How The Bucks Compare: An Early Eastern Conference Primer

Mar 26, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Indiana Pacers guard

(3) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) chase after the ball during the first quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana Pacers

Last Season: 38-44 (9th)

Player Additions: Monta Ellis, Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, Myles Turner, Glenn Robinson III, Rakeem Christmas, Joe Young

Player Subtractions: Roy Hibbert, David West, Chris Copeland, Luis Scola, Damjan Rudez, C.J. Watson, Donald Sloan

2015-16 Outlook

The Pacers who have been physical, and with a mixture of will and skill, stayed at the top of the Eastern Conference for a number of years had their season derailed by injury to their star Paul George last season.

In truth though, the change may have started with the departure of Lance Stephenson a year prior to that. Now, following a summer which led to the departure of Roy Hibbert and David West, the Pacers really have started over though.

And you know what, that should be very exciting for their fans.

The Pacers have gotten younger and more versatile than they were for quite a while. Sure they have a long, potentially dominant defensive center in the form of Myles Turner, but he’s going to bring something completely different than Roy Hibbert brought.

Indiana is committed to trialling Paul George as a stretch four. Monta Ellis is the type of out and out scorer that George never had beside him in those teams that chased championships too.

Jordan Hill is an experienced NBA veteran that has shown himself to be able to contribute and produce even in the toughest of situations.

On top of that, the Pacers have invested in a number of young wildcards with raw and untapped potential, such as Rakeem Christmas, Glenn Robinson III and Joe Young, and there’s no knowing how that could end up paying off for Indiana.

The Pacers are going to be young and dynamic this season, and that may come as a culture shock to many around the league. The one thing that will feel familiar though is the fact that Indiana will win games.

How The Bucks Compare

With the way the Pacers are rumored to want to play, they are going to be small, which is by all means the fashionable thing to be in the NBA now. That would make their matchups with the Bucks interesting, if nothing else.

The Bucks’ length would likely make things difficult for the Pacers, but differing styles don’t necessarily always play out how people expect them to.

Indiana’s speed may cause problems for a number of bigger teams, but Milwaukee should have enough to match them. One way or another, expect this to be a competitive Central Division matchup.

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