Basketball Pacers Losing, But Growing In Locker Room

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RealGM: Basketball Wiretap Archives: Pacers Losing, But Growing In Locker Room

The Pacers are going to miss the playoffs for the third straight spring, but are gelling on and off the court. "This is the best locker room I've been in for the eight years I've been in the NBA," forward Troy Murphy said. "We really have a great group. When I first came here (January 2007), I don't think it was always that way, and last year it really wasn't toward the end. I'm happy to play with these guys and come work with them every day."
Pacers president Larry Bird and general manager David Morway spent a lot of time crafting a team full of likable players.
"There was locker room dissention a couple of years ago before the (January 2007) trade," said center Jeff Foster, the Pacers' longest tenured player. "Things around the locker room have been good the last couple of years, but this year it's completely different.
"Guys are hanging out with each other off the court. A lot of the guys live in the same building and are with each other all the time. It's a great atmosphere."

Hearing Jeff Foster make a comment like this is really saying something, considering he was around when we went to the Finals against the Lakers in 99-00. He knows what sort of team atmosphere it takes to win, and now that we have some stability on the roster and guys actually enjoy being around each other, I'd say we're headed in the right direction.