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Are the Indiana Pacers the NBA version of America’s Team?

By Austin Payne

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 16: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates a call during the second half of the game against the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Brian Munoz/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 16: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates a call during the second half of the game against the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Brian Munoz/Getty Images) /
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Are the Indiana Pacers the NBA’s version of America’s Team?

Sometimes you just have to credit people for staying with it. Your dad may not have ever been a rich man or had the plushest job in the world, but regardless he kept at it. Day in and day out, he went into work and took care of the necessities to provide for you and the family. That man reminds me a lot of the Indiana Pacers over the years.

Though they’ve had great players and competed for titles in the past, the Pacers have more often, especially as of late, just been one of those pretty good teams. Aside from giving Lebron and the Heat a run for their money in the conference finals, the team has largely been average. Dating back to the time they traded the Kawhi Leonard pick for George Hill, there have definitely been some questionable choices made, but overall the front office decisions have been solid.

Allow me to get sidetracked for just a moment and let’s imagine a team with both Kawhi and Paul George…but anyway.

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Having previously used the 10th pick to get a player of almost the same caliber of Leonard, the team was nevertheless still in a good position for the future. They put veterans and rebounding around PG as he grew in the league, though questions did remain. What was he? A true small forward? A shooting guard?

There were even talks at one point by Bird of playing Paul at power forward which was…definitely an idea…? He eventually settled into his natural place as a versatile wing ball-handler who can defend four positions adequately, shoot the lights out, take you off the dribble, and be smooth as butter while doing so.

As much as the front office thought they were trying though they never did enough to properly surround PG with the right talent. Though the east has really been a monopolistic entity the entire tenure of LeBron’s past 10 years, so can you truly blame them? I think the Pacers were just simply being too laissez-faire about the fact that they had a star on their hands.

Maybe the fact that he was young moved them to be patient or something, but PG13 has been a championship level player since he fully returned from that injury. Ultimately this leads to the disgruntlement of Paul and instead of getting nothing in return, the team decides to get something back for him.

This trade for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis was a very shrewd move by them and is one of the better, almost mutually, trades in recent memory. The Thunder had just lost their first love, and that isn’t a team wanting to rebuild, so Russell Westbrook needed a partner and he got it. While risky due to the chance of him not resigning, it worked out for them.

The Pacers, on the other hand, obtained two undervalued and underutilized players in return. First of all, the fact that Oladipo even ended up on the Thunder is just a glimpse at the Magic front office for you, but that’s aside from the point. During his time in OKC Oladipo was playing to his weaknesses. He’s not Klay, he’s not an off ball shooting guard. He’s a combo guard that makes the most of his skills with the ball in his hands and a pass-first point beside him.

In Oklahoma City, the offense was dominated by Westbrook and him giving Dipo the leftovers. Not ideal. Sabonis, on the other hand, was firstly a rookie but also underutilized as well. Basically used as a catch and shoot or secondary layup option, he never got to really show what he could do. With the Pacers, they’ve allowed him to come off the bench and be one of the primary scorers of the team and especially the second unit, though I believe he should start next year.

In both of those players, Myles Turner, and a couple of other young guards, I think the Pacers did the best job possible in terms of recovering from losing George. Not only is it a decent free agent destination, but they have other surrounding pieces to match with new players who also happen to be young. They aren’t strapped for the cap, although they will have to pay Turner and Sabonis soon, and they have time to build further.

Ultimately they’re even better than last season and I think it’s pretty clear they intend to contend for years to come. With signings of a great combo guard in Malcolm Brogdon, a versatile wing with Jeremy lamb, and trading barely anything to acquire T.J. Warren. I love all three signings, but the one I’m most excited about is the latter. People seem to discredit him for the team he was on, but he’s become a walking 15/8 with a 40 percent shooting clip from deep. Don’t sleep, these can more than makeup for the team losing Darren Collison (to retirement) and Thaddeus Young (in free agency).

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I think the Indiana Pacers will continue to be a perennial top 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and likely host an ECF within the next 4. Until then though they’ll remain a fun watch and respectable opponent. They’ll be one of those teams that simply keeps at it, which perfectly embodies the mindset of the state of Indiana and their loyal fans.

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