Indiana Pacers lose third consecutive game to start 2009-2010 NBA season, 111-93, to Denver Nuggets

The Indiana Pacers knew the early part of the 2009-2010 NBA season might be difficult.

They didn’t quite expect this.

And they certainly didn’t expect it in this fashion.

The Pacers, who have missed the playoffs each of the last three seasons, lost a third consecutive game to start the season Tuesday, struggling offensively for a second consecutive game and never really competing after the first quarter in a 111-93 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Conseco Fieldhouse.

“We’ve got to find a way to get a win,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said.

On Tuesday, injuries and a difficult early-season schedule continued to conspire to prevent that.
The Pacers, already playing without F Tyler Hansbrough and F Mike Dunleavy since before the season, also were without F Greg Foster, who sustained an ankle injury Friday in a home loss to Miami.

O’Brien said before the game the Pacers would have difficulty matching up inside.

And that was before F Mike Murphy left the game early Tuesday with a bruised lower back following a fall under the basket.

With the Pacers’ interior depleted, the Nuggets (4-0) moved ahead quickly, using an early 13-3 run to take a 17-7 lead. They led 30-13 after the first quarter, 55-39 at halftime and never led by less than nine after the first quarter.

The Nuggets outrebounded Indiana, 41-23, with Denver C Nene finishing with 11 rebounds. Nine of Nene’s points came as the bigger Nuggets pulled away in the first quarter.

“Somebody has to step up and help us get this first win,” said Pacers C Roy Hibbert, who registered his first career double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

“We need the victory now and we better figure it out quickly and get it done.”

The start to the season, while not entirely unexpected considering the injuries and three playoff contenders to start the schedule, has been surprising – if not for the three losses, then for the manner in which they have occurred. The Pacers talked throughout the offseason improving defensively – they added guard Dahntay Jones to address the area – and at times this season, there has been defensive progress.

What has surprised some is the inconsistency on offense. The Pacers played up-tempo style last year, and that was expected to be a reliable area this year. Instead, the offense has been inconsistent, and Indiana shot 36.9 percent from the floor Tuesday.

O’Brien on Wednesday said some of the inconsistency may be due to new players adapting to new roles in a new system.

“We’re not going to be perfect in our movement, especially with five new guys in the passing game,” he said. “I think we have plenty of offensive weapons and I think we will become a cohesive offensive unit.”
Said Hibbert, “We are working hard to try to get to know each other. As we get to know each other, we will play better together.”

Danny Granger, the Pacers’ All-Star forward, scored 18 points after leading Indiana in scoring the first two games, and Jones – primarily known for defense while playing for Denver last season – had 20 points to lead Indiana in scoring. Granger left afterward without speaking to the media.

“It’s very tough to take three losses in a row like this,” Jones said. “We’re sick and tired of losing. We’ve got to get it together.”

Also on the Pacers:

* Indianapolis Star Pacers writer Mike Wells’ game story. Here.

* Indy Star columnist Bob Kravitz says Granger leaving without speaking not a good move. Here.

* Tom Lewis of IndyCornrows.com says there’s a problem with the Pacers. Here.

Indiana Pacers (0-2) lose to Miami Heat, 96-83, at Conseco Fieldhouse

The venue changed for the Indiana Pacers on Friday night and the trouble areas did, too.

Unfortunately for the Pacers, the result stayed the same.

Danny Granger, the Pacers’ All-Star forward, led the team in scoring for a second game to start the season, but as was the case in the opener, it wasn’t nearly enough as former Pacers forward Jermaine O’Neal had a night to remember and led the Miami Heat to a 96-83 victory in front of 18,165 at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Pacers (0-2), who lost at Atlanta 120-109 in Wednesday’s season opener, hadn’t lost to the Heat (2-0) in Indianapolis since 2001.

“We just played poorly,” said Granger, who finished with a team-high 22 points. “We didn’t shoot the ball well.”

The Pacers . . . Read more

 

Indiana Pacers F Tyler Hansbrough takes “dramatic step forward” in his return

Indiana Pacers F Tyler Hansbrough participated in his first full-court practice since mid-July Thursday, with Pacers coach Jim O’Brien calling the work a “dramatic step forward.”

Hansbrough, the No. 13 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, helped North Carolina to college basketball’s national championship last season, during which time he had an issue with his shin. He then re-aggravated the shin the NBA’s summer league in July and he has been out since.

“It was good to get him out there,” O’Brien told Pacers.com. “He looked great. He’s in very good condition. That will not be an issue at all. He’s in very, very good condition. He rehabbed very hard. . . .

“You always see how he feels the next day and progress it. If he can get to the point where he can practice for an extended period of time live, then he’ll be ready for the games.”

O’Brien said shortly before the Pacers 2009-2010 home opener against the Miami Heat Friday night that while the Pacers didn’t work full court on Friday, Hansbrough reacted well to Thursday’s work.

“I feel like it was a big step for my rehab and getting something done,” Hansbrough told Pacers.com Thursday. “It’s just up to me getting into shape, listening to the trainers, seeing if we can do more and more and taking it from there.

“It’s been frustrating but I feel like we’re making progress. We’re starting to see some drastic changes and starting to see this thing heal and looking to get to play in my first game in the NBA.”

Indiana Pacers commit 25 turnovers, lose 2009-2010 NBA regular-season opener to Atlanta, 120-109

The Indiana Pacers spent the weeks and months leading to the 2009-2010 NBA regular-season opener talking about defense.

Maybe they should have focused on not turning the ball over instead.

Danny Granger, the Pacers’ All-Star forward, scored a team-high 31 points despite a sore heel, but 25 turnovers and a not-so-improved defensive performance offset what was often a solid offensive evening in a 120-109 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in front 17,998 of at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.

“I don’t really know how many turnovers we had, but I know that’s the reason that we lost this game,” said Granger, who was listed as questionable before the game with a sore heel and – according to Pacers.com – received treatment on the heel throughout the game.

“When you turn the ball over that many times in this league, you’re not going to win. It definitely led to more possessions for the Hawks tonight. We were already having trouble stopping them, and this made the game that much harder.

“When the other team has the ball many more times than you, that’s pretty much the recipe for a loss.”

The Pacers, who have missed the playoffs three consecutive seasons, shot 53.4 percent from the floor – slightly better than the Hawks’ 52.9 — but they had 14 more turnovers than the Hawks’ 11.

The Pacers last season were ranked 27th in the NBA in points allowed (108.2) and 21st in field goal percentage allowed (.473) on the road last season, according to Pacers.com.

On Wednesday, they allowed .529 shooting.

“It’s going to be the same as last year unless we decide we want to play defense,” Pacers F Troy Murphy told Indianapols Star Pacers writer Mike Wells. “We have to really take care of that.”

“It was an interesting game, especially in the first half,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien said. “Our shots were definitely falling, and that gave us confidence. Danny played big for us, which is what we expect from him. I think what really helped (the Hawks) tonight was all of the turnovers. You can’t do that against good teams like Atlanta.

“I expected the pace to be fast. This is the kind of pace that I like to play at what we planned for. I think we did a great job getting up and down the court, but we didn’t expect to have 25 turnovers, which was the key to the game. Besides the turnovers, tonight’s pace was definitely the pace we plan to play at.”

Indiana, which went 11-30 on the road last season, allowed 106.2 points per game last season, 26th worst in the NBA. They entered the game focused on defense, and according to NBA.com writer Matt Winkeljohn, “the drawing board in their locker room before the game, literally, the first several preaching points all related to D: Pressure the ball, think deflections, contest every shot.”

Indiana finished the game with one steal while Atlanta registered 16 and held a 32-13 advantage in points off turnovers.

“Even more alarming than the defense was the 25 turnovers,” Granger told NBA.com. “We actually shot a better percentage than they did and lost by 11.

The Pacers, after leading much of the first half, trailed 66-65 at halftime, then trailed 81-71 midway through the third quarter. Indiana then rallied to tie the game 98-98 early in the fourth quarter and took a 101-100 lead on a 3-point field goal by G Earl Watson with 9:04 remaining.

The lead was Indiana’s first of the second half. It also was the last.

The Hawks held Indiana to four points in a seven-and-a-half minute stretch, turning a one-point deficit into a 117-105 lead with 48:9 seconds remaining. During the first six minutes of that stretch, Indiana scored one point, after which the Pacers trailed, 112-102.

According to Winkeljohn, during the span, Granger traveled, Indiana C Roy Hibbert had a turnover, Watson had an errant pass, G Dahntay Jones had a turnover and G Troy Murphy did, too.

“That’s what was so disappointing,” Granger told NBA.com. “A lot of times we just threw the ball out of bounds or miscommunicated with our teammates.

The Pacers will play the Miami Heat at Conseco Fieldhouse Friday at 8 p.m. in the 2009-2010 home opener. The Pacers played without F Tyler Hansbrough and F Mike Dunleavy.

Watson had 20 points and Jones had 17, with the Pacers’ reserves scoring 49 points. Murphy had 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

“We expected this to be a tough game,” Pacers F Solomon Jones said. “They’ve become one of the better teams in the East, so you have to be prepared when you play them. Because we had too many turnovers tonight, we didn’t put ourselves in a good position to win.”

* Indianapolis Star Pacers writer Mike Wells’ game story. Here.

* Sekou Smith’s game story for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Here.

* Associated Press game story. Here.

* Tom Lewis of Indy Cornrows weighs in. Here.

* TrueHoop’s John Hollinger weighs in. Here.

* Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Mark Bradley’s column. Here.

Indiana Pacers F Danny Granger may miss 2009-2010 NBA regular-season opener

The Indiana Pacers may be without All-Star F Danny Granger for the 2009-2010 NBA regular-season opener, Indianapolis Star Pacers writer Mike Wells is reporting.

Granger, the Pacers’ leading scorer and an All-Star last season, is listed as doubtful for the Pacers’ season opener at Atlanta Wednesday with a bruised right heel. Granger said Tuesday that he has been “dealing with the heel problem all preseason, then aggravated it in Friday’s game vs. San Antonio at Indiana University,” Wells writes.

Wells reports that Dahntay Jones will start in Granger’s spot if the latter can’t play.

* Also, the great Pacers blog, indycornrows weighs in on possible Granger absence. Here.

Question of Indiana Pacers defense still a bit unanswered after 2009-2010 NBA preseason

The Indiana Pacers open the regular season Wednesday night in Atlanta, with a major preseason question perhaps still a bit unanswered.

The Pacers, who went 4-3 in the recently-completed preseason, spent the offseason focused on improving a defense that hampered them at times last season. They allowed an NBA-high 111 points in the preseason, but Pacers Head Coach Jim O’Brien said the more important defensive statistic is field-goal percentage.

The Pacers improved that in the preseason, as noted by Indianapolis Star Pacers writer Mike Wells this weekend.

“Opponents shot 42.9 percent, which was good enough for seventh in the league, against the Pacers,” Wells writes as he outlines five areas that stood out on the preseason. “That’s an eight-spot jump from where the Pacers finished last season.”

O’Brien tells Wells,”We’ve got a long way to go, brother, a long way to go. We’ve just got a long way to go, just like every team in the NBA. We have things we have to get much, much better at.”

Wells says what stood out in the preseason was that Roy Hibbert needs the ball in the post, points allowed are “irrelevant,” the Pacers are having trouble getting healthy, they must stop fouling and that F Danny Granger needs a second scorer.

It’s a good list, worth reading as the Pacers turn their focus to the regular season.

Other Pacers news and notes:

* Pacers.com writer Conrad Brunner also says defense is the key. Here.

* Some perspective on last week’s firing of Director of Player Personnel Mel Daniels from eightpointsnineseconds.com. Here.

* Cliff Brundt of the Associated Press previews the Pacers’ season with defense as the focus. Granger tells Brundt: “It’s been long enough, us being out (of the playoffs), especially with the track record the Pacers had the past 15 years or so. We got a lot of our fans back, and we really want to get this thing back to where it was.” Here.

* Matt Beardmore previews Pacers-Hawks for Hoopsword.com here, with Pacers President Larry Bird discussing — guess what? — defense.

Indiana Pacers fire Director of Player Personnel Mel Daniels

The Indiana Pacers have fired Director of Player Personnel Mel Daniels, one of the team’s all-time great players who had been with its basketball staff since 1986.

The Pacers announced the move in a release Friday before winning their preseason finale over the San Antonio Spurs, 114-112, in a game played at Assembly Hall on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind.

“Mel was a great basketball player who helped make the Pacers a well-known basketball franchise,” President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird said in a statement. “We wish him well.”

Indianapolis Star Pacers writer Mike Wells reached Daniel by telephone, but the former ABA great declined comment.

Daniels is one of four players to have his jersey — No. 34 — retired by the franchise. The others are Roger Brown, Reggie Miller and George McGinnis.

Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz reported Friday evening that Daniels’ firing was the result of a rift with several members of team management, including General Manager David Morway, Director of Scouting Joe Ash and Head Coach Jim O’Brien.

Also, New York Post NBA writer Peter Vecsey says Daniels didn’t deserve to be fired. Here.

In other Pacers news Friday:

* F Danny Granger had 14 rebounds and six assists in the victory over San Antonio. G Brandon Rush had 17 points and center Roy Hibbert had 16 points and three blocked shots. Travis Diener, Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Luther Head and Tyler Hansbrough missed the game for Indiana. An Associated Press story on the preseason finale. Here.

Indiana Pacers F Tyler Hansbrough returns to practice in “restricted capacity”

The Indiana Pacers got some of their best news of the NBA preseason Thursday when Tyler Hansbrough returned to the practice court.

Hansbrough, the No. 13 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft from the University of North Carolina,  returned in a “restricted capacity,” according to the team’s Web site. He had been out the past three months to rest a shin injury.

Hansbrough went through halfcourt five-on-five drills, according to Pacers.com writer Conrad Brunner.

“He did some really good things,” Pacers Head Coach Jim O’Brien told Brunner as the Pacers prepared for the 2009-2010 preseason finale, which will be played against San Antonio Friday at Indiana University’s Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.

 “He’s very aggressive, pretty aware of what we’re trying to do. It was great to have him be in any live activity.” 

Hansbrough played for the Pacers in the Orlando summer league in July, lingering shin pain — a carryover from his senior season — led to an “enforced rest period,” Brunner writes.

It felt good,” Hansbrough told Mike Wells of the Indianapols Star. “I’ve been wanting to get out there for a while. My shins felt fine. There is no timetable on when I am coming back.”

Hansbrough will not play against San Antonio, O’Brien said, adding that the forward must progress before playing in a game. Brunner wrote that Hansbrough will participate in “limited halfcourt activity for a few more days.”

“If he responds well, the workload will increase – and will continue to do so in increments barring any setbacks,” Brunner wrote.

“We’ll look at him doing things like this for three days,” O’Brien said. “If he’s able to sustain this we’ll up his halfcourt minutes and if he’s able to sustain that we’ll start getting him into the fullcourt.”

Said Hansbrough, “It’s totally different when you get out there and actually run the offense versus watching it in practice. It was kind of a learning experience but I remembered a lot of the plays  from summer league and stuff like that, so that helped. . . .

Hansbrough told Brunner the extended absence ” was tough but I want to get back to myself. I want to help out the team. If that means me watching them for awhile and getting healthy and then coming out there, that’s what I had to do. …

“I wouldn’t expect me to be out there tomorrow. There’s still no timetable for when I’m going to be back. We’re just taking it day-by-day and adding a little bit more and more.”

In other Pacers news:

* G T.J. Ford and C Jeff Foster practiced Thursday but O’Brien told Brunner he isn’t sure if either will play Friday.

* Indy Cornrows writer Tom Lewis provides a good link to Inside Indiana Business, which talks about the improved perception of the Pacers locally.

* Wells has ESPN analyst Jon Barry talking about the need for a No. 2 scorer to help F Danny Granger. Here.

* The Associated Press game recap from the Pacers’ 117-87 preseason loss to Orlando Thursday. Here.

Indiana Pacers receive good news on Tyler Hansbrough, Mike Dunleavy

A week before the 2009-2010 regular season, the Indiana Pacers have received a bit of good news.

Actually, make that two small bits of good news.

Though neither has been cleared to play, F Tyler Hansbrough and F Mike Dunleavy – each of whom is expected to play a critical role this season – are continuing to progress toward returning, with Dunleavy writing on his blog Tuesday “I expect to get back on the court this week and start progressing my way back up to practicing with the team and eventually playing.”

Dunleavy, a seven-year veteran, isn’t expected to practice until November, according to the Indianapolis Star.

“I’ve really had to develop a lot of patience throughout this process but even more so in the last couple weeks,” Dunleavy wrote on his blog. “I’m at the point where I could definitely play but I’m being held out for precautionary reasons.

Meanwhile, Pacers.com writer Conrad Brunner wrote this week that Hansbrough – the No. 13 overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft – “has been working on-court with coaches after practice for a couple of weeks and is making progress.”

“They want to see how he does after they’ve upped his workouts,” Pacers coach Jim O’Brien told Brunner. “I think (Tuesday) if he has responded well, then maybe they’ll get him in the halfcourt but he has to prove his shin can handle what he’s been doing.”

Also this week, the Pacers released Rod Benson, Demetris Nichols and Lawrence Roberts. The roster is now at the league-mandated 15-player maximum. Dunleavy (knee), Hansbrough (shin), G Travis Diener (foot), C Jeff Foster (back) and G T.J. Ford (hamstring) all are out with injuries for the team’s second-to-last preseason game – Wednesday against Orlando – according to the Indianapolis Star.

Mike Wells of the Star also reported that while Ford’s injury isn’t thought to be serious, Earl Watson likely will start in Ford’s place at Orlando.

The Pacers will play their final 2009-2010 preseason game against San Antonio Spurs at Assembly Hall on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., on Friday.

The Pacers open the 2009-2010 season at Atlanta on Wednesday, October 28.

An introduction to the Indy Basketball Report

Hello . . .

And welcome to the Indy Basketball Report.

This is John Oehser, who many of you may know from the Indy Football Report, the blog I started earlier this year to cover the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL. As you might guess from the name, Indy Basketball Report will be my attempt to cover the Indiana Pacers of the NBA.

Let’s say this first:

This is an experiment, one I hope will work, but one that is still very much an experiment. I lack many things covering the Pacers that I have covering the Colts — i.e., experience, inner knowledge, etc. I worked for the Colts for eight season, covered seven playoff appearances, five division championships and a Super Bowl title.

I have been to two Pacers games. I sometimes see them on television.

That said, I have been asked by NBA.com to cover Pacers home games this season, and if I’m going to cover the Pacers and NBA then I hope to learn something about them as I go. My thought with Indy Basketball Report is as I learn I possibly can begin to pass information and onto you. In time, perhaps this could be a key stop for Pacers fans and at the very least, help speed my learning process.

That’s it for now. We’ll check back in soon, and we’ll see how this goes.