ANALYST	PREDICTION
J.A. Adande ESPN.com	CENTRAL: 5 | EAST: 13  A team heading in the wrong direction, as indicated by their record after acquiring Ike Diogu, Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy: 15-19. Might as well move Jermaine O'Neal.
Greg Anthony ESPN.com	CENTRAL: 5 | EAST: 12  On paper, a team with a lot of talent. On paper, a team with a lot of injuries. Seems like a roster destined not to have a player go 75 games. I like Jim O'Brien as a coach, and he will benefit Jermaine O'Neal.
Jon Barry ESPN.com	CENTRAL: 5 | EAST: 12  Don't know what to expect here. It's a team that has really underachieved the last few years. Biggest question is if Jermaine O'Neal trade talk finally results in a deal.
Chris Broussard ESPN Mag	CENTRAL: 5 | EAST: 14  Dismissing Rick Carlisle won't remove the "Curse of Ron-Ron.'' The slide into the abyss will continue, and Jermaine O'Neal will probably be packing his bags before the trade deadline in February.
Ric Bucher ESPN Mag	CENTRAL: 4 | EAST: 13  I know a high-ranking NBA official who sees them in the playoffs, based on the addition of coach Jim O'Brien. Does the league drug-test its front offices? Because what the Pacers don't have are enough Jim O'Brien-type players. Move Jermaine O'Neal already and get on with the rebuilding.
Chad Ford ESPN.com	CENTRAL: 5 | EAST: 13  On paper, they look bad, but they could be a surprise "chemistry" team if Jermaine O'Neal stays healthy, Jamaal Tinsley shows up every night and Danny Granger improves. If they made the playoffs, I wouldn't be shocked. If they were worst in the East, that wouldn't shock me either.
Jemele Hill ESPN.com	CENTRAL: 5 | EAST: 14  They'll be jockeying with Philly for worst team in the East. Inside, the Pacers are OK. But on the perimeter, they are scary. As in, bad scary.
John Hollinger ESPN.com	CENTRAL: 5 | EAST: 14  Not sure what the plan is here, but busting out the dynamite is one they ought to consider. These former contenders have shriveled to also-rans with an aging, injury-prone, unathletic roster.
Chris Sheridan ESPN.com	CENTRAL: 5 | EAST: 13  Expect Jermaine O'Neal's unhappiness alarm to ring by mid-December, and don't be surprised if he's the biggest star to move by the trading deadline (our current rankings, though, list Kobe 1st and JO 2nd).
Marc Stein ESPN.com	CENTRAL: 5 | EAST: 14  I'm a Jim O'Brien fan, but it's clear that the Pacers need to start all the way over to repair this mismatched roster and that can only mean the trading of Jermaine O'Neal between now and February.
	TOTAL             CENTRAL: 4.9 | Standings             EAST: 13.2 | Standings

Team Strength: Frontcourt Depth

The one thing Indy has going for it is that it still has a ton of bodies in the frontcourt, and these aren't just empty suits either. Jermaine O'Neal and Jeff Foster have had health issues but they're both top-notch defensive bigs, while Troy Murphy really can stroke it and Ike Diogu is a low-post beast waiting to be unleashed.

Behind them, David Harrison is a foul waiting to happen but has more skill than your typical No. 5 big man, and Danny Granger has the size to move up to power forward and run bigger players ragged.

This advantage becomes more apparent a couple months into the season, when injuries really start taking their toll, because the Pacers are far better able to withstand the aches and pains than most of their competitors.

Unfortunately, they also need the depth because of how often their key players are on the shelf. O'Neal, Foster and Harrison all have had repeated medical issues over the past couple seasons.

• John Hollinger's complete Pacers forecast

STARTERS	ANALYSIS
Jamaal Tinsley Point Guard 6-3 | 185	Breathing easier with Rick Carlisle gone. Doesn't mean he'll play better.
Mike Dunleavy Shooting Guard 6-9 | 230	Their supposed top three-point threat hit 31.3%.
Danny Granger Small Forward 6-9 | 228	The future in Indy may be present if JO's days are really numbered.
Jermaine O'Neal Power Forward 6-11 | 260	Injuries and itch to get out of Dodge have cratered trade value.
Troy Murphy Center 6-11 | 245	Averaged a double-double in three of first five seasons. What happened?

ESPN The Magazine's NBA Preview hits newsstands October 24.

Danny Granger Player efficiency rating projection: 14.63 vs. NBA avg.: -0.37 Pacers profiles

Scouting report: Granger is a good athlete who is emerging as a defensive stopper against bigger wing players. At 6-9 he can't stay with the smaller, quicker guards, but against the McGradys and Anthonys of the league, few are better.

Offensively, he's a good finisher who shot 63 percent in the immediate basket area, and his driving ability helped him get to the line so much. He's also become a reliable outside shooter, but one would like to see him get more aggressive.

This is particularly true when he goes against a smaller opponent -- he seems reluctant to back the guy down and shoot over him. Overall, Granger's usage rate of 16.7 is glaringly low when one considers he was a good offensive player on a bad offensive team; he was standing by while lesser players fired away.

2007-08 outlook: Granger should be the starting small forward and is likely to be the primary defensive stopper as well. His offensive game should continue to develop, and his 3-point shot is likely to be more of a weapon in Jim O'Brien's long ball-heavy attack. The key will be how willing he is to fire away. The Pacers' offense might not be much better than it was a season ago; if so Granger is too talented to be an innocent bystander.