Indiana
Pacers
Central
| 2009-10 Team Rating | |
| Offense | Defense |
| 101.3 | 104.2 |
| 26th Overall | 15th Overall |
2009-10 Season Stats
W
32
L
50
PCT
.390
GB
29
CONF
23-29
DIV
6-10
HOME
23-18
ROAD
9-32
LinksVideo | Statistics | Tickets
|
Category | Grade | ||
 By trading Troy Murphy, the Pacers gave up a double-double man and a 3-point shooting big. Tyler Hansbrough, hope you're ready for your close-up. Danny Granger should be at the top of his game after a summer with the U.S. team.
|
B- |
||
 The Pacers got a legitimate offensive threat and anchor piece in Darren Collison. This erases T.J. Ford as an issue and can't even be spoiled by knuckleheads Brandon Rush and Lance Stephenson.
|
A- |
||
 Center Roy Hibbert went to summer school with Hall of Fame big man Bill Walton, primarily to work on his offensive moves, but Hibbert should benefit overall. James Posey is a newly added wing defender.
|
B+ |
||
 Mike Dunleavy, Paul George, Josh McRoberts, Dahntay Jones, A.J. Price and Jeff Forster fill out the bench pending other positional battles.
|
B |
||
 Jim O'Brien likes to play with pace, so he's excited about the arrival of Collison, who gives the Pacers a No. 1 who can break opponents down. Without Murphy, Indiana might need to go with more traditional work down low at PF.
|
B |
||
B+
Summary
The Collison move transformed this offseason for the Pacers and their fans. Where once there was tension between the head coach and his point guard (Ford), there now is the start of a beautiful, possibly long-term friendship. Where once there were too few perimeter threats to balance Danny Granger, there now is a dynamic point player who can punish defenses in several ways.
Collison came at a big price for this season in Murphy, but over the long haul, the deal was a no-brainer for Indiana boss Larry Bird. Now he and O'Brien just have to figure out the shooting guard spot, with Brandon Rush suspended for five games and wearing out his welcome in the high-on-character Indianapolis market. There are wings a-plenty on the roster, at least. And money to spend next summer.
-- Steve Ascburner
Explanation of Marking System
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