Indiana "Pacing" Toward Playoff Success

Finally, Jermaine O'Neal was gone. The former MVP candidate and All-Star center/forward was given another shot at team and individual success after his last dreams of a title dwindled into the abyss with "The Brawl at The Palace" in Detroit in November 2004. And seemingly so, the Indiana Pacers were going to move forward for the 2008-'09 season, with Jim O'Brien leading a rag-tag squadron of shooters to high hopes of playoff glory. It didn't happen for 2009, but the Pacers came close, having endured multiple injuries and a handful of close losses.

A great issue for Indiana was the fact that shooting guard Mike Dunleavy was taken out of his game and most of the schedule with a serious knee injury. Having finally came into his own after suffering the indignities of living up to a high-paying contract in Golden State, an obsessive coach in the Warriors' Don Nelson, and generally learning how to play and where to play on the court, after having to play power forward and small forward full-time, the 6'10" Dunleavy came into his own going back to his natural guard position in Indiana and taking advantage of the abundance of shots that came his way. Though he was missed, young star Danny Granger broke out and became a 2009 NBA All-Star and leading the team in a variety of categories, becoming more efficient each of his four years in the league, since being drafted out of New Mexico in 2005.

Another sub-plot of the Pacers' 2009 season was the arrival of T.J. Ford, who notably led the Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors with winning results, even though he has been afflicted with spinal stenosis, which has cost his a full NBA season early in his career. Though later having to share more of his starting minutes with reserve point guard Jarrett Jack, Ford was a big reason that the Pacers were playoff contenders up until the later portion of the season, as his ability to penetrate, pass and lead made Indiana one more weapon stronger.

While the Pacers duplicated their meager, but promising 36-46 record from the prior 2007-2008 season, one reason that the Pacers were not able to advance to the playoffs was because of the inexperience of three key pieces to the team: Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert and Josh McRoberts. Rush and Hibbert being rookies and McRoberts being a second-year veteran, the trio is the reason that Indiana can hope for a brighter future. In Rush, the team has a young, athletic shooting guard that can slash, shoot and defend, something the team hasn't had since Jalen Rose, who actually was a point guard/small forward. The big center Hibbert possesses a certain amount of grace, as well as awkwardness, but has an ability to shoot near and away from the basket. Though considered a throw-in in the Jarrett Jack deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, McRoberts' gifts as a passer can be considerable if he continues to grow as the athletic scorer that he was seen as a high school McDonald's All-American in 2005.

The main factor for Indiana will be the ability to stay strong and healthy in the future, which barring any more injuries, almost certainly assures the team of being playoff-ready beyond 2009.