind for a lot of the 1st quarter. However, they clawed their way back into the game as they got some much needed 3's from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Matthew Dellavedova. The Pacers had a 5-point lead going into the 2nd quarter, and they were able to sustain that lead, as they led by 6 at the half. However, as the 2nd half started, the Pacers faltered. Milwaukee shored up their defense, vigorously doubling the ball-handler and trapping screens. The Pacers struggled under this pressure, and turned the ball over on multiple occasions, helping Milwaukee out in transition, where they are lethal. The Bucks led by 5 going into the final quarter. This pattern would eventually continue in the 4th as the Pacers cooled off completely. Although they cut it to 3, a quick 6-point swing was deflating for Indiana. Paul George 3-pointer to tie the game at 81 was off target, and the veteran Jason Terry hit a 3 just after for the Bucks. The Pacers never really recovered from this sequence, and it didn't help that Milwaukee was in the bonus and got to he line at will. Giannis Antetoukounmpo and Greg Monroe really made their mark inside, and the Pacers had no answer. Again, the only bright spot was a solid all-around effort from Paul George who desperately needs some more help if the Pacers are going to secure the 6th seed, or even go for the 5th seed. In the end, it was comfortable for Milwaukee, as usual this season. Team Leaders: IND: Points: Paul George (18) Rebounds: Paul George (11) Assists: Paul George (6) -------------------------------------------- MIL: Points: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton (21) Rebounds: Giannis Antetokounmpo (8) Assists: Giannis Antetokounmpo (5) ---------------------------------------------------- The Pacers are now 33-32, and remain 6th in the East. They will play Miami at home on Sunday 12th of March. Indiana comfortably beat Detroit last night, outscoring the Pistons in 3 of 4 quarters. A quick homecoming helped get an important win, as Indiana separates themselves somewhat in the fight for Playoff positions. Indiana got out of the blocks fast with back-to-back 3's from C.J. Miles. Indiana continued to gain momentum and led 15-3 early. Paul George also had an efficient start, going 3-3 early. Detroit managed to chip away somewhat, before a Rodney Stuckey 4-point play pushed the lead back to 9. The quarter ended 30-23 Pacers. The 2nd was a close one quarter-wise, but the Pacers edged this one as well. Detroit went on a run early in the 3rd, and actually took the lead. Then Paul George, who had been anonymous and scoreless in the 2nd quarter, took over. Kinda like he always does against the Pistons. The lead balooned up to 19, then a game-high 23 in the start of the 4th. This game was a well-balanced effort though, with 6 players, Paul George (21), Thaddeus Young (18), C.J. Miles (15), Monta Ellis (12), Glenn Robinson III (11), and Jeff Teague (10). The dominant 3rd quarter meant that the Pacers had the luxury of playing their bench for the entire 4th quarter, who closed it out comfortably as Detroit's heads had dropped at that time. It finished with a comfortable 17-point margin. Team Leaders: DET: Points: Tobias Harris (22) Rebounds: Andre Drummond (15) Assists: Ish Smith (6) ------------------------------------------------- IND: Points: Paul George (21) Rebounds: Paul George and Thaddeus Young (8) Assists: Rodney Stuckey (7) ---------------------------------------------------- The Pacers move to 33-31 on the season, getting a stronger hold on the 6th seed. Next up is at Milwaukee on Friday, 10th of March. The Pacers fell to the Hornets in Charlotte despite Paul George's game-high 36 points. Charlotte were fueled by a stellar backcourt performance as a Pacers rally was ultimately cut short. Indiana suffered an awful 1st half as they were held to a meagre 37 points during the first 24 minutes. That's not anything close to winning basketball and created a very deep hole early. At the half they were down 21, with the score being 37-58. Kemba Walker dominated, with 28 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds. Nicolas Batum also chipped in with 21 points. Paul George led all scorers with 36 points. He also had 10 rebounds, leading the Pacers in this department as well. C.J. Miles put up 16 points. However, a poor bench performance ensured a tough day at the office, as they combined for -50. Despite an awful 1st half, the Pacers rallied in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Hornets 29-16, cutting the deficit to 8 at 66-74. However, the Hornets managed to close out Indiana in a solid 4th quarter, extending their lead a bit and eventually winning by 12 points. Team Leaders: IND: Points: Paul George (36) Rebounds: Paul George (10) Assists: Jeff Teague (8) ------------------------------------- CHA: Points: Kemba Walker (28) Rebounds: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (13) Assists: Kemba Walker (7) -------------------------------------- The Pacers now have a record of 32-31 and remain 6th in the East. They will return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for a game against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. What a game! The Indiana Pacers steal the game in Atlanta with a clutch 3 from Glenn Robinson III. The Pacers started badly, trailing 30-19 after the 1st quarter. The only thing Indiana had going for them was the hot start from Paul George, who had 13 points at the time. It looked like it might be a struggle. Atlanta were however playing the second game of a back-to-back, and it showed as they came to a stop early in the 2nd. Indiana made up the deficit, and even went in the lead. However, it was even at the half at 50-50. Paul George had 24 points at the half. Paul George was not the only player on the court making an impact though. For Atlanta, Tim Hardaway Jr. was hot from distance, finishing with 24 points on the game. Paul Millsap and Dennis Schroder also did damage for the Hawks, while the Pacers also had Jeff Teague (16), C.J. Miles (13) and Glenn Robinson III (11) in double-digits. The Pacers played a solid 3rd quarter, and took a 7-point lead into the 4th. However, Indiana faltered, as the Hawks tied up the game and went on to lead by 6 with little time remaining. Paul George had 34, however, the Hawks held him without a bucket in the 4th. With 1 minute remaining and the Pacers down 4, Atlanta were firmly in the driver's seat. Paul George's missed 3 lead to a C.J Miles rebound and putback. The Pacers were down 94-96. Tim Hardaway Jr., who had been hot all game, left a 3-point attempt short with about 10 seconds remaining. The Pacers had a chance to take the W.
The short 3 gave the Pacers an opportunity to push the ball quickly. That is exactly what they did, as Nate McMillan elected not to take a timeout. Jeff Teague had the initial push up the floor, before giving the ball to Paul George. George drove towards the hoop, and kicked the ball out to C.J. Miles. Miles quickly got it to Robinson who was wide open in the corner. Robinson made no mistake, swishing the 3 with 0.6 seconds remaining. 97-96 Pacers. The Hawks had a slim chance, but couldn't get a shot up before the buzzer, and the game was over. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team Leaders: IND: Points: Paul George (34) Rebounds: Al Jefferson (8) Assists: Jeff Teague (6) ------------------------------------------------- ATL: Points: Tim Hardaway Jr. (24) Rebounds: Dwight Howard (14) Assists: Dennis Schroder (7) ------------------------------------------------- The Pacers move to 32-30 on the season, keeping the 6th seed in the East. They will play the Charlotte Hornets tonight. Despite a valiant effort, the Pacers fell just short in San Antonio, falling to a Kawhi Leonard fadeaway shot with 2 seconds left. The game was close throughout, and although San Antonio got off to a quick start, the Pacers quickly made up that deficit early. The Pacers were led by Paul George with 22 points, but also had strong efforts from C.J. Miles (19) and Myles Turner (16). At the half, Indiana had a slim 2-point lead. Indiana also had a strong 3rd quarter, and took a significant lead, but San Antonio managed to close well. In a game that saw a plethora of highlight plays, like Paul George's dubious 4-point play to Glenn Robinson III's monster dunk, and also that the game was close throughout, made it fitting to have a thrilling finale at the AT&T Center. Monta Ellis blew two free throws, which could have pushed the lead to 3 in the dying seconds, making it impossible for San Antonio to win in regulation. Instead, a Kawhi Leonard fadeaway shot sent San Antonio in front with 2 seconds left. This should have been called a travel according to the NBA 2-minute report, but the Pacers still had a chance. However, Paul George's buzzer-beater 3 bounced off the rim. The game was over. Team Leaders: IND: Points: Paul George (22) Rebounds: Lavoy Allen, Paul George, C.J. Miles and Myles Turner (6) Assists: Jeff Teague (9) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAS: Points: Kawhi Leonard (31) Rebounds: Kawhi Leonard (10) Assists: Dejounte Murray (6) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Pacers fall to 31-30 on the season, and remains 6th in the East, following Chicago's loss to the Clippers yesterday. The Pacers are playing Atlanta today (5th of March). |
AUTHORSimen Torve Sundland Archives
May 2017
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