MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Mike Dunleavy finally lived up to the expectations of being the No. 3 pick in the 2002 draft. Dunleavy, who had four-plus mostly miserable years in Golden State, averaged a career high in points (19.1), field goal percentage (47.6) and three-point percentage (42.4) this season. The Pacers plan to build their team around Dunleavy and Danny Granger.
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: This was supposed to be the year that Jermaine O'Neal didn't have to worry about taking a beating in the post. Coach Jim O'Brien's up-tempo offense was supposed to allow him to get single coverage in the post. Too bad none of that happened for O'Neal this season. The six-time All-Star averaged only 13.6 points a game this season. His future with the franchise is up in the air because president Larry Bird is expected to shop him for an athletic big man that can run the floor and play above the rim. FREE AGENT FOCUS: The Pacers know they need to get better, but they're going to have a difficult time doing it because they don't have any salary cap space and they don't have a very enticing roster outside of Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy.
The Pacers could get some salary cap space if power forward Jermaine O'Neal opts out of the final two years of contract, but that's not going to happen because the six-time All-Star will have a difficult time getting any type of contract close to the final $44 million he's scheduled to make.
The Pacers aren't scheduled to lose any significant free agents off their roster this summer.
PLAYER NOTES:
--It would be surprising if the Pacers didn't pick up the team option for G Stephen Graham by the June 30 deadline. Graham only played a total of 128 minutes in 22 games this season, but team officials feel like he can be a steady contributor off the bench once they figure out how to unclog their logjam at the wing position.
Coach Jim O'Brien routinely said last season that the team couldn't be successful playing more than 10 players a game, which meant Graham was on the outside looking in most games.
--Pacers officials are still being vague in describing the knee injury that limited G Jamaal Tinsley to a career-low 39 games last season, but they say the point guard won't need surgery to cure his mysterious ailment.
It's uncertain if Tinsley will be back next season after he fell into coach Jim O'Brien's doghouse less than two months into the season. Tinsley averaged 11.9 points and a team-high 8.4 assists in 33 minutes a game last season.
