The Indiana Pacers only shot 36.7% from the floor tonight and it killed them on the scoreboard. Danny Granger led the way for the Pacers in this game with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Troy Murphy was solid near the basket as he finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists. Luther Head pitched in with 12 points and 3 assists in 23 minutes off the bench. Solomon Jones had one of his best games in his NBA career due to foul trouble that Roy Hibbert had. Jones scored 12 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 2 assists and he blocked two shots in 32 minutes. The Pacers are now 0-2 on the season.

The Pacers were looking good heading into the 4th quarter but then they appeared to get tired as the Hawks outscored them 25-15 to pull away. Danny Granger shook off a bruised heel to lead the Pacers with 31 points and 4 rebounds tonight. Troy Murphy was the other starter for the Pacers that really came to play tonight as he finished up with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Earl Watson (20 points, 25 minutes) and Dahntay Jones (17 points, 5 rebounds in 26 minutes) both added a lot of firepower off the bench in this game for the Pacers. The Pacers shot 53.4% from the floor which is outstanding but they played absolutely no defense in this game allowing the Hawks to hit 52.9% from the floor. The Pacers are now 0-1 on the season.

The Pacers appear to be a lot deeper than they have been in the past.  But, the Eastern Conference is getting tougher.  Still, for some reason I like the Pacers to finish around .500 this season.  So I would make a small bet on the over if I had to make a call on the Pacers for 2009-2010.

The Pacers needed some of their young players to step up and they have this pre-season for the Pacers.  Roy Hibbert was great in the pivot for the Pacers earning the starting job at center.  He played in 7 games (4 starts) in the pre-season and he averaged 24.0 minutes, 13.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 3.6 blocked shots per game.  The Pacers also were very happy with Brandon Rush who will enter the season as the starting shooting guard.  He played in 7 games (all starts) in the pre-season for the Pacers and he averaged 30.1 minutes, 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.3 blocked shots per game.  The Pacers will be ecstatic if Rush’s fine play spills over into the regular season.

The Indiana Pacers appear to be stuck in the mud with Jim O’Brien as the head coach. He has been here two years and he was 36-46 (42.9%) each year. He is now 254-250 (50.4%) in his NBA career as a head coach during the regular season and he is 14-17 (45.2%) in the post season. If he doesn’t add to those post season totals (even if he gets in as a #8 seed) then he will likely be looking for a new job.

22-year old Roy Hibbert has likely won the starting job as he is having a super pre-season for the Pacers. Hibbert is a huge man at 7′2″, 278 pounds and he knows how to throw his weight around. He played in 70 games for the Pacers last season and he averaged 14.4 minutes, 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game. With his minutes likely doubling this season look for Hibbert to put up decent numbers. 32-year old Jeff Foster is also a tough banger in the paint. He played in 74 games for the Pacers last year and he averaged 24.7 minutes, 6.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. His minutes will likely drop a little bit this season which could make him even a little bit more effective due to rest. 25-year old Solomon Jones will likely be #3 in line at both center and power forward for the Pacers this season. He played in 63 games for the Hawks last season and he averaged 10.7 minutes, 3.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. With more playing time Jones will be able to show that he can really play in this league.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE CENTERS IN 2009-2010: C

The Pacers have three white guys playing power forward this season and they all have talent. 29-year old Troy Murphy will be the starter and he is a very underrated basketball player. He played in 73 games for the Pacers last season and he averaged 34.0 minutes, 14.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Murphy is also a long range assassin as he nailed 45% from behind the three point arc last season which is very, very rare for a power forward. 23-year old Tyler Hansbrough will back up Murphy this season. He was the 13th pick of the first round of the NBA Draft last June by the Pacers. Hansbrough quite simply is a winner and he will bring that attittude with him to Indiana. 22-year old Josh McRoberts will be the #3 guy in line at power forward for the Pacers this season. He played in 33 games for the Pacers last year and he averaged 8.5 minutes, 2.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE POWER FORWARDS IN 2009-2010: B

The Pacers are hoping that 29-year old Mike Dunleavy will be able to play a lot this season. He only played in 18 games last season for the Pacers and he averaged 27.5 minutes, 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The need a healthy Dunleavy to give them another solid option on the offensive end of the basketball court. 24-year old Brandon Rush will back up Dunleavy this season. He is much more athletic than Dunleavy but his game is not as well rounded as his. Rush played in 75 games as a rookie last season for the Pacers and he averaged 24.0 minutes, 8.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. He has a nice upside and he should show steady improvement as the year goes on for the Pacers.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE SMALL FORWARDS IN 2009-2010: C