I usually stay away from addressing basketball-related topics in this space, which is ironic given that this is, you know, a basketball-related website. Over the years, my basketball/Pacers-related observations have tended to meander from the center of the highway, and while I've never had an issue with our basketball people, the marketing people have a tendency to look at me the same way you might look at ...

Opening games are just one of 82 for NBA teams, and usually not one of the better 82. If what happened in Toronto Wednesday night is a prelude of what lies ahead for the Pacers, however, it's going to be an interesting season. The collective effort that will have to be their calling card was flashed to every one of the fans on hand at Air Canada Centre in their 90-88 victory, and stuffed down the collective ...

Part of what made the Pacers so successful in the past was that they were full of competitive, successful guys. They had guys that loved basketball and knew it well. Once their playing days were over, many of them have stayed with the game they love, but in a new capacity. Antonio Davis, who was drafted by the Pacers and played with the team for six seasons, has joined ESPN as an NBA studio analyst, the net ...

You'll get no season predictions here for the Pacers. Tell me who's going to be injured and for how long, then file Nostradamus' injury reports for all the other Eastern Conference teams, and I'll come up with something. But we don't know who will be populating the injured lists, so why pretend that we know how things will turn out? The Pacers should make the playoffs, that much we know. The best-case scena ...

The first thought many had when the Indiana Pacers signed Gerald Green in the offseason was, "Oh, he can dunk." Yes, he can. But there’s also whole lot more he can do—and wants to do. <p>Your browser does not support iframes.</p> "Some nights we’ll need defensive energy off the bench," Green said recently. "Sometimes we’ll need rebounding. Sometimes we’ll need other things. I jus ...

It was a simple question, but it inspired furrowed brows and scratched chins. "Who's the leader of the Pacers?" David West paused. "You mean players?" Yes. "I don't know," he said. "Um ..." How about you, Roy Hibbert? "I don't see it as one person's team," he said. Coach? "This is a player-owned team," Frank Vogel said. The vague uncertainty of who leads the Pacers could be a good thing or a bad thing for t ...

Generally speaking, I am not the impulsive type. I might (might?) do a lot of things that nobody else can understand, but there’s usually a lengthy thought process and at least one or two solid reasons – well, they seem solid to me, anyway – that lead to whatever it is I decide to do. But not always. By way of background, it’s worth mentioning that I hadn't had a haircut in well over a year. I’d been comple ...

There was a line of kids in the gymnasium, patiently waiting for Boomer's autograph. There were Orlando Johnson and Jeff Pendergraph in the kitchen, serving food and drinks to about one-hundred kids on hand. Photos from Event: Gallery 1 »   Gallery 2 » There was Roy Hibbert watching some kids play NBA2K12. One kid played with the Pacers and fed the ball to the video-game version of Hibbert a lot in the post ...

It's ironic that Miles Plumlee wound up back home again in Indiana to begin his NBA career. It could also turn out to be appropriate and inspiring, in a full circle sort of way. The Pacers first-round draft pick was born in Fort Wayne, grew up in Warsaw, was sent to Arden, N.C. to finish his high school education, planned to attend Stanford, and ultimately wound up at Duke. Now he's in Indianapolis, looking ...

Optimistic assumption is the greatest enemy in sports, ruining accomplishment and killing dreams. The Fever should be aware of that as they prepare for Sunday's potential title-clinching, mayhem-inspiring game against Minnesota. In fact, they should dial up a few veteran Pacers for some quick history lessons. The Fever lead their best-of-five championship series 2-1. One more victory will bring the city its ...