Keeping The Pace is a column that appears periodically. The author’s views don’t necessarily reflect those of the Times-Union.
The King has returned to his kingdom. After four years of what he compared to a college experience for a kid that went straight to the league after high school, Lebron James is leaving the sun-baked sands of South Beach and returning to Cleveland. So, if you’re a Cavs fan, it’s time to sift through the ashes of your burned jersey and all hail, because the King is back. But what does that mean for the Indiana Pacers? Spoiler Alert: It ain’t good news. You don’t have to be a sports genius to know that Cleveland plays in the same division as the Pacers, Bulls, Pistons, and Bucks. That means that Indiana now has to face Lebron four times a year instead of just twice. But the problems for Indiana going further run far deeper than just the schedule. Over the next few weeks, Larry Bird is going to have to get a lot more legendary if he wants to compete for an Eastern Conference title next season. If you’re Bird, there’s no way you can seriously think that the team that could barely beat Atlanta and got beat down by Miami like Hulk smacking Loki has a real shot against a young Cavs team — especially one made up of Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and Wiggins/Love (depending on what roster moves are made). Not to mention what this domino does to all the other free agents out there, including Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Lance Stephenson. I said a week ago that the Pacers had to sign Stephenson before this happened, because now a lot of other teams such as Chicago, Houston (unless Bosh signs), Dallas, Los Angeles, and possibly New York are going to be looking around for whatever free agents are left like a lonely guy looking for a date at closing time. My opinion, if the Pacers want to stay viable and competitive for a title, they need to re-sign Stephenson immediately. Dump Roy Hibbert and his inflated contract for cap space, upgrade the point guard position, and build the team around Paul George. Otherwise, they’re playing for third place in the division.
