{"id":381,"date":"2016-09-05T11:24:05","date_gmt":"2016-09-05T16:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=381"},"modified":"2016-09-05T11:24:05","modified_gmt":"2016-09-05T16:24:05","slug":"pacers-biggest-eastern-conference-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/09\/05\/pacers-biggest-eastern-conference-threat\/","title":{"rendered":"Indiana Pacers Pose Biggest Eastern Conference Threat to Cleveland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coming off of an NBA<\/strong> title, the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/strong> are the team to beat in the Eastern Conference<\/strong>, and it has been assumed that LeBron James<\/a><\/strong>, Kyrie Irving<\/a><\/strong>, and company will walk their way right back to the NBA Finals<\/strong>. However, the East has become very interesting. The Boston\u00a0Celtics<\/strong> signed All-Star big man Al Horford<\/a>,<\/strong> the Atlanta Hawks<\/strong> replaced Horford with\u00a0Dwight Howard<\/a><\/strong>, the New York\u00a0Knicks<\/strong> brought in Joakim Noah<\/a><\/strong> and Derrick Rose<\/a><\/strong>, and the Chicago Bulls<\/strong> signed Rajon Rondo<\/a><\/strong> and Dwyane Wade<\/a><\/strong>. However, no team in the conference has had a better off-season than the Indiana Pacers<\/strong>, who now pose the biggest Eastern Conference threat to the Cavs.<\/p>\n

Indiana Pacers Pose Biggest Eastern Conference Threat to Cleveland<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0League\u2019s Most Underrated Point Guard<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Pacers got busy on the phones shortly after the NBA Finals, making two very under-the-radar trades. They made a three team deal with the Atlanta Hawks<\/strong> and Utah Jazz<\/strong><\/a> to acquire point guard Jeff Teague<\/a><\/strong>. Teague is one of the most explosive point guards in the NBA and is a former All-Star. He also comes in on\u00a0only an $8 million salary for one year, so if it doesn’t work out with\u00a0him in Indiana, the Pacers can part ways with him after this season. However,\u00a0that shouldn’t be the case, as\u00a0Teague has a lot to play for. He is in a contract year, in which he needs to play well to prove that last year was just an off year.\u00a0That would allow him\u00a0to position himself\u00a0for a\u00a0big-time contract that he feels he deserves, and he may have found just the team with which to do that. The Pacers have been in need of a scoring point guard for a long time, and while George Hill<\/a><\/strong> is a great defender, he just wasn’t\u00a0the\u00a0scoring option they need; Teague is.<\/p>\n

The Perfect Complement to Paul George<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The other trade that the Pacers made was with the Brooklyn Nets<\/strong>. The Pacers traded away the 20th pick in the draft and a future second round pick<\/a> for forward Thaddeus Young<\/a><\/strong>, which was a complete steal. Young is a two-way player\u00a0and a good scorer who can\u00a0play in the post, step out on the perimeter, and defend at a high level.\u00a0He seems like the ideal forward to play alongside Paul George<\/strong>. A front-line of George, Young, and Myles Turner<\/a><\/strong> is a formidable trio, but it’s possible that Turner could be a reserve,\u00a0partly due\u00a0to a move that the Pacers made in free agency.<\/p>\n

Big Al, Big Steal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In free agency, the Pacers didn’t exactly steal the show, but they may have stolen a very good big man. They inked Hornets center Al Jefferson<\/a><\/strong> to a three-year, $30 million deal<\/a>. Jefferson had an off year last year, mostly due to injuries and off-court issues, but also because of inconsistent minutes. When he’s himself, Jefferson is a dominant low post player who crashes the boards. He has been very consistent and dominant throughout his career, and when on top of his game, Jefferson is arguably a top ten center in the league. At this\u00a0price, Jefferson could prove to be the best bargain signing of the 2016 free agent big men class.<\/p>\n

Bang\u00a0for\u00a0the Buck<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Indiana Pacers have transformed themselves into an Eastern Conference contender and an imminent threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have one of the most balanced and talented starting fives in the NBA. Teague and Monta Ellis<\/a><\/strong> can both score the ball and are on very team-friendly deals. Also, when you compare the contract of Teague to the deal that\u00a0Mike Conley<\/a><\/strong> got, which is worth roughly $30 million per\u00a0year, you realize what a steal Teague is, and in reality, Teague is just as good as Conley. Thaddeus Young is a player who can fit in on any team. He’s a good all around player, and he’ll compliment Paul George very nicely. Al Jefferson may start or back up\u00a0Myles Turner, but either way, he’ll provide a presence that the Pacers haven’t had\u00a0since Roy Hibbert<\/a><\/strong> hit his\u00a0stride three years ago.<\/p>\n

How the\u00a0Pacers\u00a0Match Up Against\u00a0Cleveland<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Now how does this team match-up against\u00a0the Cavs? Teague plays a game very similar to that of Kyrie Irving<\/strong>, and Monta Ellis<\/strong> poses a much bigger threat than J.R. Smith<\/a><\/strong> (assuming he eventually re-signs with he Cavs) on the wing. LeBron James is the most unguardable player of the decade, but Paul George is a superstar and is arguably the second best player in the conference. He is a great defender, and if you had to pick one player to guard James, George is definitely in the conversation. Down low, the Pacers may have the advantage on Cleveland. They have the\u00a0height advantage and have\u00a0more of a post presence as a team. Kevin Love<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and Tristan Thompson<\/a><\/strong> fortes aren’t in the post, but Jefferson and Young play inside, which could pose a problem to the Cavs; the Pacers match-up very nicely versus\u00a0Cleveland. With all that said, the\u00a0Indiana Pacers are\u00a0the biggest threat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n