The Indiana Pacers are in for a bounce back year in a major way. They had a rough time picking up wins last season without their superstar, Paul George. Next season should be a completely different story though.
They’re getting George back at 100% and they made a huge acqusition by adding scoring ace Monta Ellis. Ellis and George look to potentially form the most lethal wing combination in the NBA. Sure they lost Roy Hibbert and David West, but draft pick Myles Turner should be more than capable of filling one of the voids.
Fresh off a horrendous leg injury in the FIBA World Cup last summer, George has his eyes set on the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, more commonly known as the most valuable player award. Following from the Indy Star:
“After being drafted into the NBA, I was playing from the bench and then tried to be a starter, then an All-Star. My goal now is set to be MVP. This year, that hasn’t changed,” George told fans at a Beijing Nike store. (Thanks, Google translation.)
George also spoke about the team’s new makeup, which includes the loss of Roy Hibbert and David West. With the veteran leadership of West now in San Antonio, George said he plans on stepping into a leadership role in 2015.
“As a team leader, you must learn to give more effort than others, the first to arrive every day to the arena, the last one to leave every day,” he said.
Winning MVP is quite the illustrious honor, right up there with a championship ring. Sure, PG is an incredible young talent and is one of the best two way players in the league but his chances to win are bleak, at best. Of course you got LeBron James to worry about but what should be really scary are the young bucks that will continue to get better and better. You got James Harden, Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis. Factor in the fact that ex-MVP Kevin Durant should be fully healthy next season and George’s odds are slim to none. He may win one before his career is all said and done but Pacers fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too high for next season.
