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(Indiana Pacers)
We continue our 2015 NBA playoffs series outlook with the Indiana Pacers, a team currently looking to sustain their No.7 seed in the Eastern Conference. Lead by George Hill and Co.,the Pacers have one of the best winning percentages since the All-Star break, including an impressive win streak of seven in a row (as of 3/14/2015). Who would have thought this team was capable of making a postseason run without their star player Paul George? With the regular season drawing to an end, are the Pacers good enough to hold down the fort en-route to the playoffs? And could the return of Paul George put them over the top?
Team S.U. debates.
Steve Turner (NBA Contributor): The Indiana Pacers have been on fire lately. They currently have the best record since the All-Star break at 9-1 and are currently the 7th seed in the east. After the devastating loss of Paul George, it looked like the Pacers wouldn’t see the playoffs. Despite all of the talk though, the Pacers are on the hunt for a playoff spot. Paul George has been attending practices and showing signs that he will return soon. If he can return completely healthy before the season ends, the Pacers will make the playoffs. There are some worries for the Pacers though with the Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets trailing right behind them. If Paul George returns to his old form by the end of the season, the Pacers should be able to seal up a spot in the east.
Jeb Taylor (NBA Contributor): Once the Pacers lost Paul George to a gruesome injury this summer, almost every basketball follower wrote them off for the upcoming season. Add to that the loss of Lance Stephenson to free agency and the decay of once-productive Roy Hibbert, and you think you would have a 20 win team, right?
Wrong. Indiana currently is in the 7-hole of the eastern conference. They have won seven straight games and nine of their last 10. With whispers of a potential PG13 return this season getting a little louder, this Pacers team will be problematic for a higher seed. All Indiana needs to do is to keep playing the way they have been. What would be a better return for Paul George than a first-round matchup with his rival LBJ and the Cavs? We’ll be seeing the Pacers this post-season- believe me.
Jr. Williams (NBA Editor): This team has been on a tear since the All-Star break, and with the slow decline of the Miami Heat due to player injuries, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Pacers held on to the No.7 seed in the east. Despite missing Paul George, the Pacers have managed to add depth at the guard position with the addition of Rodney Stuckey — a player who has emerged as one of their leading scorers and sparks off the bench.
Speaking of under the radar, the Pacers have quietly defeated some of the best teams in the league (Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors), and appear to have the fate of their regular season in the palm of their hands. You don’t need a crystal ball to see that head coach Frank Vogel has slowly molded a once early season disappointment into a postseason threat. If you’re looking for a team who could potentially cause an upset during the 2015 Eastern Conference playoffs–look no further than the Indiana Pacers.
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