Go ahead and have a seat on the couch. Get comfy, have a drink and search your inner-thoughts. We're here to listen.
There's only one week to go before it all begins again. The records are washed away. The season begins fresh. The new additions meet the rest of the squad. And the fans get their first glimpse of the team that they'll be forced to watch, analyze and reckon with for the next seven months (or more...maybe).
Training camp begins in less than a week for the Indiana Pacers. So, are you ready for this? With the signing of a guard Luther Head last week, the 15-man roster is complete for the 2009-10 season. The roster is already causing a dividing line among fans -- those who think the offseason moves were smart, well-calculated and financially responsible while giving a chance to make the playoffs; and those who think the acquisitions do nothing to wet the palate, leaving the Pacers destined for another 35-win season or worse.
So, which side of the fence are on? Or are you just excited to get back into the mode of basketball season? Come up with one adjective to describe your sense of anticipation (or hesitation) as we head into training camp. Share your word, and then your thoughts, so we can find out the mental state of Pacer Land.
I'll start things off with my adjective: anxious
I hate being on the fence with this team, but I just can't figure out if they're going to have a shot at a low-level playoff seed, or if we're headed into even further depths into the lottery. I finally came around on the Tyler Hansbrough draft pick, and I supported many of the free agent signings this summer because they were financially smart moves that brought in defensive-minded players.
But...two of those players are coming off disaster seasons (Earl Watson and Luther Head), one of them is a player who hasn't been able to off the bench (Solomon Jones), another is being dogged for getting too much credit for just one play against Kobe Bryant (Dahntay Jones), and there's the uncertainty of Mike Dunleavy and everybody else not named Danny Granger. I'm really anxious to see this team in action. I'm ready to stop the see-saw hair-pulling debate of "I think we're great!" and "We are the worst team on the planet!" that goes through me everyday. Basically, I'm hoping for the best, and my fingers are definitely crossed.
So, how do you feel?