Indiana Pacers Tickets

Indiana Pacers

2008 Outlook

The Indiana Pacers season appeared to collapse after all-star center Jermaine O’Neal went down with an injury in January, but instead the team answered by developing a number of young players. Forward Danny Granger looked to score more, increasing his scoring average to almost 20 a game, and shooting guard Mike Dunleavy enjoyed his best season as a pro, averaging 19 points a game and shooting over 40 percent from three. The Pacers have talent at every position, but will look to draft a power forward in the draft to solidify the front line.

Team History

The Indiana Pacers were one of the four franchises to come over to the NBA after the merger with the ABA. The team was the dominant force in the ABA winning three championships in four years and appearing in the finals five times in the nine-year history of the league. The success in the ABA would not follow after the merger.

The Pacers would only have one winning season in the first seasons in the NBA and would only appear in the playoffs twice. The franchise spent those years constantly trading players to try to improve the team, but ended up giving up more talent they received on a regular basis. The Pacers had an opportunity to draft Michael Jordan in the 1984 draft, but traded the pick to the Trail Blazers for center Tom Owens, who played one year with the team and never had much impact.

The Pacers began to turn things around by drafting shooting guard Reggie Miller in 1987, drafting Rick Smits in 1988, and trading Herb Williams for forward Detlef Schrempf. The new nucleus gave the Pacers an excellent shooting team that made the playoffs for seven straight seasons. Though the Pacers would trade Schrempf, the team would gain Larry Brown as a coach, Derrick McKey at small forward, and Mark Jackson at point guard.

The Pacers would consistently be among the top of the Eastern Conference and the Central Division as the team would add small forward Chris Mullin and head coach Larry Bird. The Pacers would reach the NBA Finals for the first time in 2000, losing to the Lakers in six games. The Pacers would rebuild the following year, bringing in the nucleus of center Jermaine O’Neal and pint guard Jamaal Tinsley. The Pacers have had difficulty on the court and off the court in recent years, but appear to have a talented team that could bring the team back to the top of the Eastern Conference. Visit TheSeats.com to find the best tickets to see the young roster live.