A sparse crowd was on hand for Indiana’s 104-93 win over the Toronto Raptors to give Pacers interim head coach Frank Vogel his first win.
There seemed to be a different attitude on display. Not only from fans but players and team personnel.
The Pacers players played with a passion we hadn’t seen for a while. The hustle and effort was there but the fundamentals were missing. The Pacers turned the ball over 25 times.
Indiana came out punching and took a 20 point lead midway thru the second quarter. The Raptors then went on a 17-3 run to close the half, something the team isn’t very proud of.
This change, this spark may have just what the doctor ordered. This team appears rejuvenated and reenergized, poised for a winning streak to get back in the playoff picture.
Roy Hibbert led the way with 24 points and 11 rebounds, his 13th double-double. Paul George finished with 16 points, 11 of which came in the final quarter and Tyler Hansbrough tallied 14 points in his 15 minutes of action.
Coming in, Vogel admitted there were going to be changes. He met individually with each player to ensure they are on the same page.
Some of the changes include:
- More consistency
- Less substitutions
- More playing time for bench players like Dahntay Jones, Tyler Hansbrough and rookie Paul George
- A true inside game presence
- Establish a true post-game with Roy Hibbert
- During timeouts, the coaches will huddle to allow the players to talk and coaches to gather their thoughts
- Less controlling of play and more free-flow
- A more positive and encouraging attitude
Tonight we saw growing pains, as expected. It will take a few games for Vogel to get comfortable in the big seat, and players learning his style…heck, Vogel is still creating a style.
Vogel will benefit from a weaker schedule in his first 10 of 12 games. Only Miami, which the Pacers play twice should be a competitive challenge. His first four games are all games Indiana should win: Toronto, at Cleveland, Portland, at New Jersey.
The change has been made for the better. This team is much better than fans give them credit for. While they aren’t a perennial power, they can certainly make some noise in the second half of the season.
Frank Vogel’s postgame comments below: