Vogel and Bird both want to play at a faster pace next season.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel and team president Larry Bird both explained at their post-season press conference that they want to play faster. That includes playing smaller and with more versatile pieces that can stretch the floor as the NBA game is evolving.
So, how much different do they intend to play?
“We’re going to be very different than we’ve been in the past and that’s something I’m really, really excited about,” Vogel said during an interview on NBA TV at halftime of the team’s second Summer League game Monday afternoon.
“We’re going to try to get up and down the floor a lot more than we have, be more of a running team, play (with) a little bit more pace but also playing Paul George at the four some — maybe a lot — could give us an entirely different look.”
Right now the team has little to work with at power forward. Lavoy Allen, who will re-sign with the team, could get some minutes there. But David West is gone, Luis Scola would welcome a return but has kept quiet in free agency.
Meanwhile, George, who suffered a compound fracture in his right leg over 11 months ago, at power forward is a real option.
“It may be 10 minutes, it may be 20 minutes,” GM Kevin Pritchard said last month of George playing the four spot.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel and Larry Bird both want to play at a faster pace.
George has no limitations and is moving well, according to coach Vogel.
“He looks really good,” Vogel said of PG. “He seems to have taken another step in terms of his recovery process. Obviously he got in some games towards the end of the year. He was 100 percent healthy but we knew he wasn’t going to have his full range and explosiveness and was favoring his leg a little bit — which was all to be expected.
“Watching his individual workouts now, he seems to have lost a lot of that in terms of favoring it. He’s growing in confidence on the leg, pushing off, and regaining a lot of the explosiveness. It’s a good sign.”
George has been back and forth between Indianapolis and Los Angeles this summer. He will be back in town later this week for his second annual basketball camp, which will be held at Avon High School.