It has been a tough offseason for the Indiana Pacers.
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First they lost guard Lance Stephenson to the Charlotte Hornets in free agency. Then, they lost Paul George to a fractured leg after he was injured during Team USA’s training camp and will almost certainly miss the entire season.
Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders believes the Pacers are in for a rough year.
"As for how the team will fare, I don’t think it’s going to be particularly well. Roy Hibbert, one of the most weirdly inconsistent players in the NBA, is their best player now, and with George Hill no more consistent and David West no younger, I just don’t like their chances of making the postseason. Say what you will about the Eastern Conference, but there are a lot of teams looking to take a big step forward this year. To me, that might take Indy out of contention this year. It stinks, but when you lose your best player, who is arguably the best two-way player in the game, it’s just hard to expect much else."
The Pacers’ best choice may be to try to deal Hibbert and West, secure a top draft pick and rebuild around George and cap space.
Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league as we get you ready for the start of the 2014-2015 season.
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