2003–04 Indiana Pacers season

The 2003–04 Indiana Pacers season was the 28th season completed by the Indiana Pacers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Offseason

NBA Draft

Summary

During the Summer of 2003, former Pacers head coach Larry Bird was named President of Basketball Operations. One of Bird's first moves in his new position was to fire head coach Isiah Thomas after Thomas had led the Pacers to first-round playoff exits for three consecutive years. The defensive-minded Rick Carlisle, former head coach of the Detroit Pistons, was announced as Thomas' replacement.

Due to the Pacers' financial overextension, the Pacers had little choice but to make a three-way trade in which they gave up All-Star big man Brad Miller to the Sacramento Kings and swingman Ron Mercer to the San Antonio Spurs for lesser-paid veterans Scot Pollard and Danny Ferry in order to save money. However, Ferry was waived shortly after the Pacers acquired him.

The Pacers started the season strong and never lost momentum. Although the Pacers began the season with Kenny Anderson starting at point guard and Pollard at center, Carlisle eventually chose to replace them in the lineup with Jamaal Tinsley and Jeff Foster after an injury to Anderson knocked him off the active list, and Carlisle observed the contrast between Foster's blue-collar work ethic and Pollard's poor play. The combination of Carlisle's defensive schemes and outstanding play on both ends of the floor by All-Star power forward Jermaine O'Neal proved too much for the competition, and the Pacers led the Eastern Conference as well as the entire NBA with the best record for most of the season. The Pacers finished the season with a record of 61-21, which was good for the Eastern Conference first seed in the 2004 NBA Playoffs, guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, and a new all-time franchise-best win-loss record. O'Neal was named to the All-NBA Second Team, the first Pacer ever to do so, and even finished third in the MVP voting, which was the highest in the voting any Pacers player had ever reached. All-Star small forward Ron Artest was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and also was named Defensive Player of the Year, the first Pacer ever to receive this award.

Despite the Pacers reaching a peak in confidence that they had not reached since the 2000 Pacers team which reached the NBA Finals, the Pacers fell in the Eastern Conference Finals to the eventual NBA champions, the third-seeded Detroit Pistons, who were coached by former Pacers coach Larry Brown.

Standings

Playoff seeds in parentheses

Roster changes

Additions

Subtractions

References