The Indiana Pacers are aching to get back on track after a disappointing 2014–15 NBA season. With Paul George back, the odds just got better. However, there could be another player who can raise the stakes, Monta Ellis.
Ellis played for the Dallas Mavericks last year and was one of the team's leading scorers. Ellis opted out of his contract with the Mavs and it was virtually known then that he would not be offered a fresh deal.
The Pacers eventually picked up Ellis, signing him to a four-year deal in July. With the arrival of Ellis, the Pacers get another point guard to bank on, not to mention one who can score and create situations.
The idea alone seems fit to the new up-tempo style of play the Pacers intend to use this season, a curious shift that could make or break the wards of coach Frank Vogel and president Larry Bird.
There will be a lot of adjustments; from the looks of it, the Pacers might use smaller players more frequently. George is reportedly expected to play power forward so the whole role adjustment within the Pacers seems pretty interesting to check out.
And seeing that Bird wants the team to score faster and on transition, Ellis seems to fit the bill. He can light it up, proving this last year with the Mavs. Under coach Rick Carlisle, Ellis averaged close to 18.9 points a game plus 4.1 assists.
Though the numbers were not as good as previous years when Ellis had 20 plus points per outing, his output was still decent enough considering he was in a star-studded Mavs lineup that included other scoring options like Dirk Nowitzki.
With the Pacers, he will get a lot of chances to take more shots and set up his teammates as well. There will be a lot of adjustments in the Pacers fold so the coming season should be an interesting one to see — particularly the highly touted fast brand of basketball.
