So last night sucked for most of us in Indy as our beloved Colts lost in OT to the Chargers, thus ending their season. Now the city will start to focus more of their attention on the Pacers who this year have received a lot of positive buzz, and it is well deserved. Now for a lot of people, the Colts have been the main focus of your sports attention and you have heard bits and pieces about the Pacers, but don't really know a ton about this team. Well, lucky for you, Sixty Feet, Six Inches has put together this Pacers recap to get you up to speed.


Things you need to know:

1) We don't have a team of thugs.
2) We're the only team to beat both the Lakers and Celtics, so far, this season
3) 14 of the Pacers 21 losses have been by 5 points or less, and 4 of the 12 wins have been by 5 points or less.
4) Almost every game comes down to the wire.
5) We don't have a team of thugs.
6) The Pacers play an uptempo brand of basketball which is very fun to watch.
7) Danny Granger is 5th in the NBA in scoring, and has become the leader of this team.
8) Our defense needs some work, and we have blown a lot of leads this season.
9) At the time this was written, the Pacers are 12-21 and only 3 games out of a playoff spot.
10) Mike Dunleavy has been out all season, and is scheduled to return over our upcoming 5 game road trip.
11) We have a pep band, I think the idea was to make it seem more like a high school game and create a basketball environment that Indiana is known for. I'd say they succeed at that.
12) We don't have a team of thugs. Seriously, they're good people.

The Ownership




I honestly never really like owners, in fact I really don't like Jim Ursay and I don't trust the Ursay family, yet I love the Simon brothers. They are committed to this city and love this team. When it comes to ownership, they are pretty much everything you would want, money, commitment, and actual love for their franchise.

The Coach



I love Jim O'Brien. I really do. He is a very passionate coach who plays the style of basketball I love, fast-paced, good passing, outside shooting/drive it inside offense. People have been talking about if he will lose his job due to the current record, but he won't. The Pacers built this team around JOB's coaching style, and also the picture above really does sum up the type of man JOB is.

The Players



Danny Granger is from what I can tell the leader of this team. I could even see it argued that he is a co-leader with T.J. Ford. Regardless, he is becoming the face of this franchise and hopefully will be named to the All-Star team this year. Interesting Factoid: During the home opener against Boston, Danny had his two front teeth knocked out, and continued playing the game which was an Indiana win 95-79.



T.J. Ford was acquired in the off season from Toronto and he was voted by his fellow NBA players as the fastest man in the league.



Troy Murphy is a great forward who averages a double-double. If he worked a little bit more on his defensive game, I think he could be a dominating presence on the court.



Marquis Daniels will probably become our sixth man once Dunleavy returns, but until then he's been starting at SG and has been contributing averaging 15 points a game.



We got Rasho Nesterovic in the O'Neal trade with Toronto. He's from Slovakia and has a streak of playoff appearances, hopefully that will continue this season. Rasho and Roy Hibbert have been swapping starts at center.



Roy Hibbert is a rookie who, for lack of a proper phrase, has been beasting it for us as of late. Hibbert has been controlling the inside and has been averaging a block per game on limited numbers. Roy will be the future for the Pacers at center.



Travis Diener is a role player for us, who has a great outside shot and the potential to get really hot from beyond the arc. I believe that one day, maybe in the distant future, Diener will put up 40 points. So my fellow SFSI writer, Thomas and I will be waiting for that day to come.



Josh McRoberts is a second year player that is a fan favorite here in Indy because he played for area high school Carmel. McBob, as he's becoming known as, is the reason my high school did not win sectional my junior year. For that, he will never be forgiven, yet as a Pacer I love him. He's fast, he hustles, and he loves to block a shot into the stands.



Mike Dunleavy is injured. That's been his story all season, and it sucks. He's one of the smartest offensive players for the Pacers, and we're all waiting anxiously for his return. Also that picture above is real, we didn't photoshop that.



Jeff Foster is a familiar face for the Pacers. He's been with us his whole career and is actually really admired by fans. Foster also is known for the fact that his offensive rebounds are more accurately depicted as punched balls aimed at the perimeter. Also to explain the picture, that is my friend Jorr who looks a lot like Jeff, height included. As a shout out to Jorr, please check out his music: http://www.myspace.com/thelastdomino

Players without a fun photo.

-Brandon Rush
In the preseason, Rush said he wanted to be the next Reggie Miller. So far he looks pretty promising and he's been shooting .366 from outside.

-Stephen Graham
Stephen has been filling in where he can as a role player, but he usually finds himself on the bench.

-Maceo Baston
Maceo has seen very limited playing time, and can usually be found on the Pacers bench.

The Mascots



Boomer has been the Pacers mascot since 1991 and really is one of the more fun and interesting mascots in sports. Even if you haven't watched the Pacers since the 90's, you still know who Boomer is.



Bowser is the Pacers other mascot who was added before the 2001 season. He's a dick...err...dog. Still, he's playful and fun, but really comes off as kind of a d-bag.

Why You Should Care About This Team

They're young, they play until the final horn, and almost every game is close. Also if you are from Indianapolis or from Indiana, they represent you! This team isn't about overinflated egos, in fact the only player on the team who can really understandably have one doesn't care about his on court numbers, especially if they lose the game. People in the city have started to take notice though, as our attendance is up 10%. Also since the Pacers are trying to increase attendance, make sure you keep looking for great ticket deals. Thanks to cheap tickets, I've been able to see about 10 games this season so far.

So there you go, you're all caught up.