Indiana Pacers

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports The NBA Eastern and Western Conference Finals do not feature the sexiest teams on the league’s roster. But like the Jet Beauty of The Week, they are compelling. The western conference slugfest between the San Antonio Spurs and the beefy Memphis Grizzlies is as watchable as a train wreck, yet not quite as entertaining. The Grizzlies are headed back to Tennessee for  some BBQ home cooking down 0-2, but the overtime loss in San Antonio proves that the series is far from over, and the battle will be brought back to the River Walk. The brawl brewing back east between the wold Champion Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers will make the Western Conference Finals look like synchronize swimming. The Eastern Conference Finals match-up features a team that truly despises the team they’re playing, and a team that has yet to acknowledge their existence. They both deploy a defense-first approach. But the Pacers come to the stadium ugly, play ugly and leave the floor looking more like Fred Sanford’s front lawn than a gym. The Pacers were the first to hit the Heat in the mouth in last year’s Eastern Conference Semi-Final. Miami flinched, then sent the Pacers home after six games to watch the finals on their couch. Indiana is a big team that plays even bigger with a roster full of space eaters that only know the dirty work. Yet, for all of their defensive prowess, they still rank near the bottom in scoring. The Pacers’ 23rd ranked offense manages to cough out a mere 94 points per game. Big-guard star on the rise, Paul George, can score and defend but the leagues Most Improved Player is the first, second and third option on a team that struggles to make shots. The Heat are the sexiest team left in the playoffs, and they can make shots. Lots of them.  But it gets worse. Lebron James is the best player on the planet. Two of his sidekicks: top 10. That’s not all. James leads the his team in everything, including deference to his teammates, all while salivating at the very thought of playing defense. And to shake salt on the Hoosier State, the Heat were not aware of the rivalry between themselves and the Pacers… How dare those world champions. Christopher is a NBA writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @whatrockschris. Like him on Facebook.

Five 2013 All-Stars, but just one 2013 All-NBA Team member. Paul George needs a new mantle. Earlier this year, the 23-year-old third-year wing was voted by the league’s coaches to play in his first All-Star Game. Then he won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. After that, he was named to the All-Defensive Second Team. And now he has received his most prestigious honor yet: All-NBA Third Team. Each year, selected media members vote on the All-NBA teams, which ostensibly recognize the 15 players who had the best seasons. Early in the year, it seemed like George might have an outside shot to make All-NBA, but I have to say that even after the tremendous year he had, I’m a little surprised he was so widely viewed as one of the top six forwards in the league. Acclaim-wise, this lifts George a clear step above the litany of one- and two-time All-Stars that populate the league. All-NBA status is reserved for the best of the best. If you check the list of recipients, there aren’t many slouches. Georeg has officially entered the world of the NBA elite in the world’s eyes. Other than prestige, this also could set Paul George up to make more money. Generally, players with less than seven years of NBA experience can only make a maximum salary equal to 25% of the salary cap. But due to the the so-called “Derrick Rose Exception” instituted in the league’s collective bargaining agreement with the players’ union, any player who is named to two or more All-NBA teams becomes eligible to make a maximum salary equal to 30% of the salary cap, a sum otherwise reserved for players with seven or more years of experience. Common sense says that the Pacers will likely try to lock up Paul George to a long-term, five-year extension this summer. This new wrinkle in George’s earning potential should have no effect on negotiations. If they come to terms on a max deal, which would begin in in the 2014-15 season after his current contract runs out, the agreed-upon deal would most likely just retroactively jump from 25% to 30% of the salary cap number for that season. Here is the full list of All-NBA honorees: 1st Team F: Kevin Durant F: LeBron James C: Tim Duncan G: Kobe Bryant G: Chris Paul 2nd Team F: Carmelo Anthony F: Blake Griffin C: Marc Gasol G: Tony Parker G: Russell Westbrook 3rd Team F: Paul George F: David Lee C: Dwight Howard G: James Harden G: Dwyane Wade

Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports We’re all familiar with the words “pace and space”, because Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra made it famous last year, while describing the style that the team planned to play with. A year later, it morphed into “position-less basketball.” Two separate terms for one similar goal. Miami wanted to get their players into the corners and give Dwyane Wade and LeBron James room to operate. In other words, have their stars drive, draw the defense and then pitch the ball out to the open shooters—a recipe for success unless teams did exactly what the Indiana Pacers did on Wednesday. They refused to match down. They turned the game into a gritty, grind it out, foul-ridden affair that looked down right sloppy at times. But their style dictated things. They made Miami stick to a big lineup because Shane Battier guarding Roy Hibbert just didn’t work. So they went to something that they hardly utilized. And it was a new wrinkle that thrived. Chris Bosh and Chris “Birdman” Andersen took the court together. “We exploited it,” said Andersen (via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel). “That was our preparation going into the game: floor spacing.” Somehow they created space and Birdman was the beneficiary. It was like every time he cut to the hoop he scored. Seven cuts, seven scores and he soared his way in to the record books. An entire playoff game with no missed shots. But he and the Miami swat machine changed many times. Birdman and Bosh combined for five blocks, while James bounced three Pacers shots off the backboard. If the Heat big men can keep it up, slow and steady might be the new pace for the champs—at least against Indy. Please feel free to comment using the section below, or reach out to us using the hash tag #RML, for Rant My Life. Richard Nurse is a Miami Heat columnist for RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @blackirishpr.

Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports Some things may not be exactly what they seem. More people watched Game 1 of the 2013 NBA Eastern Conference Finals than any game so far in the 2013 NBA Playoffs. The final 2.2 seconds of that game were arguably the most talked about sequence of these playoffs, as well. LeBron James stole the show, while the Indiana Pacers snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. But was the Miami Heat’s shocking theft of Game 1 different than it appeared to be? The images of James cruising to the basket for the winning shot in overtime are already the stuff of legend. Still, a closer look at those final moments might just make some people think twice about the validity of the victory. When James catches the ball, he feels Paul George over-pursuing, and immediately cuts to the basket. In a flash, the league MVP takes one dribble, and then glides to the rim for an uncontested layup. Upon further inspection, James looks to take three quick steps on his way to the basket. James takes his dribble with his left foot down. After the dribble, he plants his right foot for a long lunge. As he speeds to the basket, he quickly drops his left foot, before taking a quick final hop off of his right again. Obviously, the traveling penalty wasn’t called, but perhaps it should have been. Maybe it all happened too fast. Maybe all eyes were focused on the ease of his motions to the rim, rather than the tiny tap dance. There’s nothing that can be done about it now, but imagine the backlash of controversy that would occur if that game ended with a walk and a turnover.

Happy Carb Day! Those heading out to IMS today should have plenty of time to continue the party this evening while finding a spot to watch the Pacers and Heat square off in Game 2. The Pacers fell one play short in Game 1 with "The Layup" delivering a stunning loss. Time to officially move on today and put the pedal to the metal for another 48 minute battle. Consider in Game 1, the Pacers biggest lead was seven points while the Heat's largest advantage was five points. The game was tight and intense throughout, a serious pleasure to watch, final result notwithstanding. What makes the NBA playoffs so difficult is trying to maintain that physical and mental intensity throughout a series. That will be the challenge for the Pacers tonight, especially for their younger players soaking in the spotlight of the Eastern Conference Finals. They have to step up to a higher level of play than they showed on Wednesday since LeBron and friends will be ready. Check out the links: The World Snarls and Vogel Smiles | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS Pacers playoffs: 4 things the Indiana needs to do to even their Eastern Conference finals series with the Heat | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com Bob Kravitz: It's not fair everybody now knows Frank Vogel's name for the wrong reasons ... but it's also deserved | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com Roy Hibbert is in LeBron James' head - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN Pacers Playoff Central: Roy Hibbert calls out Shane Battier for dirty play | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com Roy Hibbert of Indiana Pacers calls Shane Battier of Miami Heat dirty - ESPN James, Bryant voted to All-NBA first team - AP Heat’s D Exposes Granger’s Absence " NBA.com | Hang Time Blog 2013 Playoffs: Pacers-Heat Game 2 viewer's guide - Indy Sports Legends Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel expect more in NBA Eastern Conference finals. - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com Miami Heat’s Ray Allen going back to work - Miami Heat - MiamiHerald.comMiami Heat’s Ray Allen going back to work - Miami Heat - MiamiHerald.com Roy Hibbert Says Shane Battier Kneed Him In The Dick On Purpose - Deadspin The Pacers Did Everything Wrong On LeBron's Buzzer-Beater - Deadspin Heat-Pacers Game 2 Preview: Keep calm and don't lose the ball A few thoughts about Roy Hibbert - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN NBA Playoffs 2013: 5 things that ruled about Heat-Pacers Game 1 - SBNation.com LeBron James, Kevin Durant headline All-NBA First Team | The Point Forward - SI.com

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports Whether or not David West could play any better for the Indiana Pacers than he did Wednesday night in the 103-102 loss in Game 1 of the NBA East Conference playoff series remains to be seen. It was a fine effort by West and made it even more frustrating for Pacer fans to watch their team lose to the Miami Heat. How much better can the team play than it did? That’s hard to answer but the Pacers have to find a way. West put together an excellent 41 minutes against a tough Miami defense. He was virtually unstoppable although it would have been nice had he not made four turnovers. But he was 11-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-8 from the free-throw line for 26 points. He also had five rebounds and an assist. It was one of West’s best games for the playoffs. Yet it came in a stinging loss to the Heat. He’s averaging 16.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. What he and the Pacers need to do in Game 2 is play tighter defense on the entire Miami squad and keep the Heat under 100 points. If that happens, the Pacers could take the series back to Indy at 1-1. They certainly don’t want to go back with a 2-0 deficit. It wouldn’t hurt if West has another big game, mind you, with 26 points or more. That’s not expected to happen against Miami, although West would love stepping up his defense a few notches to beat the Heat that way.

Even though the Pacers are still waist-deep in the playoffs against Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals, the NBA Draft is just over a month away. At pick 23, Indiana will have a lot of good players still on the board at key positions they could address through the draft (backup point guard and power forward). Below is the roundup of all the latest mock drafts after the lottery. Chad Ford's Mock Draft 3.0 (ESPN): Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga Chris Mannix's Mock Draft 1.0 (Sports Illustrated): Sergey Karasev, SF, Russia Jonathan Wasserman Post-Lottery Mock (Bleacher Report/NBADraft.net): Dario Saric, SF/PF, Croatia Jonathan Givony's 2013 NBA Mock Draft (Draft Express): Shane Larkin, PG, Miami Jonathan Tjarks's 2013 NBA Mock Draft (SB Nation): Kelly Olynyk, C, Gonzaga Any of these four players would come in and play a key role on the Pacers second unit. The most mentioned, Olynyk, would supplant Miles Plumlee as the third center on the depth chart. The two international prospects, Karasev, and Saric, would also come in and play at either the 3 or 4. Kevin Pritchard is known for his ability to scout international prospects, so it would not surpsise me a bit to see him take one on draft night. Then if D.J. Augustin leaves in free agency (looking more and more likely), then Shane Larkin could be taken to replace him. Larkin is much more explosive and has better ball-handling ability then Augustin. All of these players all fit what the Pacers need off the bench, a reliable scoring threat off the bench. With a lot of the players in the second unit with expiring contracts, we could be in for another retooling of it this Summer as well. It will be interesting to watch how Ryan Carr (director of scouting) and Pritchard shorten down their prospect list as we inch closer and closer to June 27. Once the playoffs conclude, be prepared for a lot of draft content on Indy Cornrows until Indiana is on the clock.

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George had a devastating end to his night at AmericanAirlines Arena after LeBron James slipped by him for the game-winner in Game 1. Things improved for PG on Thursday as he was named to the All-NBA third team as voted on by a panel of 119 media members. Of course, LeBron earned the most votes to headline the All-NBA first team where he was joined by Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. Heat guard Dwyane Wade also made the All-NBA third teams with PG. Roy Hibbert and David West were among the players also receiving votes. Here are the full results: ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM LeBron James, Miami: (119 votes) 595 points Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: (102) 555 Tim Duncan, San Antonio: (45) 392 Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers: (91) 521 Chris Paul, LA Clippers: (97) 537 ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM Carmelo Anthony, New York: (24) 397 Blake Griffin, LA Clippers: 132 Marc Gasol, Memphis: (38) 295 Tony Parker, San Antonio: (16) 273 Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City: (20) 306 ALL-NBA THIRD TEAM David Lee, Golden State: 79 Paul George, Indiana: 73 Dwight Howard, LA Lakers: (17) 203 Dwyane Wade, Miami: (3) 145 James Harden, Houston: (5) 253 Also receiving votes, with point totals: Brook Lopez, Brooklyn, 132 (7 First Team votes); Stephen Curry, Golden State, 72; LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland, 62; Chris Bosh, Miami, 59 (4); Joakim Noah, Chicago, 56 (3); Zach Randolph, Memphis, 45; Al Horford, Atlanta, 31 (2); Paul Pierce, Boston, 24; Al Jefferson, Utah, 20 (1); Tyson Chandler, New York, 19 (1); Roy Hibbert, Indiana, 9; Luol Deng, Chicago, 8; Kevin Garnett, Boston, 8; Ty Lawson, Denver, 8; Josh Smith, Atlanta, 7; Deron Williams, Brooklyn, 6; Pau Gasol, LA Lakers, 4; Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City, 4; Omer Asik, Houston, 3; Kenneth Faried, Denver, 3; Raymond Felton, New York, 3; Kyrie Irving, Cleveland, 3; Carlos Boozer, Chicago, 2; Mike Conley, Memphis, 2; David West, Indiana, 2; Rudy Gay, Toronto, 1; JJ Hickson, Portland, 1; Andre Iguodala, Denver, 1; Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas, 1; Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota, 1; Rajon Rondo, Boston, 1; Nikola Vucevic, Orlando, 1.

Looks like the recognition keeps coming for Paul George as the All NBA Teams were announced.  George received enough votes to be voted on the third squad, which is saying something about his game, and how far he’s come along.  He’s already been named the NBA’s Most Improved Player, and received some votes in the NBA’s Top Defensive Player award.  Joining an All Star season, this has been quite the year for Paul George. I wasn’t sure if he would have made this big of jump this season, but he did.  He improved his game so much, and has started to show that promise of a superstar type player for the Indiana Pacers, something they haven’t had since the days of Reggie Miller.  If there was ever a time to compare him to Miller, it was last night when he drilled a three pointer to tie the game right at the end of regulation.  It was quite a Miller moment, and from the looks of Paul’s game, we could expect to see plenty more of that for the years to come. I would imagine if Paul’s game continues to grow, he’ll show up even higher next season for the All NBA teams list.  He needs to continue to improve in the passing game, but when that’s the downfall of Paul’s game, I think things are moving along quite nicely.  He’s been praised by Coach Frank Vogel for his defensive ability by being the best defender on the Indiana Pacers.  We’ve seen him hit for triple doubles in the season, and with that improved passing, that could be a trend for him. He’s had big scoring nights, and big rebounding nights.  He’s doing it all for the Pacers when they absolutely need it. This is just another feather in the cap for George, and like I said, I look forward to many more feathers coming his way.  TIme to take notice of this budding superstar the Pacers are growing.

So looks like Frank Vogel has been getting MOST of the blame for last night’s loss, and I can see why.  Sure if Roy Hibbert is out on the floor, Lebron James doesn’t get an easy lay up.  But what if Lebron James makes the lay up even with Hibbert out there.  Then Paul George gets all the blame for not defending well enough.  And it’s Lebron James, isn’t it about time he makes a game winning shot of this sorts? It’s almost expected that he’s going to make it, no matter what’s going on out there.  He should be expected to make that with the star power he’s got.  But I don’t put all the blame on Frank Vogel. Instead, I look at what some of the Indiana Pacers did. First off, the turnovers of the team.  George Hill looked shaky out there handling the ball, which is a bad sign.  Maybe he’ll be able to turn that around, but at times, he looked bad dribbling the ball around, and he’s one of the best on the team when it comes to that.  Then, how about some of the bad passes.  You can’t make bad passes against the Miami Heat because they turn those turnovers into easy baskets.  They were able to get out and run a few times when the Pacers made a bad turnover. How about that pass by Paul George to Sam Young, WHO WAS ON THE BENCH?  For all the good things, George can do, passing is still a downside to his game. Second, the Pacers have to hit free throws.  Paul George made the three that counted, but he also had a miss or two that could have helped.  Speaking of could have helped, how about building up that seven point lead into double digits. I believe if the Pacers got a ten point lead, we’re not talking about that last second basket by Lebron James to win that game. That’s probably the most encouraging sign for the Pacers, they didn’t play the best game.  They played well enough to stay in there, and keep it competitive.  They should have probably closed it out, and won the game.  That’s got to be the most promising thing about it.  They have to figure out what was working so well, and bring that effort into game two.  Game two is going to be MUST win. I use that term a ton, but there’s no better time than now for that.  Give me a game two win for the Pacers, and I believe they can win at home against the Heat, so who knows what could happen in this series.  It’s all about correcting what went wrong in last night’s game, and improving upon that to get the game two win.