Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel has every right to gloat about the success his team enjoyed this season.
But that's not his style. Vogel is already looking ahead to next season.
To Vogel, the Pacers are just scratching the surface. He expects even better results in the future.
The Pacers' season ended last week when the Miami Heat eliminated them 4-2 in the second round of the playoffs.
The Pacers finished with their best winning percentage -- .636 -- since 2004 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
"The theme is basically 'We have a chance to do something really big,' " Vogel said Tuesday. "My system is brand new. I'm a new young coach, and we have a young core of players in place. So I feel like we have more room for growth than any team that's competing for a championship right now. We're excited to get back to work at some point here soon and build on what we started."
He addressed a number of topics heading into the offseason:
On whether he expects associate head coach Brian Shaw to return next season (Portland, Charlotte and Orlando have expressed interest in him for their head coaching positions):
"I'd be shocked if he does come back. I'm actually shocked that he's not a head coach already. He's got it all. He's going to be one of the top five head coaches in the NBA for the next 10 years when he finally gets his shot, and there's not a doubt in my mind that's going to happen. I had high expectations for him coming in, and he flat out blew me away and exceeded those expectations, much like our team did, with everything he does. He has no weaknesses to him at all. He's a workaholic."
On what he expects second-year guard Paul George to improve on during the offseason:
"I thought he experienced tremendous growth from year one to year two. For us to take the next step as a team, I think he has to have the same type of growth from year two to year three in all facets. How well he defends, his ball handling, his 3-point shooting has to get better, not stay the same or get worse, which is always a possibility. His one-on-one moves in the low post. I'd like to feature him more in the offense going forward. I think he's one of the biggest areas of individual growth we may see."
On if the roster is good enough to help the franchise take the next step:
"I think you always need to tweak some things. Contract situations change from year-to-year, and you have to manage that. I definitely think we have enough in place here. I love our team. We're so young. That's what we have to all take a step back and realize. We gave Miami a heck of a run. They're championship ready right now. We definitely believe we could have beaten them. There's a tremendous area for growth from within, there's no question."
On if it will be harder to change the roster after this year's success:
"I'd like to have the exact same team we have right now come back because I think we're really good right now and I think we have a tremendous potential for growth within. Certainly, we're going to look at everything that's out there, and these guys have done a phenomenal job of making smart decisions with this franchise."
On the point guard situation between Darren Collison and George Hill (if Hill re-signs):
"I would hope that (Hill) stays at the level that he played at during the end of this year and that he would be the starting point guard. But I could definitely see a situation where Darren, one of the most driven players I've ever been around, comes back and outplays George. He's that driven and that's a real possibility. I'm hoping that we have them both back; that they both strive to get better in the offseason and I have a very difficult decision to make next year. That's what I hope."
On expectations moving forward:
"I think it'll always be a joy to advance, but I hope the expectations are raised. We built something that is very, very special here and very, very sustainable here. The way I look at this team is, we have a young core of guys that's going to grow together and we're going to have a chance to win it all every single year for the next five to seven years if we're able to keep the core we have in place. . . . That's what we built here with our young foundation and our mindset of having a smart salary cap structure. I'm looking forward to being a part of it."
Call Star reporter Mike Wells at (317) 444-6053.
No comments:
Post a Comment