In football, many believe the notion that games are lost and won in the trenches. For the Pacers, it can be said that their games are lost and won in the paint. The franchise has consistently relied on its big men for success in key stretches. That trend will continue in the Indiana Pacers upcoming first-round playoff matchup with the Boston Celtics.
Centers, and sometimes power forwards, make their living being dominate inside the paint and on the boards. The ability to have a big man that can score, rebound, and defend is neccessary for success in the arduous second season of the NBA, the playoffs.