We brought in a ringer for our Playoff previews. He's a new writer that you'll be seeing more of around here. He calls himself The Crow and has been obsessed with predicting sports outcomes since middle school. If you're betting, take his advice. If he asks you to join his fantasy league, don't—you won't have a chance.
The Indiana Pacers are a better team than the New York Knicks—you just don't know it because you haven't seen them play. The Pacers have spent the majority of their season floundering in obscurity. Even in the hoop-crazy Midwest, the Pacers ranked near the bottom in attendance. So what gives?
They play fast-paced basketball and feature a deep, talented bench. They don't rely on one superstar and have a very cap-friendly roster. In fact their entire roster comes in right around the price tag of Wade, LeBron, and Bosh, meaning this will be a team you will be seeing much more of going forward. By all accounts the Pacers seem to be what the Heat detractors are clamoring for—a team built through the draft and savvy contracts rather than an oh-so-public act of collusion.
Basically, in terms of exposure the Miami Heat are the polar opposite. Fans love to hate the Heat and the media has given us plenty of fuel. Adding to the hate is the fact that Miami is so much fun to watch. No team runs the fast break better and that was on full display in round one. It remains to be seen if the Pacers try to push the pace like they did in the regular season where they averaged a healthy 98 points per game.
Indiana was dragged into a halfcourt game against Orlando in round one. It would be in their best interest to try and do the same to the up-tempo Heat. This will allow them to keep Roy Hibbert on the court—something they will need to do to have a chance. In the regular season, the Heat did a good job against Indiana by making Big Roy run the court, thus tiring him out. It's clear his size is the only advantage the Pacers have over Miami, so look for them to try and expose this weakness. However, in the end, this Miami team is on a mission and that mission is certainly not a round two exit to a team that no one even knows about.
Miami in 5
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