Season Preview: Indiana Pacers

I warn you that this isn't written for fantasy, so you use your own discretion if you use it for such.

Starting 5
PG- TJ Ford
SG- Mike Dunleavy Jr
SF- Danny Granger
PF- Troy Murphy
C- Rasho Nesterovic

Off the bench
Guards: Marquis Daniels, Travis Diener, Jarrett Jack, Brandon Rush
Forwards: Josh McRoberts, Austin Croshere, Shawne Williams
Centers: Jeff Foster, Roy Hibbert, Maceo Baston

I would like to reiterate the fact that I don't think this team is very good, in fact, it's average, so average that it's forgettable. Which shocks me, because Danny Granger is considered like top 5-10 SG/SF material on like every other ranking board I've seen. Ok, he had a career season last year, 19.1 pts, 6.1 rbds, 2.1 assts, 1.2 stls, 1.1 blcks per game, a respectable line. Top 5? I don't know about that. Here's Yahoo!'s Kelly Dwyer's take:

8:29	[Comment From Jaceman] Is there any specific reason that Granger is ranked so high in all the power rankings? Or am I the only one that thinks he's been massively overhyped?

8:29	KDonhoops: Because it sounds right. Solid player, does everything OK, but that's it. He's OK, but he's just ... OK.

8:30	KDonhoops: ... as he charges into Tyson Chandler.

8:31	[Comment From Jaceman] Ok enough to be considered top 10 SG/SF?

8:31	KDonhoops: Nope.

There you have it. I'm done. No, I'm not, but seriously. Danny Granger is good, but he's not THAT good. There are still other people I'd rather have on my team, and that is the reason why he, little Dunleavy, and TJ Ford are not going to take the Pacers to a playoff series this year.

That seems to be the problem with everyone else on the roster too, they're all just OK. I don't see Marquis Daniel or Travis Diener being anything more than serviceable, Jarret Jack already is serviceable, and unless Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush somehow manage to win playing time and breakout then maybe. However, I don't see them outperforming Rasho Nesterovic and/or the above mentioned Marquis Daniels anytime in the near future. Honestly, there's nothing that convinces me that this team will perform well against the better constructed teams. It's like where all the players that deserve a contract but no one really wants ends up. I might change my analysis if Rasho Nesterovic or Troy Murphy start averaging 20-10, but until then, Pacers have a bleak season ahead of them.

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