A look at the Central Division: Part two
By Lennie King
The biggest improvement to the roster is the upgrade at point guard. Don’t get me wrong, George Hill is a solid player. But if Indiana can bring out the kind of form Teague showed when leading the Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference’s number-one seed a short time ago, the Pacers will be looking extremely dangerous.
With Indiana, Teague will have the luxury of being able to play off the ball more, with Monta Ellis (if not traded prior to the season) being able to create plays. He’ll be able to push the pace, find the open man and feed it to a borderline superstar when in trouble. I think Teague is going to enjoy his homecoming.
Another great move is the signing of Al Jefferson for only $10 million a year. That may have sounded about right in previous years, but when you’ve got the Detroit Pistons signing a guy like Jon Leuer for the same price, you realize the Jefferson deal is a huge bargain. He really fits a need for the Pacers who are short at the center spot.
Money aside, I think the Jefferson deal is great because it gives some of the Pacers youngsters a veteran voice, as well as him being a nice fit coming in off the bench. A go-to scorer, something the Pistons really could have used. Imagine having Jefferson teaching the likes of Andre Drummond how to work down low!
A smaller move from Indiana has been the trade they made for Dallas Mavericks power forward Jeremy Evans. Evans was ruled out for the remainder of last season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Evans has rarely seen the court for extended minutes but when given time has shown a little of what he is capable of. Though, he’s most notably known for his dunk contest appearance.
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One of the other notable moves the Pacers have made this offseason is trading for Thaddeus Young. It’s tough to say how this will work out for the Pacers. On one hand, they didn’t give up a hell of a lot for a guy who nearly averages a double-double. On the other hand, I’m not sure he has those averages on a good team.
Throughout his career, Young hasn’t really been apart of a good basketball team. He’s been in Philadelphia, Minnesota and lastly Brooklyn. He loves to shoot and has that Josh Smith-style ill-advised three Pistons fans loathed. Until we can get a look at how Young can perform on a good team without taking so many shot attempts it’s hard to judge. But I’m not sure if an undersized power forward who struggles from range, yet loves to shoot from range can get by just with his hustle.
Many changes to a team that was already competitive out east. If this group can gel like Larry Bird envisions they will, they could be serious contenders to take out the central division. But as seen last season, Marcus Morris and the Detroit Pistons won’t let them take it without a fight.
Check back next week for a look at another central division rival; the Chicago Bulls.