And yet, somehow, those 131 points weren't enough, as Victor Oladipo, Myles Turner, Darren Collison, Thaddeus Young and the rest of the high-powered Pacers dropped 140 on us. It was the fastest pace I've ever seen on opening night, and Indiana ended up with eight players in double-digits.
Well, here we are now, and people are acting like they had no idea the Pacers were any good. Maybe there's some truth to that -- in Game 1, Mike Breen mentioned that they were only on national TV once all season -- but I've had the luxury of watching Nate McMillan's exciting club against my Nets and Knicks. I hated GM Kevin Pritchard's roster heading into the season, but he quickly proved me wrong when I saw that Oladipo was slimmer, quicker and more focused than ever, and McMillan's "defensive-minded" approach was crumpled up and tossed out the window.
Pritchard, McMillan, Oladipo and Collison were completely prepared to evolve with the times, which meant Indiana's lightning-fast backcourt started pushing the ball faster than ever. This bodes well for their personnel, as Young likes to play up and down, Turner is an athletic big who can run-and-gun, Bojan Bogdanovic gets open corner looks in transition, and we're all familiar with Lance Stephenson's helter skelter style of play.
So the question is...are they are a real threat to LeBron James and the Cavs?
In reality, these Indiana Pacers are DEFINITELY better than the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a cohesive basketball team, it's not even close. GM Koby Altman traded Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas, and eventually ended up with Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, George Hill and Larry Nance Jr., which resulted in this:
Hood = not getting the ball in spots where he can thrive; Clarkson = seems to have completely lost the confidence that allowed him to impress as the 6th man in Los Angeles; Hill = old and broken down and Nance = just an energetic role player. Quite a difference from Kyrie.
The Pacers, on the other hand, have played well and played together all season long. Everyone on the floor understands that Oladipo is their alpha dog, and he's thriving on the freedom and responsibility that McMillan and his teammates have given him.
This is a pretty deep club, as well. Cory Joseph is a respectable backup point guard; Domantas Sabonis (another key piece of the Paul George trade) has fit in nicely, and Trevor Booker has provided some useful spunk, energy and offensive rebounding.
On the flip side, logic told me that LeBron would help Clarkson, Hood and Nance. I thought he might help Clarkson and Hood -- two very talented individual offensive players -- step up to the next level. Unfortunately, I think they feel intimidated by The King. He seems disappointed when they miss open shots on the wings. He doesn't seem to be encouraging them or trying to bring them along. For whatever reason, these trade pieces haven't formed a coherent puzzle.
Johnny Fro's Prediction
Ahhhhh, let's take a shot on this one! Why not, right?
I'll say Oladipo and the Pacers are going to finish the job in Game 6 at home. Before the postseason started, I predicted that LeBron and the Cavs would win 4-1, but that was before their embarrassing Game 1 loss on their homecourt. That changes the complexion of the entire series. And did you see how much better the Pacers actually are?
But, as always, I have concerns...
1. Does the NBA want LeBron in the playoffs so badly that they will make sure every single call goes against the Pacers? Is LeBron going to be shooting 20-25 free throws a night, here?
2. Will LeBron decide to dominate this series, by himself, for 48 minutes a night the rest of the way out? He was lazy at the beginning of Game 1. We know that will change.
In the end, aren't we all tired of the same old conference finals? Let's get some new blood in there.
Oladipo...keep doing your thing.
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