NBA Special Report: Frank Vogel – Pacers’ good luck charm
The Indiana Pacers of Eastern Conference were not performing well until 29 January when they dropped to 18-27 in the season, with a 110-89 loss to the Chicago Bulls. All it needed was someone with skill to lead the team back to the right track; something
like a good luck charm.
Then came along 37-year-old Frank Vogel, who took charge of Indiana Pacers on 31 January as an interim head coach. Since then, the Pacers are above the salt as they won four consecutive games of the season 2010-11 under his supreme guidance.
The interim coach did not take credit for the surge as, for him, greatness is not about telling fans that you are a leader; it is about leading your team to the NBA championship.
“It is nothing I am doing, it is our guys, and they understand how good they are. They understand how good they can be this year, right now. We have a good basketball team. It was a good day for us,” Vogel said.
The Pacers bounced back from a nasty defeat to the Bulls with an impressive 104-93 win over the Toronto Raptors at Conseco Field house to give Coach Frank Vogel a victory in his debut. The Pacers played with energy and focus - as might be expected from a
team with its coach in his first game. Indiana did well defensively, as they not only shot 40 percent from 3-point range, but also out-rebounded the Raptors by 56-38.
Indiana romped to their second consecutive win with a breath-taking 117-112 victory over the host Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.
By the end of the victory, Frank Vogel stated, "We did it with poise and execution. Those are areas of growth for us because those areas have failed us in the past."
The athletic, tall, and competent Portland Trail Blazers were Indiana's next prey as they trounced them by 100-87 on Friday night at Conseco Field house.
Vogel said, "We are changing the identity of our basketball team -- dramatically. We are a power post team -- a blood-and-guts, old-school, smash-mouth team that plays with size, strength, speed, and athleticism. We attack the basket. . . . This is the new
identity of our team. It was a great effort. I am very proud of our guys."
Hitting a mix of bank shots, turnaround jumpers, and the balanced attack served the visiting Pacers well in a 105-86 victory against the New Jersey Nets at Prudential Center. It was the fourth straight victory of the Pacers - the longest winning streak of
the current season.
The victory and a warm welcome by a cluster of 13,167 fans at Prudential Center reminded Vogel of the great days he spends at New Jersey.
Vogel said, "This was a huge moment for me and I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who showed up. It was a good day for both of us."
In simple words, Vogel had many qualities to show to the basketball world, and his team’s great confidence in him makes his job a lot easier and success more likely.
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