They've lost length, experience and last season's stopper, but other than all that the Pacers' defense should be just fine this season.
They hope, anyway. And it'll need to be.
With three new starters and nine new players trying to get to know one another, chemistry is going to be a work in progress. The growing pains can be alleviated, however, and their offensive potential can be unleashed, if their defense shows improvement from last season, when it was positively mediocre.
"We're going to have to be a better defensive team and a better rebounding team than we've been in the past," coach Nate McMillan said.