From The Beginning

The 2008-2009 basketball season brought us the breakout of a little known player to those not adamant about the NBA.

The Indiana Pacers’ Danny Granger had a breakout season, and put himself on the map as one of the best players in the NBA. Few people realize this, as the Indiana Pacers are a below average team that gets little coverage.

The 26 year old Granger made serious waves during his 4th season in the NBA. Always known to be a player with tremendous upside, Granger flirted with this potential during his first few seasons in the league. The 2008-2009 season, however, was a different story altogether.

The Pacers have a young team with a good upside. The defense was their death blow last season giving up more points then they could score. More emphasis needs to be put on defense; we know the team can score.

The Central division should be an improvement overall – the Chicago Bulls are potentially a high 40 win team, the Cleveland Cavs acquired Shaquille O’Neal and will be the front runners.

The Pacers did draft former college player of the year Tyler Hansbrough – what impact he will have in his rookie year in unknown. What Hansbrough lacks in skill he makes up for it in hustle.

The last time the Pacers finished with a record above .500 was in the 04′-05′ season – Pacers fans would hope to avoid another sub .500 season for the fifth straight year.

The Pacers should win more then 36 games this upcoming season. The Pacers have a chance at the 8th or 7th seed even if everyone plays up to their potential and the defense improves. Granger should have an all-star season and be among the leaders in scoring once again.

For more on the Pacers, check out the Indiana Pacers forum at RootZoo Sports. Be sure to play their free nba trivia with over 60,000 questions.

The Indiana Pacers season did not live up their standards in 08′-09′ winning only 36 games. This is not how most remember the Pacers, but the Miller days are over.

The bright side to their season was that they didn’t have trouble scoring; they averaged 105 points per game, 5th in the NBA. They still managed to go less than .500 on the season, thanks to their defensive qualities.

Granger’s scoring averages have increased every year since he has been in the league since 04′. 08′-09′ Granger was fifth in scoring at 25.1 points per game – look for another year similar this season as well.

Granger was a one man show in Indiana, single handedly responsible for many of the team’s 36 wins. His 25.8 points per game were the fifth highest in the NBA, and he was one of the only players in the league to average over one block and one steal per game.

The Central division should be an improvement overall – the Chicago Bulls are potentially a high 40 win team, the Cleveland Cavs acquired Shaquille O’Neal and will be the front runners.

The Pacers will have to improve on their 36 win season if they expect to make the playoffs. The Pacers did draft A.J. Price and Tyler Hansbrough – what playing time they will see should probably be limited in the beginning of the season but increase as the season moves forward. Unless you are an outstanding rookie, rookies see little action their first season.

Unfortunately for Pacer fans, he can’t do it all on his own. He’s a great player to build the team around, but they need some serious help defensively. This team can score points, but there’s no way to go deep with a weak defense.

Head Coach Jim O’Brien has a good group of young talent that he would like to mold into a playoff team that can at least compete against the top teams in the East. If O’Brien manages another 36 win season his job could possibly be in danger. The President of Basketball Operations, Larry Bird, is a patient man – but he can’t tolerate another losing season.

For more on the Pacers, check out the Pacers forum at RootZoo Sports. Be sure to play their free nba trivia with over 60,000 questions.