NBA 2006-2007 Preview: Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers
Coach: Rick Carlisle, 4th Season (146-100)
General Manager: Larry Bird
’05-’06 Record: 41-41, tied 3rd Central Division
Postseason: eliminated in Eastern Conference Quarterfinals; NJ (4-2)


Projected Starting Lineup ('05-'06 Stats)

PG – Jamaal Tinsley (9.3 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 5.0 apg.)
SG – Stephen Jackson (16.4 ppg., 3.9 rpg., 2.8 apg.)
SF – Danny Granger (7.5 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 1.2 apg.)
PF – Al Harrington (w/ATL: 18.6 ppg., 6.9 rpg., 3.1 apg.)
C – Jermaine O’Neal (20.1 ppg., 9.3 rpg., 2.6 apg.)


Key Additions: SG Marquis Daniels (trade – DAL); PG Darrell Armstrong (trade – DAL); SF Josh Powell (trade – DAL); SF Al Harrington (trade – ATL)

Key Subtractions: SF Peja Stojakovic (UFA – NO); PF Austin Croshere (trade – DAL); PG Anthony Johnson (trade – DAL); SG Fred Jones (UFA – TOR); C Scot Pollard (UFA – CLE)


2006 NBA Draft
Round 1 – SF Shawne Williams (17th overall), University of Memphis
Round 2 – SF James White (31st overall), University of Cincinnati


Positional Breakdowns

Guards
If you’ve followed the career of Jamaal Tinsley closely, or even from afar, you’ll remember some of the ups and downs he’s seen as a member of the Indiana Pacers. He has been everywhere from ‘point guard Savior’ to being buried deep in the rotation. When you look at his body of work, one of the things that you might immediately notice is that it’s largely incomplete. That is because Tinsley has missed so many games because of injury the past three seasons, having only played in 138 of a possible 246 regular season games. Some people point to the fact that his injuries haven’t been as serious as reported and the he has actually been sitting out when in fact his injuries were not severe enough to limit his play at all. Something will have to change in Indiana, and it’s either Tinsley’s attitude towards playing with minor injuries or it will have to be the personnel at point guard.