Ahhh nothing like Indy versus Miami in the playoffs. Throwback to the days where the Pacers were led by a young Paul George and a glorified Roy Hibbert, and where Miami was home to the OG ‘Big Three’ in the NBA. Good times. Good, non-quarantine, times.
Unfortunately, we will not be seeing any permutation of the LeBron, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade led Heat, nor will we be seeing any of the former Pacers. However, there is a silver lining, and we will be watching two very good squads go at it in what should be a very competitive series.
The Pacers made a splash this past offseason when they acquired Malcolm Brogdon in a sign-and-trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. Although he’s been hampered by injuries frequently this year, when he’s on the court, he’s extremely effective and has put up a solid 16-7-5 line across the board.
Victor Oladipo also returned from a serious season-ending injury last year and has contributed with a nice 14.5 PPG to go along with 3 assists and 4 rebounds. Although he hasn’t returned to his preceding all-star form, the guard is a capable defender and can run the point when Brogdon isn’t on the floor.
Nevertheless, aside from Brogdon’s nagging injuries and Oladipo’s slow recovery, TJ Warren has been the main storyline of this Pacers team. He’s clearly switched into another gear and has averaged an astounding 31PPG on 63% shooting since arriving in Orlando. The 26-year-old was acquired in the offseason from Phoenix for practically nothing and TJ seems to be developing into the NBA’s next breakout star.
Myles Turner, Aaron Holiday, Doug McDermott, Justin Holiday, TJ McConnell, and Jakar Sampson round out this Pacer rotation, but they will be without one of their biggest weapons in Domantas Sabonis. The 4th year big man was selected to his first All-Star game this season, and was a beast throughout the year. His 18.5 PPG and 9 boards will certainly be missed.
Nate McMillan has been given a tough task getting Miami in Round 1, but this squad’s talent is undeniable. If they can play solid defense and not get stagnant on offense, they have a chance.
Miami is similar to Indiana in the sense that their current rotation has not been playing together long. Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Kendrick Nunn, Jae Crowder, and Andre Iguodala are all in their first season for the Heat, but they’ve been clicking, and everyone’s been noticing.
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have been leading this Heat team, and the two bring a certain level of swagger to the Miami clubhouse. Throw in established vets like Goran Dragic and Kelly Olynk with up-and-coming talent such as Duncan Robinson and Derrick Jones Jr., this team can hang with the best of them.
The contributions from Herro and Nunn have been especially important. Although both are rookies, neither are playing like it’s their first year in the league. Nunn is currently being nominated for Rookie of the Year with averages of 15.3 PPG and 3 assists. Herro, on the other hand, has battled inconsistencies yet still has managed to put up nearly 14 points and 4 rebounds per game. Duncan Robinson has been electric from three and is a perfect complementary piece in Erik Spoelstra’s scheme.
All in all, Miami is definitely a darkhorse to come out of the East. They’re confident, but they play extremely hard and work incredibly well as a team. The presence of the established veterans in conjunction with their young guns has given Miami fans a reason to be excited.
The TJ-Jimmy drama will be interesting to see unfold. Bam should be the guy to watch in this series.
I love what the Pacers have done, but Miami isn’t gonna go away that easy.
Heat move on in 5.
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