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Most analysts and educated fans across the globe would agree that fatigue, injuries and loss of motivation are the key adversaries that two-time defending champions Miami Heat would have to face in their bid to complete a three-peat this June.
With the roster prior to the season remaining almost similar to last year and the current best player on the planet LeBron James as their leader, many predict that the Heat would face stiff competition but would finish as the best team in the league once again en route to winning their third consecutive Larry O’Brien trophy.
That stiff competition for the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals would likely come against the Indiana Pacers, and in the NBA Finals, against the Western Conference Champions; the Western Conference, of course, is a place where all the top five teams have the potential of ending as table-toppers.
Predictions for the Western Conference Champions can differ from writer to writer and from one analyst to another so that’s better left alone to be seen during the last week of May. On the other hand, in the East, it took all but two weeks into the season for many educated basketball viewers to conclude that the regular season was a just a formality as only the Heat and Pacers looked worthy of competing in the East Finals.
The trade window came to a close less than a week ago and the Pacers made a catch on the last day while there was no activity by Pat Riley’s office. The nature of their trades has left no doubt that the Pacers are not thinking long-term but are looking to give it their best shot at the title this season.
So how would the Pacers fare against the Heat if and when they meet in the Conference Finals? Where do they have an advantage against the defending champions? An analysis of the Pacers’ roster and their trades over the off-season and the just concluded trade window should help you decide whether to put your money on the contenders.
Defence will go up by more than a notch with their loaded front court
Roy Hibbert and David West start from the loaded front court of the Indiana Pacers
The Pacers were built to go head-to-head with the Miami Heat. The team is loaded in the area which is considered the Heat’s weakness- size and length.
Their front court is led by 7 foot 2 inch dominant center and All-Star Roy Hibbert and powerful post player David West in the starting line-up. Hibbert’s back-up 6-11 center Ian Mahinmi has reliable help in the front court off the bench in Luis Scola, who was acquired during the summer.
This front court foursome has a back-up in Andrew Bynum, not among the most reliable and efficient centers; nevertheless, he has the size and length which the Pacers are building around to go against the Heat.
Stopping penetration into the lane and using their vertical to block shots or alter shots without sending their opponents to the free throw line is how the front court contributes to the Pacers’ league-leading defence.
In Lance Stephenson and Paul George they have the best perimeter defending duo in the league. Their athletic presence allows them to lock down on shooters or make the opponents drive right into the center waiting in the paint during pick and roll.
The Pacers have their own Big 3 to compete with the Heat’s
The Pacers’ Big 3
Through constant growth the Pacers have slowly come to rely on three players each game. Those three players change each game but almost every match there have been three star performers who have together lifted the team to victory.
Although Paul George might be far behind when it comes to actually receiving the regular season MVP award, his name coming up in the Top 5 of the MVP race says a lot about the improvement of the player. Calling his offensive brilliance entertaining would be an understatement, with his 360 windmill dunk already an early candidate for ‘dunk of the year’.
A favourite to win the Most Improved Player of the Year award, Lance Stephenson currently leads the league in number of triple doubles for this season. While Hibbert gets his due for manning the paint and George is named in the MVP talks, Stephenson does all the little things that make the Pacers go.
West and Hibbert share the spoils and alternate among one another for the third spot on Pacers’ Big 3. As a team they have transformed into a much better two-way team.
Bench better equipped this season
No one from the Pacers’ management would agree with the argument that they lost the Conference Finals last Playoffs in a battle of the benches with the Heat, but it’s true.
This season, however, Larry Bird has made sure the Pacers do not come up short in that area with a trade on the final day of the mid-season window that brings Philadelphia 76ers’ Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen to Indiana in exchange for long-time Pacer Danny Granger.
With Turner they are certain to receive consistent offensive production off the bench and in Allen they receive an additional post player who can play both the 3 and 4 spot.
On their day, the Pacers’ bench can give the Heat starters a run for their money but all head coach Frank Vogel needs from them is to keep the lead if they have one or chip away at the lead if they are trailing. Going ahead into the post-season the bench play becomes a major factor in a team winning it all.
The final question to be answered is: do the Pacers have it in them?
Their roster certainly lacks nothing but star players, veterans and bench strength at their disposal to go along with a great defensive-minded coach.
It is quite certain who the Conference Finalists in the East would be, with the Pacers and Heat having a big lead over the rest of the teams. While we may not have the answer to the question yet, the showdown in May certainly promises to be a cracker.
