March 2016 Indiana Pacers Wiretap

Paul George: My Only Goal Is Playing For A Championship

Oct 25, 2016 7:44 PM

Paul George has the chance to spend his entire career with the Indiana Pacers, something the franchise would certainly welcome.

George can become a free agent in 2018.

“Guys want to play with guys,” George said. “I think I have a better chance to accomplish that given Reggie (Miller) and the era that he was in. My only goal is playing for a championship. As long as we’re competitive and I have something to do with that, I’m happy.”

George has spent much of his career trying to get past LeBron James.

“In order for me to win, I’ve got to take him out,” George said. “At this time, I feel more experienced. It’s now about how do I get my team to play at a higher level. That’s what I’m trying to get to.”

Nate Taylor/Indianapolis Star

Tags: Paul George, Indiana Pacers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Pacers Sign Ben Bentil

Oct 24, 2016 12:34 PM

The Indiana Pacers have signed Ben Bentil to a contract. 

Bentil, who played collegiately at Providence, was a second-round pick (51st overall) of the Boston Celtics in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Bentil was recently waived by the Celtics.

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Pacers Waive Jeremy Evans, Julyan Stone

Oct 23, 2016 8:51 PM

The Indiana Pacers have waived Jeremy Evans and Julyan Stone.

Evans appeared in two preseason games and did not score.

Stone played in five games, scoring one point while averaging two rebounds per game.

The Pacers’ roster now stands at 15.

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Tags: Julyan Stone, Jeremy Evans, Indiana Pacers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor, NBA Waiver

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Paul George Thankful Pacers Made Moves To Stay Competitive

Oct 21, 2016 4:41 PM

Paul George liked the moves the Indiana Pacers made this offseason.

"I think with the moves made, the front office made it an emphasis on getting back to that caliber of talent that placed us in the [Eastern] Conference finals and bringing that level of play back to this organization that we’ve fell short of the last couple of seasons," said George. "We made the playoffs last year, but the year before that we fell short. Since I’ve been here, the one thing that we’ve lacked was bench play. With the depth that we have now; it’s one thing to have depth, but we have guys that can play multiple positions and can do multiple things. This team is pretty deep and can be very good."

George was also asked about whether he takes comfort in how the Pacers have tried to stay competitive after missing the playoffs in 2015.

"It’s a luxury, really. The NBA season is very long. You don’t want to feel like you’re wasting years or you’re giving something that’s not going to go somewhere. I think that’s one of the worst things to go through in this league, so I’m thankful that they’re trying to keep this team and the organization competitive, in putting pieces around me to try and get us back in the playoffs and to try and take out LeBron and the Cavaliers.

Christopher Cason/Slam

Tags: Paul George, Indiana Pacers, NBA

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Pacers Waive Alex Poythress, Nick Zeisloft

Oct 17, 2016 5:03 PM

The Indiana Pacers have waived Alex Poythress and Nick Zeisloft.

Poythress played in two preseason games and scored one point.

Zeisloft played in one game and did not score.

 
 

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Tags: Alex Poythress, Nick Zeisloft, Indiana Pacers, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor, NBA Waiver

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Pacers Counting On Dan Burke To Provide Defensive Continuity

Oct 11, 2016 8:06 PM

The Indiana Pacers ranked third in the NBA in points allowed per 100 possessions last season.

In order to maintain their continuity despite firing Frank Vogel, the Pacers kept their defensive coordinator Dan Burke. Burke is entering his 20th season with the Pacers, which makes him the longest tenured assistant with the same team in the NBA. Burke receive interest this offseason from a number of rival teams, including the Orlando Magic when Vogel ended up getting their head coaching job.

The Pacers hope to maintain their excellent defense while playing at a faster pace and also losing George Hill at point guard for Jeff Teague.

“I just go from year to year,” he said. “When people would say, ‘Wow, it’s your 10th year,’ I used to joke, ‘Yeah, I’m tricking them.’ Now, I’m thinking Larry is just trying to wait until I get it right.

"To me, it’s a job I love. It worked out well. It doesn’t seem like 20 because I just love every minute of it.”

“Dick Harter is the best defensive coach I’ve seen in this league,” Larry Bird said in September of Burke's mentor. “Nobody can replace Dick. But (Dan) is very similar and he demands guys to play hard on the defensive end. You’ve got to win with your defense, and Dan’s proven that over the years his defenses get things done. A few years ago, when we were winning and getting to the Eastern Conference finals, we were guarding people and that’s what we've got to do. I’m not saying Frank (Vogel) didn’t have something to do with that neither, but Dan’s always been my guy and I hope he’s here forever.”

Nate Taylor/Indianapolis Star

Tags: Indiana Pacers, NBA, NBA B-Ball IQ

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