| A.R. Year Two Authored by Andrew Perna - October 28, 2006 - 1:47 pm
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I know what you're saying, `Give it up. Reggie is long gone.' But I can't. You see, this franchise could rattle off four straight championships and the team still won't be as gratifying as it was when Reggie was on the floor. He is my Joe DiMaggio, and I'm not alone in that feeling.
As hard as it is to put Reggie's eighteen years of grace behind us, we have to. The Pacers have entered a new era, albeit a turbulent one and we must look into the future rather than dwell upon the past. The Pacers have a wealth of talent, and should contend in the Eastern Conference for years to come. While teams like Detroit and New Jersey are breaking apart and aging, Indiana has only gotten younger.
Darrell Armstrong is the team's oldest player, at 38 yards of age, but no other player on the roster is older than thirty. The average age of the Pacers core (Jermaine O'Neal, Al Harrington, Danny Granger, Jamaal Tinsley, and Stephen Jackson) is just twenty-six years old. The Pacers should, and could, be very good for a long time.
The problem is, instead of entering the season with hope and promise, Pacer fans are entering it as if they are walking on eggshells. It's nerve-racking simply to surf over to RealGM.com. There's a very real fear that something will have gone wrong in Indiana, and the team will be setback once again.
While the nerves may be warranted once you consider the Pacers recent injury and legal woes, it's unfair to the team and ourselves to enter the season full of anything other than excitement. Even if the fresh start only lasts until the fourth quarter of the Pacers' opening game on Wednesday, we should still be optimistic about the coming season. Ron Artest is long gone, and as I stated a month or so ago, stability has returned to Indianapolis.
Here are my predictions for the 2006-2007 Indiana Pacers:
The Pacers will finish the season with a 48-34 record, and I've even broken it down by month:
November (9-7)
December (8-8)
January (8-5)
February (7-4)
March (9-7)
April (7-3)
Their record will be good enough for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, with the Pacers matching up against the New Jersey Nets in the first round once again.
Danny Granger will be a leading candidate for the league's Most Improved Player.
Indiana will send two all-stars to Las Vegas as Jermaine O'Neal is once again voted in by fans, and the coaches select Al Harrington to play as a reserve.
Newcomer Marquis Daniels will play more point guard than any other position, with Jamaal Tinsley struggling with injuries once again.
Sarunas Jasikevicius won't be the answer for the Pacers at point guard, but he'll have a more impressive season in 2007.
With an elite presence beside him, Jermaine O'Neal will remain healthy and raise his game to a new level. He'll finish in the top ten in MVP voting come spring.
The acquisition of Darrell Armstrong will become very important when the Pacers fall on hard times early in the season - their early schedule is quite rough travel-wise.
Here are five reasons to be excited about the
2006-2007 Indiana Pacers:
He's baaaaack
That's right after spending two lottery-ridden seasons in Atlanta Al Harrington has returned to Indiana. Sporting a new number (32) and a funky new `do, Al is back to bang in the paint with his close friend, Jermaine O'Neal. He brings heart and leadership to a team that's in dire need of both.
Danger
Fans have taken to calling second-year forward Danny Granger, `Danger' for a reason. He's lethal on the court. He was the lone bright spot from a dim 2005-2006 season, and has had an impressive preseason campaign. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Granger figures to get a lot of playing time this season.
They're healthy...for now
Poor health was the main reason for Indiana's struggles during the past two or three seasons. With everyone entering the regular season fairly healthy, things could begin well for the Pacers. In each of the past two seasons Indiana has started the season without a major cog in the line-up, but it appears they will enter the new season at full strength. That's reason enough to watch these guys go to battle.
New Faces
If you were bored watching the same old Pacers take the floor night-in and night-out for the past four or five years, then this season is the one for you. Indiana's opening day roster will feature up to eight new faces, including possible starters Al Harrington and Marquis Daniels. Gone are Austin Croshere, Fred Jones, Anthony Johnson, Scot Pollard, and Peja Stojakovic. Welcome Harrington, Daniels, Armstrong, Maceo Baston, James White, and Shawne Williams.
No Ronnie
Did I mention that Ron Artest is gone?
E-mail Andrew with some of your predictions for the Pacers this season. He can be reached at Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com |
