2015 Player Review

Wheat Hotchkiss

Age: 24
Years Pro: 1
Status: Has qualifying offer for 2015-16
Key Stats: Appeared in 20 games, averaging 2.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 5.4 minutes per contest.

Shayne Whittington knew he wasn't going to play a major role for the 2014-15 Indiana Pacers. An undrafted rookie out of Western Michigan, Whittington was the sixth big man on the Pacers' depth chart.

Just making an NBA roster was a great success story for the Paw Paw, Mich. native, especially after he broke the fibula in his left leg during a predraft workout on May 8. Whittington's stock was on the rise after he displayed an impressive shooting stroke at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament a few days earlier, but his injury spoiled any chances of him hearing his name called on draft night.

Still, the Pacers' scouts saw enough promise to sign Whittington to a non-guaranteed contract a few days after the draft. Though his injury prevented him from participating in Summer League, the 6-foot-11 forward/center put in lots of hard work in the gym to get back on the floor as quickly as possible.

PHOTO GALLERY: Shayne Whittington's 2014-15 Season »

Whittington's dedication paid off, as he was cleared for game action in time for the first preseason contest. The rookie played 21 minutes against Minnesota just under five months after breaking his leg, scoring 11 points and going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field.

The rookie wound up making the team and sticking around for the entire season, but his role was limited in the regular season. While injuries ravaged the Pacers' depth on the wing, Indiana's bigs were (relatively) healthy. David West missed the first 15 games of the year with a sprained ankle and Ian Mahinmi later missed a month with a torn plantar fascia, but otherwise the frontcourt remained largely intact.

Still, Whittington was the consummate professional. He seemed eager to soak up whatever advice he could get from his more veteran teammates. He was always engaged with the game and his teammates on the bench during games. He respectfully handled his "rookie duties," whether that meant fetching water for a teammate during practice or sporting a Hello Kitty backpack during a road trip.

And while his playing time was minimal, Whittington proved to be a capable performer when he did get on the court. He was always active and displayed good athleticism for a player of his size. He was perhaps better than expected on the offensive end. In his biggest playing time of the year, a five-game stretch from Feb. 4-11, he averaged 4.4 points and two rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game, going 8-for-17 from the field.

Though he displayed an ability to step out beyond the 3-point line in practice, Whittington only took six triples on the year and only connected on one of them.

The next step in Whittington's evolution will be learning to defend without fouling. He committed 18 fouls in just 108 total minutes, an average of one every six minutes.

Moving forward, both Pacers president Larry Bird and head coach Frank Vogel expressed belief that Whittington will play a significant role on next year's team. Bird and Vogel envision the team playing at a faster pace, and Whittington figures to be the right type of player to fit that style with his quickness and ability to stretch the floor.

Provided he keeps working hard in the gym and fine-tuning his shot, it doesn't seem at all unreasonable to see Shayne Whittington turning into a valuable asset for the Pacers next year and beyond.

Editor's Note: Roy Hibbert, Rodney Stuckey, and Shayne Whittington were not available for season review interviews due to scheduling conflicts.

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Player Review 2015: Shayne Whittington

indgrapp08

Age: 34 years old
Years Pro: 12
Status: Player Option for 2015-16
Key Stats: Went from 14 points per game in 2013-14 to 11.7 (fewest since his second season in 2004-05). Averaged a career-high 3.4 assists.

When David West played his first game of the 2014-15 season, it was already November 28th. He had missed the first 15 games with an ankle sprain suffered during the preseason, and with the team just three games under .500, there was reason for optimism when West returned. In his first game back in action, the crafty veteran put up 18 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 98-83 demolition of the Orlando Magic. The Pacers felt as if they had their leader back on the floor. They felt like it was time to push hard on the accelerator and make up for lost time.

But instead, Indiana stalled out. After that win, the Pacers dropped eight consecutive games — their longest losing streak since 2009. As the losses piled up, head coach Frank Vogel preached patience to reporters inquiring how Indiana could pull out of its tailspin. When asked how they could turn it around, West said much of the same: we just need more time. Time for West to get acquainted with his new surrounding cast, sans Paul George and Lance Stephenson. Time to readjust to the physical and mental rigors of the NBA season. Time to figure out how to make it work.

PHOTO GALLERY: David West's 2014-15 Season »

On December 15th, it was the Lakers who were the unfortunate recipient of the game in which the Pacers finally seemed to bring it all together as a group. In the first quarter alone, West sunk three jumpers. After 12 minutes, the score was 34-15. At the half, it was 60-27. Suddenly, it became clear what Indiana had been working on building when the coach and players cited the need for more time. Continuity in the lineup had finally arrived.

Throughout the season, West did many of the same things that we've grown accustomed to seeing from the 12-year pro. Long jumpers from the top of the key that stretch the defense. Critical rebounds in crunch time. And of course, his near-trademarked snarl. When George Hill reentered the lineup after some injuries that kept him on the bench, West and Hill often ran the pick-and-roll with a great deal of success.

However, at the age of 34 and shouldering more of a burden to score without PG playing, certain areas of West's game suffered. His scoring dropped from 14 points per game to 11.7. His field goal percentage sunk to .471. Both stats the lowest they've been since his second year in the league in 2004-05.

"It was a tough year and you learn a lot about yourself in these type of situations," said West the day after the season ended. "We showed some resolve at times showed the ability to fight through controversy and adversity. Ultimately came up short, but you can be proud of the way the guys stayed in the fight."

West was able to raise his game in other ways, which allowed him to contribute a great deal. His assists rose from 2.8 to 3.4, a career high. And in a season when ball movement seemed to be preached more than any other facet of the game, West was a willing distributer; his passes often leading to open looks for shooters like C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey.

This could bode well for West's future with the club — if he chooses to opt-in to the final year of his contract this summer — since Vogel and team president Larry Bird seemed intrigued by the idea of speeding up play by going with small lineups next season. This idea appears to open the door to the possibility of deploying West at center with Paul George playing power forward alongside him for stretches. Or perhaps continuing to utilize the lineup of West and Luis Scola (if resigned in free agency) as forwards, which was also used sporadically this past season.

Either way, West's willingness to keep the ball moving, and ideally a scaled-down minutes per game to ensure better health next year, could lead to a strong season for the full-strength Pacers. It might not have been West's finest season from a statistical standpoint, but without his veteran presence in the locker room, it's hard to imagine that Indiana would have been alive in the playoff race going into the season's final game.

However, added pace on offense and a smaller lineup usually entail players bumping up a position — small forward to power forward, power forward to center — which means more responsibility rebounding and defending opponents with more size and physicality. For West, this means his offseason focus comes down to one thing.

"Get healthy, that's the biggest key," he said. "Just to get healthy and feel good physically."

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Player Review 2015: David West

indmmontieth

Age: 31
Years Pro: 8
Status: Free Agent
Key Stats: Averaged 10 points and 3.6 assists in 57 games. Shot 40 percent from the 3-point line.

A case could be made for re-signing C.J. Watson this summer, given the fact he's coming off one of the best seasons of his eight-year NBA career.

Larry Bird put that notion to rest in his postseason press conference, though, saying he didn't plan to bring back the backup guard. Watson played just 57 games this past season because of a variety of nagging injuries, and 63 the previous season. Bird presumably will seek someone with a better attendance record.

Watson was perhaps the most anonymous player in the Pacers' locker room, a calm and silent study in obscurity. Hey, his nickname isn't Quietstorm for nothing. But he did kick up a few breezes this season.

His scoring average (10 points per game) was the second-best of his career, barely short of his 10.3 average in 2009-10. His assist average (3.6) also was second-best in his career, and his rebound average (2.9) was the best. He hit 40 percent of his 3-pointers, and shot a career-best .827 from the foul line.

PHOTO GALLERY: C.J. Watson's 2014-15 Season »

But, he missed the first 15 games and the last six with injuries, with four other absences sprinkled in-between.

Watson, at 6-2, is more of a shooting guard than point guard. He's unselfish, but not a drive-and-dish sort of player, and struggles to create shots for himself. He did shoot well most of the time, though, and wasn't a high-volume shooter. He scored a season-high 23 points three times, and didn't need more than 11 shots in any of those games.

When he got a starter's playing time, he provided a starter's production. In the 10 games he played 30 minutes or more, he averaged 15.7 points on 54 percent shooting from the field, 55 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 82 percent shooting from the foul line. He also averaged 4.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds in those games.

The quality of his work was fine. It was the quantity that was missing.

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Player Review 2015: C.J. Watson

Age: 29
Years Pro: 8
Status: Unrestricted free agent
Key Stats: Averaged 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Shot career-best 44 percent from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range.

When he signed with the Pacers over the summer, Rodney Stuckey talked about wanting a "fresh start" in Indiana. Stuckey spent his first seven NBA seasons in Detroit, where he played for six different head coaches. The Pistons failed to reach the playoffs in each of his final five years in the Motor City.

All those years of losing took their toll on Stuckey, who joined the Blue & Gold eager to repair a damaged reputation. There were whispers that he was a bad teammate, a guy who only cared about his own stats and couldn't fit in on a winning team. Even though he'd posted a double-digit scoring average for six straight seasons, Stuckey signed a one-year deal with the Pacers for the veteran minimum, a move that was viewed in some circles as a gamble by Indiana.

Any notion that Stuckey would be a bad fit with the Pacers was quickly dispelled. He meshed seamlessly with a tight-knit locker room and was the consummate professional with the media.

Just as importantly, Stuckey turned out to be the perfect fit on the court.

PHOTO GALLERY: Rodney Stuckey's 2014-15 Season »

It was evident pretty quickly just what the eight-year veteran could bring to the team. On Opening Night, Stuckey registered 16 points and five assists in just 16 minutes off the bench. He missed the better part of eight games in early November due to a foot injury, but was just as productive once he returned, scoring in double figures in 13 of his next 15 contests.

Without Paul George or even George Hill for the first few months of the season, the Pacers offense relied heavily on Stuckey. The 6-foot-5 combo guard was the team's best penetrator, using his world-class speed and tough-minded nature to attack the rim as often as possible. Simply put, he gave the Pacers a dimension that no one else could.

For that reason, head coach Frank Vogel mostly deployed Stuckey in the starting lineup for the first half of the season. He started in 36 of his first 40 appearances for the Pacers and was largely successful in that role.

Still, Stuckey believed that the team would perform better with him coming off the bench. Unselfishly, he approached Vogel with the idea just before the All-Star break. Vogel listened, and both Stuckey and the Pacers flourished.

Stuckey permanently joined the second unit on Feb. 11 in New Orleans. The Pacers promptly won 10 of their next 11 games. Stuckey was sensational over that stretch, scoring 30 points in a win at Philadelphia on Feb. 20 and then matching the feat two days later as Indiana knocked off the NBA-leading Golden State Warriors at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

A few weeks later, Stuckey set season highs with 34 points and six 3-pointers in a 32-point drubbing of Orlando, perhaps the high-water mark of the Pacers' season. A calf injury in mid-March sidelined the combo guard for three games and his play was up-and-down over the final few weeks of the year, just narrowly missing out on the playoffs once again as the Pacers were eliminated on the final night of the regular season.

Still, it was a highly successful season for Rodney Stuckey. He finished the year as the Pacers' third-leading scorer, averaging 12.6 points per game. He did so efficiently, shooting a career-best 44 percent from the field and a very solid 81.9 percent from the free throw line.

Most impressive, however, was the improvement Stuckey made from beyond the 3-point line. In seven seasons in Detroit, Stuckey had shot better than 30 percent from beyond the arc just twice, connecting on 31.7 percent of his attempts in his best year (the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season).

But in 2014-15, Stuckey shot 39 percent from 3-point range. For him to improve so drastically at this point in his career came as a surprise to many, but not to Stuckey himself. He credited his improved stroke to hours of gym time with associate head coach Nate McMillan, who stayed late with Stuckey and rookie Damjan Rudež after virtually every practice to help them get up extra shots.

Indeed, Stuckey's shooting stroke got better as the season went on. After connecting on just 27.3 percent of his 3-point shots in January, he shot 42.9 percent from long range over the final three months of the season.

After successfully repairing his image in his one season in Indiana, Stuckey, who turned 29 a couple weeks ago, figures to be a hot commodity on the free agent market. The Pacers would love to bring him back, and team president Larry Bird expressed optimism that that will happen, telling the media at his end-of-season press conference, "I think we can get Rodney done."

Only time will tell what the future holds for Rodney Stuckey, but one thing is certain. Any team would be lucky to have him on their roster.

player-review-2015-rodney-stuckey

Player Review 2015: Rodney Stuckey

Age: 27
Years Pro: 4
Status: Unrestricted free agent
Key Stats: Posted a career-high 7.4 points per game in 20.9 minutes. Also had a career-high 2.7 rebounds per contest.

Before Paul George had his return. Before David West and George Hill recovered from their preseason injuries. Before C.J. Watson was healthy. It was Donald Sloan who often found himself at the helm of Indiana's offense, as he attempted to pilot the Pacers while injuries beset the rest of the lineup.

Sloan, a graduate of Seagoville High School in Dallas, Texas (where he played alongside LaMarcus Alrdidge), showed his hometown just how far along his game had come since his days in the Lone Star State. In a November game against the Mavericks, when Dallas' record was 10-4, Sloan torched the Mavs for 29 points on 10-of-14 shooting in what was a triumphant homecoming for the 6-foot-3-inch guard.

After that game, a 111-100 Pacers win, head coach Frank Vogel heaped praise on Sloan. "It must be because he’s back in Dallas," he quipped. "No, he’s been showing that all year. He’s been our starting point guard, and a big reason we’ve been able to win some games and weather a storm in this stretch."

PHOTO GALLERY: Donald Sloan's 2014-15 Season »

The storm Vogel spoke of was the slew of injuries that thrust Sloan into the limelight in the first place. But as a starter — and in his stints as a reserve — for the Blue & Gold, Sloan showcased a skill set that flashed the potential of an everyday starter at best, and a second-unit point guard at worst.

Although his 3-point shooting barely broke 30 percent for the season, Sloan's assist-to-turnover ratio and ability to finish in the paint made him a weapon capable of collapsing opposing defenses. With a final figure of 2.92, Sloan ranked 17 among NBA guards for assists to turnovers, and led all Pacers guards in percent of points scored in the paint with 43.5.

However, despite Sloan's capable command of the point guard position, the return to health of George Hill and C.J. Watson pushed Sloan back to the bench and out of the rotation.

The Pacers face an interesting offseason dilemma in regards to their backup point guard spot. Team president Larry Bird wasn't bullish on the idea of bringing Watson — who is also entering free agency — back, citing Watson's age (31) and health at the end of the past two seasons.

On the other hand, Sloan is just 27 years old and has shown glimpses that he could be an above average second-unit guard. But his biggest deficiency, 3-point shooting, might lead the Pacers to look elsewhere in free agency, or perhaps turn to the draft to address the need.

Whether Sloan is resigned to the Pacers or not, his contributions to the season should not be distilled to the minutes he played at the tail ends of blowouts, or even his short stint replacing Watson in the final six games of the season. The push for the playoffs, the fight for the eighth seed; these pursuits might have died out by the first of April had it not been for Sloan's deft play while much of the season's expected starters were dealing with injuries.

"It only showed how deep we really are," said Sloan of the first part of the season. "It showed that give or take, guys labeled as third-string guys can be starters or second-string guys and produce. It was a big thing, not just for me, but for a lot of the guys who played."

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Player Review 2015: Donald Sloan

Age: 35
Years Pro: 8
Status: Free Agent
Key Stats: Averaged 9.4 points on 47 percent shooting while playing 20.5 minutes per game. Played in all but the one game in which he was held out by coach's decision.

The popular tendency is to think Luis Scola should be discarded like an overripe banana, that a 35-year-old power forward is too far past his prime to be signed to another contract.

The problem with that logical viewpoint is that Scola defies logic, not to mention the fact the Pacers have history with a player who performed well beyond the age of 35. You can take that either way – a player who performed well even after he turned 35, or a player who performed (presumably well) way beyond the age of 35.

If age were such a concern for Scola, he wouldn't have played longer and better than in the previous season, and wouldn't have been at his best when he played the most. But he did and he was. And if not for coach Frank Vogel's decision to hold him out of a game against New York in January to give Lavoy Allen some playing time, he would have a streak of 312 consecutive game appearances heading into next season.

PHOTO GALLERY: Luis Scola's 2014-15 Season »

"I never feel bad physically," he said, after scoring a season-high 23 points against Miami on April 5.

That's largely due to his diet that excludes sugar, gluten and dairy – not to mention taste, he jokes. He's never missed even a practice because of illness in an NBA career that began in October of 2007, and he's only missed eight games because of an injury – a hyperextended knee late in the 2010-11 season with Houston. So, his version of 35 years old isn't like that of most players. Some guys can go a long time. Ask Tim Duncan. Scola says he wants to play in the NBA until the last team kicks him out the door, and then might play overseas. Either way, he believes he can play past 40.

Scola averaged 9.4 points and 6.5 rebounds last season while playing 20.5 minutes per game. That represented improvement across the board from the previous season, mostly because he received more playing time with starter David West missing 16 games. Scola was comfortable with the extra workload. In fact, he thrived with it. When he played more than 30 minutes per game, he averaged 16.5 points on 58 percent shooting, along with 12 rebounds. Unfortunately for him, that was only four games. He played less than 20 minutes in 43 games.

He also played better on the road than at home, statistically, so it's not like he relied on familiarity or friendly fans for his energy. That part of his game was reminiscent of a former Pacers player named Reggie Miller, who by the way averaged 14.8 points at age 39.

The only indication of slippage for Scola is his shooting accuracy. His free throw percentage (.699) was the lowest since his rookie season, and his field goal percentage (.467) was the lowest of his career. That might partially be explained by his role in Vogel's offense, which has him shooting most frequently from mid-range rather than around the basket. Still, his field goal percentage has been in a gradual but steady decline since his second NBA season. Then again, .467 isn't bad for a power forward who often shoots from 15-18 feet.

It's difficult to determine Scola's value on the free agent market. He's productive, has a great attitude and plays hard every time out. But he will, undeniably, be 35 years old when next season opens. He could be a great fit for a playoff team that views him as a missing piece. Pacers president Larry Bird says he wants to bring Scola back, but his financial resources for doing so will be limited. The process will have to play itself out.

Scola would like to stay. He and his wife have four children, and nobody in the family seems to want to leave Indianapolis and start over again in another city. But no matter what happens, he'll be playing next season. Somewhere.

"I don't feel close to the end, that's the truth," he said earlier this month. "I've got energy and I feel I can still do this and I'm still having fun and I can work out hard and play hard every day. As long as all that's still there, I don't see me being close to retirement."

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Player Review 2015: Luis Scola

Age: 28
Years Pro: 1
Status: Under contract through next season, with an option for 2016-17.
Key Stats: Appeared in 68 games, averaging 4.8 points in 15.4 minutes. Led all rookies in 3-point percentage, shooting 40.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Damjan Rudež didn't have delusions of grandeur when he signed his rookie contract with the Pacers.

Despite establishing himself as one of the best shooters in Europe, the 28-year-old Croatian forward knew that minutes would be hard to come by in his first season in Indiana. Not only did he have to adjust to the NBA game, he also found himself on a roster stocked with several proven capable players at the wing positions.

"Signing my contract here, I didn't think I was going to play as much," Rudež admitted after end of the season.

Of course, Rudež couldn't have predicted then the injuries that would besiege the Pacers roster. Those injuries created an opportunity for Rudež, who slowly but surely proved himself as a surefire sharpshooter and capable rotation player.

PHOTO GALLERY: Damjan Rudež's 2014-15 Season »

Injuries to Paul George, George Hill, and C.J. Watson allowed Rudež to crack the rotation on Opening Night (the latter two injuries forcing combo guard Rodney Stuckey to play the majority of his minutes at point guard). The 6-10 rookie failed to score in 15 minutes against Philadelphia, but had 11 points two nights later against Memphis, going 3-for-4 from 3-point range.

Though his playing time fluctuated, Rudež saw the floor in all but one of the Pacers first 28 games. He scored in double figures on three occasions, but had plenty of growing pains. Rudež's outside shot was inconsistent in the early part of the season and it took him a while to look fully comfortable in the team's system.

Rudež was just 5-for-20 from beyond the arc in the month of December when he picked up an upper respiratory infection just before Christmas that sidelined him for three games. That illness temporarily cost him a spot in the rotation, as Rudež wound up not playing in 10 straight contests.

But with Chris Copeland also struggling to find his shot, head coach Frank Vogel inserted Rudež back into the rotation in mid-January. The rookie responded, making five of his first 10 attempts from 3-point range, but subsequently connected on just one of his next 13 as the Blue & Gold dropped seven consecutive contests.

That brings us to the defining moment of Rudež's — and possibly the entire team's — season.

On the evening of January 25, the Pacers were just 15-30 on the year and trailed by nine points heading into the fourth quarter in Orlando. The game appeared to be following a familiar script, and the team seemed on their way to an eighth straight loss. But Rudež caught fire in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points in the period and draining four 3-pointers, as Indiana rallied to win by seven.

After that night, both Rudež and the Pacers showed significant improvement over the remainder of the year. Counting the win in Orlando, Indiana went 23-14 to close the season, remaining in contention for a playoff berth right up until the final day of the regular season.

As for Rudež, his fourth quarter performance against the Magic carried over. After shooting just 30.9 percent from 3-point range through Jan. 15, the Croatian sensation knocked down 49.4 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc over the remainder of the season. That improvement was a testament to both increased confidence and Rudež's exceptional work ethic — he and Stuckey were usually the last players to leave the gym after practice, staying late with associate head coach Nate McMillan to work on their shots.

With his shot falling, Rudež gained more and more trust from Vogel, who didn't hesitate to play the rookie in key situations. For instance, in a game against Sacramento on Jan. 31, Vogel gave Rudež the opportunity to guard Rudy Gay, the Kings' dynamic perimeter scorer. Rudež held his own, and Vogel stuck with him for much of the rest of the night.

Thanks to his strong finish, Rudež finished the year with a 3-point percentage of .406, nearly four full percentage points better than any other rookie. In fact, Rudež would have had the 12th-best 3-point percentage in the entire NBA if he qualified (the league requires that players make 82 or more 3-pointers to register among the official statistical leaders; Rudež made 69 triples on the season).

"It's something that I'm definitely happy with, finishing the season above 40 percent (from 3-point range)," Rudež said after the season. "Especially because it (was) a rough start and for my first year here, I really didn't know how I (was) going to adjust to the 3-point line."

Looking forward to next year, Rudež will once again have to compete for minutes on the wing as a healthy Paul George returns to the rotation. George and C.J. Miles will likely start and Solomon Hill, who started 78 games this season due to George's injury, figures to play a big role. Still, Rudež should only be more comfortable with one season already under his belt.

"Second year, you already know your spots, you know your role, you know the guys, you know the system," Rudež said. "So everything should go way smoother. That period of adaptation transitioning from European style of basketball to the NBA style is behind me."

Ever the competitor, Rudež was very disappointed to see the Pacers season end earlier than he and his teammates had hoped. Used to playing into the middle of June in European leagues, he joked, "I've never had this much time on my hands in my life." That longer offseason should allow Rudež plenty of time to continue working on his game as he prepares for his sophomore season in the NBA. He expects to play for the Croatian national team in the FIBA EuroBasket 2015 championships in September before returning to Indiana in time for training camp.

Damjan Rudež exceeded even his own expectations in his rookie season. Knowing his work ethic, it wouldn't be a surprise to see more of the same in 2015-16.

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Player Review 2015: Damjan Rudež

Age: 28
Years Pro: 10
Status: Under contract through the 2016-17 season with an option for 2017-18.
Key Stats: Averaged a career-high 13.5 points per game. Although his 3-point percentage dropped from 39.3 last season to 34.5 this season, he still made a career-best 154 triples.

In a season riddled with injuries, C.J. Miles, who played in 70 games, was one of the most reliable players on the Pacers' roster. Miles found his way to Indiana via free agency after spending his two seasons prior with the Cavaliers.

When the ignition to the 2014-15 season was turned, Miles appeared to have an engine misfire. Over his first five games, he made just 16 of his 63 (25 percent) shots from the field. But once his calf injury subsided, he quickly emerged as one of the Pacers' most productive scorers. Prior to the All-Star break, Miles was making just 31.1 percent of his threes. After the break, that number soared to 39.7 percent as Miles helped bolster Indiana's offense at a time when it was missing much of its firepower due to injuries.

PHOTO GALLERY: C.J. Miles' 2014-15 Season »

"What we went through, injuries, new players — we had every reason to kind of shut down at certain point," Miles said. "But every guy in that locker room, and coaching staff, and guys in front office, showed we are a winning organization. And that's what we're going to try to do every night and every year and I think that's really important to the culture."

Miles was certainly expected to contribute this year, but the degree to which he sparked the offense came as a pleasant surprise. C.J. led the team in scoring on 21 occasions, more than any other player on the team. On December 12 against the Clippers, Miles made seven 3-pointers on 14 attempts, season highs for the Pacers on both counts. On New Years Eve, Miles tallied 25 points and seven rebounds against the Heat while adding a season-high four assists in the home victory.

"I felt like I was really able to help the team which is all I want to do," said Miles after the season. "So I'm going to take that and run with it, build on it. Just try to keep on getting better and keep growing."

Miles' season featured more than a couple memorable slams, usually of the one-handed southpaw variety. But most fans will recall the plays in which "3.J." Miles shut the door on opponents, burying shots from behind the arc to either take command of games, or to put them out of reach. In a February game against the Cavs, Miles drained a 3-pointer from the right corner to give the Pacers a two-point lead over a Cleveland team that had won its last 12 games. The bucket helped propel the Pacers to a 103-99 win, and served as one of the most electrifying victories of the Pacers' season.

If there were a knock on Miles' season, it would be his mercurial shooting. Carrying the mentality of a gunner at all times, Miles had his off nights to be sure. However, the amount of games in which his shooting ending up winning games far outnumbered the games in which it was a detriment.

Once the 2014-15 season had drawn to a close, team president Larry Bird spoke highly of George Hill's offseason improvement, and said that he expects Miles to make a similar leap after his first offseason as a member of the Blue & Gold.

"C.J. Miles is going to do the same thing this summer, so we'll see how much better he gets," Bird said. "There's no secret to it, if you work hard, you're going to get better."

And if Miles proved anything in a late-season win over Oklahoma City, when he notched a double-double for the first time since 2008, it's that he's no stranger to hard work.