A season that once appeared destined for greatness for the Indiana Pacers slowly devolved into a mess of in-fighting and controversy that ended with a beatdown in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the well-oiled Miami Heat machine.
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With the season over, the Pacers could be in for a major shakeup. If pieces are re-jiggered, two that may hit the road are shooting guard Lance Stephenson who is set to be a free agent, and center Roy Hibbert who would have to be traded.
At times Stephenson has been a dogged defender, cluch shot-maker, and capable scorer whenever Paul George's offense went missing. As the postseason wore on though, Stephenson's bizarre antics took center stage and rankled the feathers of the organization. When asked if he wanted Lance to be brought back, George offered very little in the way of support.
"I mean, I don't know," George said. "That's for [Pacers president] Larry [Bird], [GM] Kevin [Pritchard], for them to decide. It would be great, we came into this league together. It would be great for us to continue our journey together. He's played a huge year this whole season and in this postseason. He's definitely put pressure on us to make decisions going forward with Lance."
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That tepid assessment has the makings of an honest remark being quickly papered over by a more politically correct response. He may have been a major negative influence behind the scenes, especially since it's widely rumored that he fought teammate Evan Turner in a practice.
Then there's the matter of Hibbert, who transformed from a world-beating rim protector to a stiff unable to keep up with the likes of Pero Antic. Hibbert was perturbed most of the year due to a lack of touches in the post, and hinted a trade wouldn't necessarily be disagreeable to him.
As ESPN's Marc Stein reported, "There is said to be some thought on both sides-management andHibbert's-that a fresh start would be beneficial for everyone after the big man's second-half decline. Hibbert's camp hasn't outright asked for a trade, sources say, but word is that it wouldn't exactly oppose one if the Pacers decide to actively shop their center."
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