Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel's toughest decision isn't thinking of a play to run. It's determining which player to select.
The Pacers' depth this season gives Vogel a number of options: Danny Granger, Darren Collison, David West, Roy Hibbert, George Hill . . . to name a few.
"It could be a different guy any different game," Hibbert said. "I wonder what opposing teams put in the scouting report. I don't know how you can say there's a weak link. To tell you the truth, we're a deep team."
The Pacers, off to their best start since 2004, don't have a player the magnitude of All-Stars Kobe Bryant or Derrick Rose. That's why they believe the team concept is what will carry them.
"Like we always talk about, this is not a one-man team," Hill said. "It's the new Pacers. We have so many people on this team who can give you 20 (points) or impact a game. The more people we have to step up and contribute, the better off we're going to be."
The Pacers have already shown their offensive versatility this season.
Paul George carried the scoring load in the first half of the Dec. 28 game at Toronto before West came up big in the final seconds.
Granger outscored Cleveland 9-7 in overtime two nights later.
Hill led the Pacers to another victory in Toronto last week by scoring 22 points.
The Pacers, who play at Sacramento on Wednesday, have seven players averaging in double figures.
"It's hard for one guy to do it," Collison said. "You need multiple guys to give the effort. We have a lot of guys who are talented and can kill you in so many different ways."
The key, which the coaching staff has been preaching since training camp opened, is to keep the ball moving so everybody is involved, which makes them harder to defend.
"If you're game planning for one or two guys, you can put all of your focus into stopping those one or two guys," Vogel said. "When you spread it around and play with the selfless passing we're trying to achieve where the ball is a hot potato, the open man gets the shot every time, not the go-to guy getting the shot every time. That's tough to guard."
Late in games, the offense becomes more condensed because there are certain players for whom Vogel prefers to run plays.
Vogel, more times than not, will call a pick-and-roll between Collison and West because such a play offers many options.
West can roll to the basket or pop out for a jump shot. Collison can keep the ball and take the shot or drive and pass it to the perimeter.
There's also Granger, who has made big 3-pointers late in games over the years.
"We try create to situations and let our players become the quarterback," Vogel said. "If we get the ball to David, it's not for David to necessarily get the shot, it's for David to become the quarterback and read the situation."
Vogel said he likely wouldn't draw up a play for Granger if Bryant or LeBron James, two of the league's premier defenders, were guarding him.
"It's really dictated on the other team's defensive scheme and their defensive personnel," Vogel said. "I know we wouldn't go to Danny or whoever LeBron was guarding. We go to our other options."
Gordon in, Granger out
Former North Central High School and Indiana University star Eric Gordon was selected to be part of the 20-player pool that could represent the USA in the London Olympics this summer. Gordon was part of the gold medal-winning team in the World Championship in 2010.
Granger, also a member of the 2010 World Championship team, was not one of the 20 players chosen.
The 12-man roster and alternates for London will be announced in June.
Call Star reporter Mike Wells at (317) 444-6053.
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