Category Archives: troy murphy

2009-10 NBA Preview: Indiana Pacers

As many of you know, I write for a Pacers site over at Fanball. You can read my stuff at PacersPlace.com. As part of my 2009-10 NBA Preview posts, I wrote one about the Pacers that can be found there. I have copied it here on my site too and here is the 2009-10 NBA Preview for the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers have barely missed the playoffs the last few years, could this be the season when that streak ends? Danny Granger is a stud, but could he possibly win the MVP award? Troy Murphy is coming off the best season of his career, can he keep up those numbers this year? Can Mike Dunleavy make a comeback from his knee problems? Can Tyler Hansbrough, Brandon Rush, and Roy Hibbert take the next step and become legit NBA stars?

Additions/Subtractions – There are quite a few new faces on the Pacers this year. They did well in the draft when they picked up Tyler Hansbrough and A.J. Price. They were both winners in college and this team is starting to be filled with players who excelled in college. The lost Jarrett Jack and Marquis Daniels via free agency, but they picked up Luther Head, Dahntay Jones, Solomon Jones, and Earl Watson to fill their roster. They look to be a better defensive team than they were the last two seasons.

2009-10 Expectations – They have been the 9th best team in the Eastern Conference the last few seasons, but they look to change that this year. They have been in a transition mode since Reggie Miller retired. Indiana has been lucky that they haven’t bottomed out like many teams have during their rebuilding process. Head coach Jim O’Brien has played an offensive style that has fit this team and he should get the credit for the Pacers not falling completely into a void the last two seasons. Larry Bird could be on the hot seat this year if the team doesn’t improve on their record from last year, but the roster has nearly turned over completely the last three seasons. This team has a lot of former Wooden Award winners on it and it’s nearing time that many of them to mature and reach their potential. Danny Granger came into his own last year and he may even get better. If the Pacers end up in the playoffs, it will be because of his play. If he has a bad year, the Pacers could be one of the worst teams in the league. They look to him for leadership and production.

2009-10 Prediction – I look for Granger to be a possible MVP candidate and he will make the All-Star team. Tyler Hansbrough, Roy Hibbert, and Troy Murphy will be a nice three man rotation at the PF/C positions. It’s time for Hibbert to really show the league what he can do. Brandon Rush will improve, he had a pretty good last two months of the season last year. Mike Dunleavy is dealing with an nagging knee injury. He had surgery on it, but had a setback. He should be back at some point near the beginning of the season, but it could be a lost season for him. The Pacers will make the playoffs, but it could be as a #8 seed.

2009-10 Win Total – 38-44

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A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

The Pacers Need To Miss Playoffs

The Indiana Pacers is not only the America’s White Boy’s favorite team, but they can nearly put in a starting five of all white boys. I don’t mean European white boys, these boys are corn-fed, All-American, drive a pick-up truck, white boys. Jeff Foster, Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy and Travis Diener held down the fort while Jermaine O’Neal was on the shelf for most of the season.

The purpose of this post is that sometimes losing is winning. The Pacers are last in the league in attendance and seem to not know what is happening with the future of the team. Donnie Walsh, their former president, left for the Knicks position and they seemed to have traded away their best players last year (Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson). I’m still pretty fumed about that trade. Indiana traded their number 1 pick to the Hawks for Al Harrington and then they trade him to the Warriors with Jackson, mid-season, for Dunleavy and Murphy. I know it makes the team a little more “Indiana,” meaning this state is pretty darn white, but we need a few guys who can straight hoop.Currently, the Pacers are two games back with four games remaining. I believe they need to tank the last few games and earn a lottery pick. I don’t see any progress being made by making the playoffs and getting torched by the Celtics in the first round. This draft class is looking to be pretty deep with very talented underclassmen and they need to reap the benefits. The Eastern Conference is horrible and it wouldn’t take much to get this team back in the 5th-6th seed contention for next year. O’Neal has looked good since coming back from an injury, but they need to look to trade him. I think he is bored there and wants to play for a contender (aka a Western Conference team). They should have pulled the trigger last season by trading him to the Lakers for Lamar Odom or Andrew Bynum, but they wanted both of them. That trade will never happen now, so I suggest trading him for a first round pick or a mid-level player with an expiring contract.If the Pacers are serious about building a winning team, they need to ship off some of their pieces and earn some young talent. They drafted Danny Granger and Shawne Williams over the past few seasons and they need some athletes around them.

I suggest trading a 2nd round pick to the Orlando Magic for J.J. Redick. The Magic already have enough 3-point shooters and Larry Bird has never met a white boy that he didn’t like.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.