Welcome to the inaugural edition of eDraft’s NBA Season Preview.  We turn our attention on to the Central Division, covering everyone from the pretenders to the contenders. Today we breakdown the Pacers, one of the deepest teams in the game, but does Indiana have what it takes to bring the championship home?

Key additions: DJ Augustin (G), Gerald Green (F)

While not the most glamorous team in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers have perhaps the deepest squad, with at least two solid players at each position, and should find themselves sitting atop the Central Division at the end of the season. The Pacers made just a few moves this summer, bringing in two dependable back-ups in DJ Augustin and Gerald Green, and locking up point guard George Hill and Roy Hibbert to long-term deals. The future is secure for some time in Indiana and it looks bright enough, but ultimately limited by the talent of their best player. The 7’2 Hibbert is a presence on defence, averaging two blocks a game last season, and he should see his scoring increase after working hard on his post-game in the offseason.

At the forward positions David West and Danny Granger make for a formidable, if enigmatic, combo, with both players able to step out and hit the 15-footer or beat their men off the dribble. But both performed somewhat below expectations last year. Ownership anticipated big things from West last season as he moved over from the Hornets, but he was ultimately slowed by knee problems and never found his groove, and Granger is a practised hope-dasher. His talent is obvious, and has been since his days at New Mexico, and his stats are respectable (18.7 PPG- 5RPG- 38 3P%). There are nights when Granger plainly dominates his opponents.  And then at times he simply disappears.

Watch Danny Granger long enough and you realize that he is not a first tier player, more Iguodala than Melo. His overall shooting percentage is dreadful (41%) and he doesn’t collect enough assists to truly make his teammates better (1.8 APG). But mostly its his presence, or lack thereof, in big games that finally convinces even the most faithful Granger fan that he is second banana material. If you are looking for a number one option he is going to disappoint, and the trouble with the Pacers is he’s as close as they get to a star.

Worse yet, no true superstar will likely ever voluntarily relocate to play in Indiana. Most teams would be lucky to have supporting players like George Hill and Paul George rounding out the roster, but most teams don’t have championship aspirations. If the Pacers are going to win a trophy this decade they will need to trade a few of their very talented pieces for a truly dominant player and hope he sticks around for awhile.

Reason for optimism: The Pacers gave the Heat all they could handle the confrence semi-finals this year, had Wade not gone into superhero mode the Heat might not have won.

Reason for despair: I can’t watch Pacer basketball games. They are mind-numbingly boring affairs and the fans in Indiana seem to agree: the team finished 29th in attendance last year. Run a little, guys!

Projected record: 46-36 (1st place in Central Division)