By Taylor Eldridge, TalentedMrRoto.com
September 28, 2006 - 10:01 a.m.

2005-06 OVERVIEW

Expect Danny Granger to see a lot of minutes, which might translate into sleeper fantasy production. (David Sherman/NBAE/Getty Images)

The Pacers are back for the 2006-2007 season with several new faces on the roster as Indiana will look to establish a new identity. Head Coach Rick Carlisle has decided to switch from a grind-it-out, half-court offense to an up-tempo, fast-break offense for the upcoming season. Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh are committed to the new style of play, as evident by the off-season acquisitions and draft picks. The front office has stressed that the Pacers are not in a rebuilding mode, but Indiana is no longer a power in the Eastern Conference.

Indiana struggled through last season as the team was still trying to fully recover from the 2004 incident in Detroit. The Pacers barely qualified for the playoffs with a 41-41 record but were quickly bounced in the first round by New Jersey. The Peja Stojakovic experiment failed miserably as he signed with the Hornets in the off-season, and the team’s best player, Jermaine O’Neal, played in only 51 games. The Pacers had a number of issues to address heading into the off-season, but the new acquisitions along with the new offense give Indiana hope for the upcoming season.

ADDITIONS:
Maceo Baston, PF
Rawle Marshall, SG/SF
Darrell Armstrong, PG
Josh Powell, F
Marquis Daniels, SG/SF
Orien Greene, PG
Shawne Williams, F
James White, SG/SF
Al Harrington, F
John Edwards, C
Jimmie Hunter, F

LOSSES:
Fred Jones, SG
Eddie Gill, PG
Peja Stojakovic, SF
Austin Croshere, PF
Jonathan Bender, F
Anthony Johnson, PG

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
C – Jermaine O’Neal
PF – Al Harrington
SF – Danny Granger
SG – Stephen Jackson
PG – Jamaal Tinsley

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2006

Rick Carlisle will explore new territory this season as he will switch the offense from his brand of basketball (slow it down) to an up-tempo, slashing, fast-break offense that will let the Pacers use their athleticism to their advantage. Jermaine O’Neal should be ready to go for a full season this year as he will no longer have to bang down low as often and will be out in the open court, running the floor. O’Neal will get a chance to show off his athleticism, which is elite compared to other centers or power forwards. O’Neal won’t be the only one that will thrive under the new offense, as Danny Granger and Al Harrington will combine with O’Neal to give the Pacers arguably the most athletic frontcourt in the league.

The Pacers backcourt will be the biggest question heading into the season. At point guard, oft-injured Jamaal Tinsley will be out to prove that he is worth what the team has paid for him. Sarunas Jasikevicius will provide a solid backup if Tinsley should falter, but he struggled at times last season and didn’t show that he could step up his game on a consistent basis. The other guard spot is a little more settled, but Stephen Jackson will have to show the coaches that he can control his temper. Jackson has the potential to break out in this up-tempo style of play, but he is sometimes unable to control his emotions and will be a risky fantasy pick this season. Marquis Daniels will get a chance to show what he can do as he will likely get called upon to play point guard, shooting guard and small forward this season. With his ability to play multiple positions, he should see a lot of time off the bench…and if S-Jax is suspended or has injury problems, Daniels is definitely a name to remember.

Overall, the Pacers might not improve as a team record-wise, but they should provide plenty of fantasy options to choose from. Jermaine O’Neal should still average a double-double and should remain an elite option at center. Jeff Foster and David Harrison will start at center when the Pacers take on bigger teams, and the two should have some sleeper value in deeper leagues. Foster will be good for a handful of rebounds a game, and Harrison has the potential to score points and block shots if he can stay out of foul trouble. That’s a “big if” though, as Harrison averaged nearly three personal fouls per game in only 15.4 minutes of action last year. Harrington and Granger should still see a lot of minutes and should be good options in most leagues this upcoming year. The five starters - except maybe Tinsley - all have a good amount of fantasy value, and the Pacers also provide some potent options off their bench.

KEY BENCH POSITIONS / POSITION BATTLES

Point Guard - Jamaal Tinsley has the starting spot locked down when he is healthy, but that is only when he is healthy. Let’s just say Tinsley isn’t healthy often. If/when Tinsley goes down, expect Sarunas Jasikevicius to step into the role nicely. Jasikevicius is a deadly three-point shooter and should be more prepared this year after completing his first full season a year ago. He’s a pass-first player also, so if he gets the nod at PG, he should be good for a couple of assists per game as well as around 10 points. Sarunas is worth stashing as a backup - at least in deeper leagues - based solely on Tinsley’s propensity for injury. If both falter, the Pacers may turn to Marquis Daniels at the point. Daniels has excellent court vision but hasn’t played much point guard in his three-year career. Therefore, he could go through some growing pains while learning the position.

Center - Jermaine O’Neal has this position most nights, but when the Pacers play bigger opponents they will likely plug Jeff Foster in the lineup. David Harrison will also get a lot of minutes against bigger opponents and both backups have the chance to help some fantasy teams this season. Foster is the energizer bunny under the glass and if he starts, he is almost guaranteed to snag eight boards and around a block per game. Harrison has shown signs of what he can do on offense, but he gets in foul trouble too much to play significant minutes. If you need a second center in a league or are just looking for a backup center, then Foster should be someone to consider.

PLAYERS WE LOVE

Jermaine O’Neal- Other than the fact that he’s one of the best players in the league, O’Neal has a great chance to play the whole season. O’Neal has struggled with constant injury problems in recent seasons and has played in only 51 and 44 games the last two years, respectively. That should turn around this season. O’Neal will have to mix it up under the boards from time to time, but he’ll avoid taking a beating on a night-to-night basis. With his value the lowest it’s been in years, O’Neal can provide first round talent in the late second round…and the added center eligibility will do wonders for his fantasy value.

Al Harrington/Danny Granger - Both of these players will likely be the biggest beneficiaries of the new offensive system as it will showcase their athleticism. Granger should improve on his impressive rookie numbers, and his scoring will see the biggest rise. Harrington returns to Indiana this season and will be reunited with his good friend, Jermaine O’Neal. Harrington probably won’t score as much as he did last year (19 points per game), but he should snag the same amount of rebounds and assists. As an added bonus, both of these players are eligible at small forward and power forwards in the majority of fantasy leagues.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Jamaal Tinsley - Every year, there is some owner out there that thinks this will be the year Jamaal Tinsley will finally stay healthy. Don’t be that owner this year. Tinsley has played an average of 45 games during the last three seasons and will likely lose some minutes to Sarunas Jasikevicius. Tinsley will always been an injury risk, and his numbers have decreased across the board pretty much since his rookie season. Tinsley might see his assists rise, however, in the new, high tempo offense. He is a runner at heart and pushing the ball on the fast-break really plays to his strengths. Still, the risk outweighs the reward in this scenario, and Tinsley only becomes a good value pick if he can be found in the later rounds.

BOTTOM LINE

The Pacers’ fantasy numbers should increase across the board. The new offense will allow Jermaine O’Neal to stay healthy as well as take advantage of the athleticism possessed by Danny Granger and Al Harrington. The starting five are all draft worthy, and the Pacers bench has some interesting options. Sarunas Jasikevicius, Marquis Daniels and Jeff Foster all could have breakthrough seasons if one of the starters falters or if there is an injury. Indiana provides a little bit for everyone fantasy-wise. They have a stud (O’Neal), a nice secondary player (Harrington), a sleeper (Granger) and a serviceable shooting guard (Jackson) with plenty of decent picks in the later rounds (Jasikevicius, Daniels, Foster). Although Indiana might not improve their record drastically this season, owners can expect their fantasy production to be on the rise.

The views expressed by TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.

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