The Pacers' greatest strength is their chemistry, the unique spirit and bond that enabled them to surpass expectations last season and is readily apparent to anyone who spends a day or two around them at practice or in the locker room.
The disruption of that chemistry, therefore, stands as the greatest threat to their upcoming season, the one thing – other than health – that potentially could prevent them from improving upon a 48-win season and first-round playoff exit. And, the likeliest source of that disruption is easy to identify, right there in an office somewhere at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in black and white.