Indianapolis, Indiana. Hope springs eternal that the Indiana Pacers will keep pace with the rest of the NBA. It all begins tonight at Indiana’s field of dreams, Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Listen for a much more aggressive Pacer team than in years past, with two of the most visible voices in basketball, Mark Boyle and Slick Leonard. Returning behind the bench is Frank Vogel, who replaced Jim O’Brian after another unacceptable and awful season. This is supposed to be Indiana’s game, but it hasn’t been since number 31, Reggie Miller retired. Miller was the Pacers’ spark plug for so many years against the New York Knicks and other teams. This reporter used to call Reggie, “Killer Miller” because of his ability to carry a team on this shoulders and come up with big shots in the clutch. Mr. Byrd has yet to find Reggie’s replacement. We saw a glimpse of it in the playoffs from Tyler Hansbrough against the Bulls, but it wasn’t enough, and it left a sour taste in my mouth. Can Hansbrough be the healthy hand that the Pacers need? I think he can and he will.
