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November 18, 2009

Rick Teverbaugh: Pacers are worth watching

As I write this, the Indiana Pacers are preparing for a home game Wednesday night against the New York Knicks. In case you hadn’t noticed, they are going for their sixth straight win.

With all the understandable hoopla over the win streak of the Indianapolis Colts and that thrilling win over the Evil Empire on Sunday night, the Pacers’ winning ways have been pushed back a bit in the Indiana sports consciousness. They shouldn’t be.

Next time you have a free evening and the Pacers are playing, sit down and watch. No matter how much the team wins over the next 73 games, they are an entertaining group. They have emerged as one of the true surprises early in this NBA season.

What they have accomplished hasn’t been without some big hurdles. One of their top offensive threats, Mike Dunleavy, has yet to play a game. Top draft pick Tyler Hansbrough missed the first three games (all losses), but the team hasn’t lost since he started playing. Jeff Foster has missed some time as has Troy Murphy.

To me, three players have been especially impressive during this run. A pair of veteran guards, Dahntay Jones and Earl Watson, along with second-year center Roy Hibbert.

Jones was supposed to boost the team defense, sorely lacking the past couple of seasons. He has certainly helped in that area. But he has provided a somewhat surprising offensive boost as well, averaging more than 16 points per contest.

Watson also has produced in the points area, averaging nearly double digits in points. Turnovers have been an issue with Indiana this year, although reducing them has been a key element in this win streak. Watson has played a solid role in cutting down mistakes. Going into Wednesday’s game, he was leading the team in assists but had fewer turnovers than any player who had logged time in every game so far this season.

Hibbert is the big man in the middle. At 7-foot-2 he is a force at both ends of the floor. Indiana is among the NBA’s best at blocking shots.

Hibbert is averaging just under three per contest and has twice the number of any of his teammates. He’s averaging 12.6 points and 9.1 rebounds.

Don’t believe for a minute that I am underestimating the contributions of Indiana’s All-Star forward Danny Granger. He has been great despite not shooting as well early this season as in the past. He averages more than 24 points per game and is a workhorse, averaging more minutes per game than any other Pacer.

I have high hopes that Indiana can continue to ride the crest of this win streak for a while longer. There’s no reason why this team can’t get into the playoffs this season. True, it is early, and a few of these wins have come against teams that are struggling. But don’t forget that the Boston Celtics were one of the Pacers’ victims.

The Colts season is great, but it ends about the time that we turn the calendars to 2010. You need a team to take you through the long winter months after that. Indiana is your ticket.

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