In an effort to topple the Boston Celtics, some of the best teams in the Eastern Conference made massive moves this offseason. The New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Philadlehia 76ers signed Paul George and even the Milwaukee Bucks got in on the action, adding Gary Trent Jr. and other veterans. The two teams that made the Conference Finals, the Celtics and Indiana Pacers, have opted to stand pat. Indiana lost Jalen Smith to the Chicago Bulls but brought in James Wiseman to hold down the frontcourt off the bench. Other than that, any major acquisitions were done through the draft, and the team re-signed and extended key players.
Andrew Nembhard, Pascal Siakam, Obi Toppin, and TJ McConnell were all either brought back in free agency or re-signed, and the Pacers are content on developing and cultivating the core they have. “I think you guys see it the way we play offensively, and, even a little bit on the defensive end,” said McConnell of the team’s cohesion. “We know where guys are…Bringing pretty much the same group back makes it pretty easy for us to know where everyone’s going to be.”
Last year, the Pacers made it to the Conference Finals in large part due to their midseason trade for Siakam, who averaged 21.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in the postseason while shooting well inside the arc. With an entire offseason for him to build team chemistry, Siakam and the Pacers should be better than last year, even without a blockbuster addition.
It’s easy to write off the small-market Pacers, who have been overshadowed all summer by the Conference Rivals. However, Indiana made a deep playoff run and is enjoying internal improvement rather than scrambling to add talent and worrying about fit.
For More Stories Like This, Please Check Our Home Page
Be the first to comment