Ok so half the losses the top two teams in the NBA have suffered have come against the Pacers. What does this tell us? Are the Pacers on their way to the top? Are they an elite team and just trying to fly under the radar? WRONG. The Pacers are simply a team that loves to tease. The Pacers have many of the components needed to compete on an elite level every night but they don't get pumped up for every game. How easy is it to get pumped up for a home game against the Western Conference champions? Probably about as easy as it was to get pumped up for a home game against the Eastern Conference champions. Do you catch what I'm saying? The Pacers are close, they just need to learn to want it every night. Do you think Danny Granger was motivated to play well against the reigning league MVP? OF COURSE! And if you're looking for hope, he actually did outscore Kobe and, more importantly, Granger's team got the win! After last night Granger is currently 5th in the NBA in scoring which is impressive but doesn't solve the Pacers problem of why they can't win consistently.
So, before you get too excited about a win over the Lakers, which was a great win don't get me wrong, remember that they've shown flashes of brilliance before and didn't exactly follow it up with much. This week we get an excellent opportunity to see if the Pacers can build on their win over the Lakers as their next three games are against the Celtics, Cavs, and Celtics again. I would be happy with a 2-2 record through that stretch but we'll have to wait and see!
Keywords: Indiana Pacers
