It’s not always easy to keep perspective. Like when the 410 lb. orca whale purchasing $30-worth of Burger King for himself double-checks with the cashier that the soda he was served is Diet. But we here at Razzball know how difficult maintaining perspective can be, especially when you’re drunk and trying to sketch moving objects. So from now until the start of the season, we’re bringing you the 2010 Fantasy Team Previews, which will focus on each NBA team in hopes of painting a clearer fantasy picture. Who’s starting over who? Who might surprise you and who might make you want to hurl yourself off a bridge in a few months. Enjoy! Next up – The Indiana Pacers.
Gained: Darren Collison, James Posey, Paul George, ignorable rookies
Lost: Troy Murphy, Tyler Hansbrough’s balance, Earl Wats … oh, who cares?
Probable position depth:
PG – Darren Collison, A.J. Price, T.J. Ford
SG – Mike Dunleavy Jr., Dahntay Jones, Brandon Rush, Lance Stephenson
SF – Danny Granger, James Posey, Paul George
PF – Josh McRoberts, Jeff Foster, Tyler Hansbrough
C – Roy Hibbert, Solomon Jones, Magnum Rolle
3 Concerns Heading Into the Season:
1. Will Tyler Hansbrough ever NOT be dizzy in the future?
Hansbrough’s loss is a bigger deal than anyone outside of America’s Crossroads is making it. In 18 mpg last year, Psycho T averaged 9/5. That’s about 15/9 if given starter’s minutes, which, of course, the Pacers would love to give him. The franchise rid itself of Troy Murphy, sprinkled rose petals all over the starting PF slot and made a poster with Hansbrough’s name on it using glitter and bubble paint. Despite all that, he seems to have just dropped off the face of the planet and since he has vertigo, he probably staggered around clumsily before he did it. You can’t draft Hansbrough until Hansbrough gets his groove back. If he ever does, hit the free agency pool with both hands, brah as he’s a 14.5/8/2 top 150 pick. Note: Booyah!
2. Darren Collison in 2010: awesome or totally awesome?
Totally awesome. Especially when you consider what this kid accomplished last season with Chris Paul on the shelf. He averaged 19/4/9 in 40 minutes as a starter for a team with fewer weapons than the Pacers will have this year (Are you telling me if you were playing NBA Jam, you’d choose West and Thornton over Granger and Hibbert? You would not, sir). Not only is DarCo a year older and poised to average at least 36 minutes per game, if not 40 again, but the Pacers play a much quicker game (NOH was ranked 15th in pace last season, IND was ranked 2nd).
3. Is anyone going to help Granger, Collison and Hibbert?
You ever imagine that Snow White was constantly disappointed by the Dwarves? On paper, she was surrounded by seven men. In reality, none of ’em were all that helpful. Open this jar of pickles? Sorry, I’m too sleepy. I’ll never make it. Call the insurance company about that ding in our wagon wheel? Sorry, I don’t actually ever talk. Help me clean out the pickaxe shed? Can’t. I’m too busy doctoring this sneezy mofo over here. Maybe tomorrow. It wouldn’t shock me if by May it turned out that Dunleavy or McRoberts or George were worthy fantasy options but I’m as willing to count on it as Bashful would be to go streaking.
Fantasy Disappointment in ’10: Tyler Hansbrough. Perhaps it’s cheating to list a player that few are even going to draft as a disappointment, but this isn’t Yao Ming missing a full season. This is Dizzy T being a viable 15/8 option in late rounds and no one taking him because he gets unsteady spells. You know who gets unsteady spells? Proper southern ladies of the 1890s. Them and Tyler Hansbrough.
Biggest Fantasy Contributor in ’10: Danny Granger. Is there a more underrated all-star than Danny Granger? Honestly, who would it be? Al Horford, maybe. Brook Lopez?
Deep Sleeper: Josh McRoberts. His per36 averages shook out to 12/9/3 with 2.3 stl+blk last season and won’t have much competition (unless you count input from Jeff Foster and 9 mpg from Magnum Rolle as competition, which McRoberts just might. He is a deep sleeper, after all) at the PF position as long as Hansbrough is out. He’s still young (23) and Jim O’Brien’s go-go-gadget flowing offense never hurt anybody … except Pacers fans, of course. They’ve been hurting for quite some time.
