The Indiana Pacers came within one game of unseating the Miami Heat as Eastern Conference champions. A team that is so close to the NBA Finals will try to take the next step.
2014 NBA Championship Odds: +1600
Notable Change #1:
The Pacers’ biggest move in the offseason was to snag small forward Chris Copeland from the New York Knicks. For New York – a team loaded with shooters – Copeland was something of a redundancy. The Knicks didn’t need more Copelands on their roster; they needed better defenders on the wings. The Pacers, on the other hand, were in a position that was very different from the one the Knicks faced. Indiana realized in its seven-game loss to Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals that it needed a more dependable assortment of long-range shooters, especially on the bench. The Pacers simply did not have a deep bench last season, and they were especially lacking in terms of perimeter shooters who could stretch the Heat’s defense when it collapsed on Indiana big men Roy Hibbert (center) and David West (power forward). Copeland is a great fit for Indiana. He’s the kind of piece this team sorely needed. Head coach Frank Vogel now has a much better option to plug into the final minutes of regulation when the Pacers, trailing by one or two buckets, need some offense. Copeland’s addition was the particularly smart move the Pacers made this offseason.
Notable Change #2:
The Pacers made a questionable move in the recent draft by taking small forward Solomon Hill out of Arizona. Hill is an appreciably agile player, but he simply does not possess a full toolbox of offensive skills. It’s true that many NBA players do not enter the league with a good, polished jump shot, and need years to acquire a good touch from 15 or 18 feet. However, the Pacers did need shooters on their roster, and Hill would not be seen as a good shooter by anyone. Indiana had the ability to find better marksmen with this draft selection, making Hill something of a wasted opportunity.
Notable Change #3:
The Pacers signed reserve guard C.J. Watson, hoping to get some offense out of him. Watson struggled through a terrible first-round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. A Watson missed dunk late in regulation in Game 4 enabled Chicago to gain some confidence and mount a massive comeback. The Bulls eventually beat Watson’s Nets in triple overtime to take a 3-1 lead in that series. Brooklyn rallied to force a seventh game, but the Nets lost Game 7 to the Bulls. Watson could very well be haunted by the way his 2013 season ended, so a change of scenery should do him some good. Yet, one must also conceded that Watson’s career is losing steam instead of gaining ground. Moreover, a haunted player – even in a different locale – might very well continue to battle his inner demons.
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