<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It's late August, the slowest period in the NBA offseason. This is supposed to be the time everybody recharges their battery to get ready for another interesting Pacers season. But I've had an itch to get on here and post a blog. Maybe it?s because I spent the previous few weeks trying to avoid becoming Jaws? next meal while hanging out on the beach along the Gulf of Mexico. Maybe it?s because my 12-year-old daughter ran me ragged while doing the amusement park thing in Orlando. Whatever the reason, I decided to get back in touch with the faithful followers ? Steve from Area 51, 52, 53, 54 and Scrap - on the blog. I see Mapman - aka ?I don?t like using a real email address? ? even made a rare appearance. Mark Montieth has done an excellent job keeping all you blog-thirsty folks entertained (even if it required him to get a sore back from carrying the load) during the slowest time of the year in the NBA. Training camp is about a month away and the expectations surrounding the Pacers this season are not very high according to the emails I?ve gotten from fans. A lot of you are already talking about the Pacers positioning themselves for Eric Gordon (if he leaves IU after one season) in the draft next June because of what they didn?t do this summer. What many thought would be an active offseason for the blue and gold turned into one that featured a few minor moves. The Pacers put the Rick Carlisle era in the rearview mirror and they added a shooter ? Kareem Rush ? and a backup point guard ? Travis Diener. All the talk about Jermaine O?Neal playing in Hollywood or in New Jersey ? a Jason Kidd length-of-the-court pass away from the Big Apple ? turned out to be just talk. Everybody knows about the moves New York, Charlotte and Boston made. In no particular order, I have Detroit, Chicago and Boston as the top three teams in the East. I?ll be the first to admit that I?m not sure if the Pacers will make the playoffs next season. At the same time, though, I?m not ready to say they?ll be at the bottom of the East. The Pacers biggest acquisition this summer wasn?t Rush?s outside shooting, but rather naming Jim O?Brien the coach. There?s a positive vibe going around Conseco Fieldhouse these days. O?Brien has played a huge part in that. I?ve only spent a short amount of time around of O?Brien, but everything I?ve heard so far has been good. O?Neal told me earlier this month that he likes O?Brien?s straight forward approach. O?Brien?s no-nonsense attitude will be huge for a team that had some players quit on Carlisle last season. You also have to factor in that Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy and Ike Diogu aren?t stepping into a messy situation in training camp like they did in January. O?Neal and Jamaal Tinsley should also thrive under O?Brien since he allows his players to utilize their talent.</div> Source: Indy Star
