Pacers face tough start to upcoming NBA season

Tuesday marked 50 days until the Indiana Pacers tip off the regular season against the Dallas Mavericks at BLF on Oct. 26. But around here, things start getting interesting in three weeks when training camp opens up leading to the preseason opener in New Orleans on Oct. 4.

Like last summer, several key changes to the roster will force the Pacers to come together quickly to be ready to execute on the court and develop quality chemistry off the court.

Fortunately, by adding Jeff Teague, Al Jefferson, Thad Young and Aaron Brooks, the Pacers have a group of veteran pro’s pros who know the drill. That’s a good thing considering the first quarter of the schedule will be a challenge regardless of how well the Pacers play early in the season.

Over the first 31 days of the regular season, the Pacers play 21 games which include facing the Bulls twice, along with other Eastern Conference problem children in the Celtics and Cavaliers.

The Pacers also face some heat from the Western Conference, with a trip to OKC to face the Thunder and then later wrapping up their home-and-home season series with both the Clippers and Warriors.

That brutal first quarter will illuminate the good, bad and ugly of this new-look Pacers team if it isn’t overwhelmed by frustration first. The good news is that this team likely won’t frustrate easily with the added experience. Also, reports of everyone working out together in Indy while Paul George was doing his Olympic thing is a nice start to developing that critical chemistry component.

So while the team may not frustrate easily, it may not be so easy for fans.. Shooting woes. Defensive lapses. Nagging injuries. Lineup malfunctions. What are some of the concerns you think the Pacers need to address and/or avoid to get off to a good start this season?