Pacers coach Frank Vogel: 'We're going to have another great season'

Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel insists the team will be as successful as last season despite the absence of leading scorer Paul George and forward Lance Stephenson leaving in free agency.

Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel insists the team will be as successful as last season despite having two of its leading scorers gone.

Forward Paul George broke his leg during a Team USA basketball scrimmage this summer and forward Lance Stephenson left in free agency, signing a three-year, $27 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets.

“We’re going to be fine,” Vogel said, according to NBA.com. “We’ve got more than enough to compete with the best and we’re going to have another great season. Our approach is, we’re going to try to not skip a beat.”

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The Pacers went 56-26 last season, earning the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, before losing in six games to the Miami Heat in the conference finals.  Vogel said that the absence of George and Stephenson creates opportunity for other players on the roster. 

“It’s not like we’re going to fill the spots with guys who were in the D League last year. There are reasons to be optimistic,” Vogel said. 

The Pacers open the regular season at home Oct. 29 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

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