The Indiana Pacers currently hold a 3-1 series advantage over the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Even if the Magic manage another game, it is safe to say Indiana has won this series.
Considering that the Miami Heat hold a 3-0 advantage over the New York Knicks, I am pretty sure I can predict a Miami-Indiana second round matchup.
The Heat will enter as favorites, but Indiana does have the ability to win this series.
I am not trying to say it will be easy and that Indiana should be the favorites here, but there is a reason they call it an upset.
The first thing they have going for them is their rebounding ability. The Pacers ranked fourth in the league in rebounds per game while the Heat were 21st. The Pacers have a bigger lineup than the Heat do and they will utilize that to their advantage.
Roy Hibbert and David West are both going to be tough matchups for Miami on both offense and defense. Hibbert has been a blocking machine in the playoffs (averaging above four a game) and will be a key inside presence for Indiana.
The big men will also contribute on the offensive end by drawing in outside defenders and leaving the three-point shooter wide open. The Pacers don't have marksmen on their team, but they have multiple people that have the ability to hit the three ball.
Three-pointers are the biggest tide turners in the game, and if guys like Granger and George Hill get streaky, the Pacers become very dangerous.
Another weakness that the Heat have is their lack of depth and heavy reliance on the Big Three.
Who will win the Indiana-Miami series?
Who will win the Indiana-Miami series?
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Indiana in 4
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Indiana in 5-6
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Indiana in 7
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Miami in 4
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Miami in 5-6
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Miami in 7
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Orlando is going to be facing the Heat
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Too close to call
The Pacers have a deceptively deep rotation with guys like Leandro Barbosa, Darren Collison and Tyler Hansbrough being able to play good minutes down the stretch.
Indiana can also utilize that George Hill-Collison combo to fully exploit Miami's point guard weakness.
I also believe that the Pacers have the will to win and entering as the definite underdogs will be good for this team. They have been underestimated the entire year and this series does not look any different.
Fans around the NBA will be talking about how the Heat will destroy the Pacers and easily move on to the next round, but the Indiana Pacers are not going to lie down and could very well shock the world.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed and feel free to follow me on twitter @DannyDukker for some sports talk.
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