The 2010s: A look at the Pacers’ all-decade team

In just over a month, the 2010s will be behind us and we’ll begin a new decade. The Pacers experienced many highs and several lows over the last 10 years.

Beginning with 2010-11 (and not including this season), they’ve posted 405 wins, an average of 45 wins per season, and 316 losses. They’ve reached the playoffs every season except one, 2014-15, when Paul George was sidelined with an injury for all but the final six games. They made back-to-back appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals and were almost always among the top five teams. Five of the last nine years, they have been one and done in the playoffs, including in each of the last four postseasons.

The low moments that stand out:

• The fallout from 2013-14 after they raced ahead to a 33-7 record, then fizzled out. That season they traded Danny Granger and experimented with Andrew Bynum, but ultimately didn’t have enough against the Heat and their quest to reach the NBA Finals for the second time faded.

• Aug. 1, 2014: A date nobody who follows the Pacers can forget. While playing in a scrimmage with Team USA, George had a compound right leg fracture and was never the same with the team. Less than three years later, he asked to be traded.

• Jan. 23, 2019: Victor Oladipo goes down with a ruptured right quad tendon — the second injury to a Pacers franchise player in less than five years.

Continuity at the top has been a big reason for their success. Herb Simon is the longest-tenured owner in the NBA and he enables his hires to make the decisions. Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh remain involved, now in consultant roles. President of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard has been with the franchise since July 2011 and promoted several times. Several individuals on the staff have been in Indy for many years: assistant coach Dan Burke and the athletic training staff (Josh Corbeil, Carl Eaton and Shawn Windle).

In the latter half of the decade, however, there has been significant changeover. Even with the roster being overhauled, the Pacers managed to overachieve and win 48 games in each of the last two seasons.

Here’s a look at the top Pacers players from the last decade:

First team

Danny Granger (2005-13)

Granger will never get the credit he deserves because his best work was during the darkest days of the franchise after The Malice in the Palace. With little help, he averaged more than 20 points per game and was named an All-Star in 2009. He also was voted the Most Improved Player at the end of that season. Postseason success and win shares don’t do his game justice, and one can wonder how his body may have held up if the Pacers weren’t so dependent on him each game.

Victor Oladipo (2017-present)

He’s the rock of the Pacers right now. He injected the franchise with positivity and enthusiasm when it needed it most in 2017 after George made it clear he wanted to move on. He’s a two-time All-Star, the captain and the playmaker. He’s on the mend, however, recovering from a ruptured right quad tendon. Oladipo is under contract through 2020-21 and the Pacers hope he signs an extension to remain with the team for the foreseeable future.

Paul George (2010-17)

He was the most important player from the decade because he was developed from within (and was the Most Improved Player in 2013) and grew to be a perennial All-Star, and when he wanted out, his departure resulted in the acquisition of Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. If George had stayed and played the majority of his career in Indiana, he had a serious chance to go down as the best player in franchise history. Instead, he wanted to be the man and to go back home to California. He was special, going toe to toe with LeBron James in the playoffs. There was that memorable moment when they slapped hands at half court — perhaps an “I’ve arrived” moment. He played 448 games for the Pacers during the decade, easily more than anyone else, and proved a player could succeed and receive endorsement deals no matter where he played, even in small-market Indiana.

David West (2011-15)

He was the backbone. Those outside the locker room will never truly know how significantly he impacted the team. To this day, he’s still the best player who has signed with the Pacers in free agency, and then he re-signed in 2013. He was a leader, a hard-nosed player who didn’t take any crap and the team spokesman even though he was never the best player. The league needs more players like West.

Roy Hibbert was an All-Star for the Pacers in 2012 and ’14. (Ron Hoskins / Getty Images)

Roy Hibbert (2008-15)

When thinking about verticality, the act of a defensive player going straight up to prevent a shot at the rim, Hibbert is the one who should come to mind. He mastered it and perhaps benefited the most from Frank Vogel being promoted to head coach during the 2010-11 season. He was an All-Star in 2012 and 2014 and was voted to the All-Defensive second team in 2014. But then the league shifted away from bigs, even eliminating the center position in the All-Star Game, and he was caught on the outside before he even turned 30. He’s in his first year as a player development coach with the 76ers.

Second team

George Hill (2011-16)

Hill started as the backup point guard and earned the starting job after one season. It’s not easy being the hometown kid, but he embraced it and had the second-highest win share over the last decade. And even though his talent wasn’t maximized in his final years — often sent to the corner to stand and be ready to shoot — he didn’t let that negatively affect his play. He was a good defender and often ran a pick-and-roll set late in games when the Pacers needed a bucket. He never was voted to the All-Star Game, but he was a reliable starter with playoff experience and one who positively impacted the franchise.

Darren Collison (2010-12, 2017-19)

Different than most players, Collison, originally acquired from New Orleans, was with the team for two stints. His final two seasons were his most productive before he retired to focus on family and faith. He was a starter and was consistently good. He fell just short of reaching the 50-40-90 milestone in 2018 and was best known for his 5.3 to 1.8 assist-to-turnover numbers.

Lance Stephenson (2010-14, 2016-18)

No one can talk about the Pacers this decade without discussing Stephenson. He overcame much adversity, much of it self inflicted, and is one of the most beloved players by fans. He, too, returned for a second opportunity with the Pacers because that’s where he played his best. Bird took a chance on him in 2010, drafting him the same year as George, and he outperformed expectations. Remember when Stephenson gave James the choke sign or blew in his ear? But Stephenson also received bad advice by turning down a five-year, $44 million extension offered by Bird, which was more than he’s earned in his entire career. Stephenson is playing in China.

Thad Young (2016-19)

One of the most underrated Pacers players in recent history. He may be forgotten because he never put up huge numbers, but he was consistently good at both ends. He was the glue guy for three seasons and the captain who quietly went about his business.

Myles Turner (2015-present)

The first-round pick in 2015 is the longest-tenured player still with the team. Over his five seasons, he’s played with 52 other players. He’s central to the defense as a rim protector. He finished 2018-19 first in the NBA in blocks and blocks per game. Turner is under contract through 2022-23, earning $18 million per year.