NBA Online Trade Predictions 2014: Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder Should Make Blockbuster Trade
In the East, the Indiana Pacers lost in the Conference Finals to the Miami Heat in six games. This year marks the third consecutive postseason where the Pacers have been eliminated by the Heat. The Pacers' lack of offense did them in once again, as the team ranked No. 24 in scoring out of 30 teams.
Paul George is the best scorer on the Pacers, but as we've seen time and time again, he will let you down when it matters most. His scoring is still very limited against the best teams and he doesn't get nearly enough offensive support from his teammates. The second leading scorer on the Pacers this past season was David West, who averaged just 14 points per game. That's not going to beat the Heat in the playoffs.
But not all is negative in Indiana. This past season the Pacers had the No. 2 ranked defense in the NBA. Roy Hibbert and David West were tremendous for most of the year, helping the Pacers lead the league in rebounds. Even George has shown he's committed to playing defense under the Frank Vogel's system. The Pacers need help on the offensive side of the ball; maybe a point guard or another efficient scorer will do.
Then there's the Oklahoma City Thunder, who lost in the Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder are the exact opposite of the Pacers, but are still just as successful. Thunder are the more exciting team, who pack a punch with offense and have issues defensively. They are similar to the early 2000's Phoenix Suns with Steve Nash. This season, the Thunder ranked fifth in scoring offense averaging over 106 points per game, 10 more than the Pacers.
Kevin Durant won his fourth scoring championship this year and the Most Valuable Player Award. When he and Russell Westbrook are on fire, this offense is as exciting as they come. Unfortunately, there is a flaw to this team and it's called defense. Serge Ibaka is a great player, but he can't do everything. The Thunder's defense surrendered nearly 100 points per game against this season, which is eight points worse than the Pacers.
So on one side we have a team that is all defense and no offense and on the other side we have a team that is almost all offense with little defense. A blockbuster trade between these two teams may benefit both the Thunder and Pacers.
With so much talent on both teams, possibilities are endless.
Could David West and a draft pick for Russell Westbrook work? Westbrook is an electrifying player who can single-handily win games for you and lose games because of his questionable decisions. The Pacers' offense could certainly use a player like that on the roster. David West or Roy Hibbert would be a good fit with Serge Ibaka and the Thunder. As good as Durant is, he's not a top notch defender. Reggie Jackson would be a tremendous addition for the Pacers offense.
Another key factor to remember is these teams play in two separate conferences, so a trade between the two teams wouldn't be detrimental to either of them down the road.
With both of these teams so close to being championship caliber, but having such contrasting playing styles, it would be extremely advantageous to make a trade.
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