Indiana Pacers: The Start Nobody Expected

When the rumors were confirmed that Paul George was wanting out of Indiana, the Pacers could have done what seems to be the trend in the NBA. Lose. Instead, the Pacers did what they always do, put a competitive team on the floor. The new GM of the Pacers, Kevin Pritchard was immediately thrown into the fire. No pressure. After a few short weeks the news broke that the Pacers had received Victor Oladipo, and Domantas Sabonis. The locals already were familiar with Victor, and most assumed Sabonis was just a throw in player. Skeptics immediately were throwing kill shots Pritchard's way. After all, if the Pacers had just waited they could have gotten Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, and the Nets #1 pick. The moral was low in town, no way the Pacers would make the playoffs. Pritchard wasn't done signing solid and unexciting veterans like, Darren Collison, Corey Joseph, and Boban Bodanovic. Signings like these will typically lead to just being on the cusp of making the playoffs. What wasn't seen to the naked eye was Pritchards vision of how these players fit together. After the first 9 games the Pacers are 5-4 , averaging 111.3 points per game and 5th rated offensively in the NBA, up from 105 points per game and just 15th the prior year. Victor Oladipo is averaging 8.7 points per game more than he did last year at 24.6 points per game, and Sabonis the player nobody knew about is playing like a budding star, averaging 13 points and almost 11 rebounds and 3 assists in just his second year. Instead of having ball hogs who stop the ball and constantly complain to the officials, this team is to play the way basketball is supposed to be played.
together. All this without arguably their best young player in Miles Turner. This season will be fast fun, fast, exciting, and like always winning. Prediction for the rest of the season: 45-37 and 5th in the East.