Yes, that would be my Indiana Pacers. Why? Because currently, with a 22-12 record, the Indiana Pacers reside at the no. 3 position of the Eastern Conference. One of basketball's proudest franchises (going back to its ABA roots), this organization was once one of the powers of the NBA during the 90's and early 00's. Recent years have been less than kind to Pacer Nation which is what is making the current season all that much sweeter.
Long-time Pacer fans such as myself have been suffering for the better part of the last decade. Between all the suspensions, negativity, the retirement of the great number 31 Reggie Miller, and most depressingly, the multitude of losses, there hasn't been much to talk about when it came to our favorite team. Sure, there have been some shining moments of individual players stepping up or unexpected wins over league powerhouses, but they were all just fleeting moments of pride. A day or too if "Hey, how 'bout them Pacers?" When it came down to it, the Pacers were not all too good.
Then something funny happened last year. Much to the surprise of the public-at-large, the Indiana Pacers somehow made it into the 2011 NBA playoffs, despite owning a losing record. Many pundits were expecting a meek effort from a team that wasn't seen as a legitimate playoff team, let alone a championship contender. And the Pacers did bow out of the race early, losing their first round series against the no. 1-seeded Chicago Bulls, 1-4. Oh but anyone who watched that series would be hard-pressed to call the boys in Blue and Gold, meek. They displayed toughness and swagger, defensive stops were being made and there were actual good ol' fashioned highlights - from Indiana! The Pacers, who many thought "lucked out" into the playoffs actually gave the Bulls a fight and the world a reason to pause and think, "Hey, these guys might actually be good." Well, in sports, winning and losing are miles apart and for all intents and purposes, the Pacers had "another" disappointing season. Except this time around, there was something to build on.
Due to a failure to come to terms between the owners and the players (don't ask), the NBA's 2011-2012 season started later than usual. But when it finally came around, it looked like the Indiana Pacers were picking up right where they left off. The Pacers started off with a bunch of wins, tacked on more, and more and more and more (including wins on the road against the Lakers, Bulls and defending champion Mavericks) until they found themselves near the top of the standings. To the delight of many sports fans who love hearing about the underdog finally breaking through, this was just another overachieving team. To the Pacer faithful? This was our guys finally doing what we long ago believed (and hoped and dreamed) they could do. This was redemption and vindication. This was sweet and long overdue.
Through a combination of tenacity, grit and poise, the Indiana Pacers have rolled through the NBA picking up more wins than losses at a pace (pun non intended) unseen since 2004. Led by high-scoring swingman Danny Granger, the face of the franchise through these past few rough years, vastly improved big man Roy Hibbert (a participant in this past All-Star game), veteran free agent pick-up David West, second-year stud Paul George (who is going to become a regular during All-Star Weekend and not just on Sundays, bet on it) and steady point guard Darren Collison, the citizens of the state of Indiana (and its transplants all over the globe) have a team to root for again. It's a hardworking bunch that will give you your money's worth most nights playing great team defense (buzz words for good teams) and smart offense (a nicer of way saying, "an offense not predicated around one or two individuals").
The great thing about this team is that they really have grown over the past couple years. Hard lessons were learned and crushing experiences were used to build character. Bad eggs were jettisoned, youngins with potential were cultivated and winning was put ahead of everything. They got sick of losing and found the winning cure.
Expectations are high right now, as they should be. Winning does that. For us fans, it's a dream come true. When Larry Bird started assembling this roster not too long ago, we did not know it would all come together this beautifully. Hope was all we had. Hope that Roy would develop into a true, dependable center (just about there); that Darren could join the ranks of the best point guards in the league (almost there); that we could get lucky and snag serviceable rooks and free agents during the off-season (look at all the additions these past three years: George, West, Tyler Hansbrough, George Hill); and that Danny could finally become the leader we needed him to be. Lo and behold, look at where the team is at now.
Of course, the season is far from over and there's a lot more basketball left to be played. The real challenges of being mentally-tough and being better late in the season are on the horizon, challenges that could easily overwhelm undeserving teams. The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint, as they say, where the importance of peaking at the right time is paramount to ending the season in June rather than April. Well, so far the Pacers have kept pace and are prime in position to make waves in the basketball world. Pacer fans can't wait for the next leg of the race. This team has improved too much to slow down now and the finish line (and first place) has not looked this near in a long time. See you there.
Long-time Pacer fans such as myself have been suffering for the better part of the last decade. Between all the suspensions, negativity, the retirement of the great number 31 Reggie Miller, and most depressingly, the multitude of losses, there hasn't been much to talk about when it came to our favorite team. Sure, there have been some shining moments of individual players stepping up or unexpected wins over league powerhouses, but they were all just fleeting moments of pride. A day or too if "Hey, how 'bout them Pacers?" When it came down to it, the Pacers were not all too good.
Then something funny happened last year. Much to the surprise of the public-at-large, the Indiana Pacers somehow made it into the 2011 NBA playoffs, despite owning a losing record. Many pundits were expecting a meek effort from a team that wasn't seen as a legitimate playoff team, let alone a championship contender. And the Pacers did bow out of the race early, losing their first round series against the no. 1-seeded Chicago Bulls, 1-4. Oh but anyone who watched that series would be hard-pressed to call the boys in Blue and Gold, meek. They displayed toughness and swagger, defensive stops were being made and there were actual good ol' fashioned highlights - from Indiana! The Pacers, who many thought "lucked out" into the playoffs actually gave the Bulls a fight and the world a reason to pause and think, "Hey, these guys might actually be good." Well, in sports, winning and losing are miles apart and for all intents and purposes, the Pacers had "another" disappointing season. Except this time around, there was something to build on.
Due to a failure to come to terms between the owners and the players (don't ask), the NBA's 2011-2012 season started later than usual. But when it finally came around, it looked like the Indiana Pacers were picking up right where they left off. The Pacers started off with a bunch of wins, tacked on more, and more and more and more (including wins on the road against the Lakers, Bulls and defending champion Mavericks) until they found themselves near the top of the standings. To the delight of many sports fans who love hearing about the underdog finally breaking through, this was just another overachieving team. To the Pacer faithful? This was our guys finally doing what we long ago believed (and hoped and dreamed) they could do. This was redemption and vindication. This was sweet and long overdue.
Through a combination of tenacity, grit and poise, the Indiana Pacers have rolled through the NBA picking up more wins than losses at a pace (pun non intended) unseen since 2004. Led by high-scoring swingman Danny Granger, the face of the franchise through these past few rough years, vastly improved big man Roy Hibbert (a participant in this past All-Star game), veteran free agent pick-up David West, second-year stud Paul George (who is going to become a regular during All-Star Weekend and not just on Sundays, bet on it) and steady point guard Darren Collison, the citizens of the state of Indiana (and its transplants all over the globe) have a team to root for again. It's a hardworking bunch that will give you your money's worth most nights playing great team defense (buzz words for good teams) and smart offense (a nicer of way saying, "an offense not predicated around one or two individuals").
The great thing about this team is that they really have grown over the past couple years. Hard lessons were learned and crushing experiences were used to build character. Bad eggs were jettisoned, youngins with potential were cultivated and winning was put ahead of everything. They got sick of losing and found the winning cure.
Expectations are high right now, as they should be. Winning does that. For us fans, it's a dream come true. When Larry Bird started assembling this roster not too long ago, we did not know it would all come together this beautifully. Hope was all we had. Hope that Roy would develop into a true, dependable center (just about there); that Darren could join the ranks of the best point guards in the league (almost there); that we could get lucky and snag serviceable rooks and free agents during the off-season (look at all the additions these past three years: George, West, Tyler Hansbrough, George Hill); and that Danny could finally become the leader we needed him to be. Lo and behold, look at where the team is at now.
Of course, the season is far from over and there's a lot more basketball left to be played. The real challenges of being mentally-tough and being better late in the season are on the horizon, challenges that could easily overwhelm undeserving teams. The NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint, as they say, where the importance of peaking at the right time is paramount to ending the season in June rather than April. Well, so far the Pacers have kept pace and are prime in position to make waves in the basketball world. Pacer fans can't wait for the next leg of the race. This team has improved too much to slow down now and the finish line (and first place) has not looked this near in a long time. See you there.
1 comment:
I like the way you write about sports. You know I'm not into basketball, so this is a bg thing!:p
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