The Colts can take a few lessons from the Pacers being back in the playoffs.
by Jon Spradley
Game 7. Pacers Knicks. Madison Square Garden. If that doesn’t take fans over thirty back, I am not sure what would. The Pacers went from a lottery team to one game away from the Eastern Conference Finals. What a difference a year can make. The Indianapolis Colts are looking to capture a little bit of the magic the Pacers have found as they too are a young and hungry team that went from high pick to potential playoff contender.
Anthony Richardson. Tyrese Haliburton. Caitlin Clark. These are the names that will be the stars fueling any success Indiana professional sports will have in the next decade. The Colts hope and believe Richardson is to them what Haliburton is to the Pacers. A star that can transform a team. Someone who can take a proud franchise and resurrect it back to greatness.
Before Haliburton, the Pacers were floundering. They were a team that had no chance to win a title, perpetually in the middle. Haliburton changed that as a dynamic personality on and off the court. From setting assist records to helping draw talent to the small market Pacers, Haliburton is something fans haven’t seen. Like ever… He takes his lumps from fans, but he is still young and is already guiding this team somewhere they haven’t been for a decade.
Richardson will also take his lumps on and off the field. He too is incredibly young and missed almost an entire season of development. He will make mistakes and will get himself into some boneheaded predicaments. He is also the best chance at a superstar level savior this franchise has actually seen more than its fair share of times. Richardson has some big shoes to fill. Fans grew spoiled during the Manning and even many of the Luck years. Richardson has the raw ability and athletic prowess to do things neither of those men ever dreamed possible.
Like Haliburton, Richardson has embraced the city and has a magnetic personality. Stars aren’t clamoring to come to Indiana. When we get one, we need to thank the heavens above. Richardson is that star. When he was drafted, I was thrilled. I told myself, swing for the fence with Richardson. If he fails, you can do it all again in five years. If he takes off, woah buddy. The sky’s the limit. If he stays healthy, I saw enough last year to believe the latter is much more likely than the former.
It is an exciting time to be a fan of Indiana spots. With young teams come ups and downs, but they are starting to reload at the game’s most important positions. Anthony Richardson is the ultimate “X-factor”, not just next year but for the long haul. How will he look after injury? How will he respond to a league that continues to gain film footage on him? Will he stay upright? If he can weather the storms, he has a chance to be something special. I truly believe within a season or two, we will be witnessing a Colts postseason run. Soak up the moments and enjoy the ride.
Originally posted on stampedeblue.com