During the closing seconds of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Roy Hibbert took a hard seat on the Pacers bench and smiled an empty, exasperated smile. The Pacers were about to be eliminated by the Miami Heat after a bitterly fought seven game series. It was the second consecutive year the Pacers had given the Heat all they could handle, only to come up short. Hibbert was animated about his frustration during the closing seconds.

Hibbert, the Pacers 7’2 center, is an imposing player who is just beginning to make the leap into superstardom. In 2013 he was named an All-Star for the first time in his young career and dominated Miami’s undermanned frontline during the playoffs.

Hibbert is one of the NBA’s most imposing rim protectors and has been slowly developing an offensive game in the low post.
The feeling that the Pacers had it and let it slip away was all over Hibbert’s face at the end of Game 7. Any avid sports fan or athlete knows that those losses are the ones that hurt the most.

Inevitably, the 2014 season will end with many players and fans feeling that exasperation. But Hibbert won’t be one of them.

That’s because the Pacers are going to end the 2014 season as NBA champions. With the return of high scoring swingman Danny Granger and the additions of veteran forward Louis Scola and defensive stalwart CJ Watson, the Pacers have become one of the deepest teams in the East.

Forward Paul George appears ready to take his place as one of the NBA’s best players and the Pacers were also able to re-sign their enforcer, big man David West.

A solid case could be made that had Granger been healthy the Pacers would have defeated the Heat last season. Now, they’ll get the chance to prove it. Lebron James says he is better than ever and, indeed, Lebron has to be recognized as the best player in the world and one of the two or three greatest players of all-time.

But the rest of his Heat teammates are not at their apex like he is. Dwyane Wade has been struggling with injuries for the last 2 years. Chris Bosh was exposed by both Roy Hibbert and Tim Duncan as a soft, fraud of a big man incapable of living up to his billing as being one of the “Big 3.”

The Heat’s role players are a major question mark. Ray Allen is 38, Shane Battier and Chris Anderson are 35, and Greg Oden hasn’t played since 2009. With Wade’s health issues and Bosh’s inability to be meaningful when it matters, more pressure than ever will be put on the Heat’s aging bench.

Meanwhile, the Pacers are young and hungry. They have the size, the athleticism, and the defensive prowess to defeat the Miami Heat and that’s exactly what they are going to do.

Here is my predicted order of finish for each conference.

EASTERN CONFERENCE –  1. Indiana Pacers, 2. Miami Heat, 3. Chicago Bulls, 4. Brooklyn Nets, 5. New York Knicks, 6. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7. Atlanta Hawks, 8. Milwaukee Bucks, 9. Detroit Pistons,  10. Boston Celtics,  11. Washington Wizards, 12. Toronto Raptors, 13. Charlotte Bobcats, 14. Orlando Magic, 15. Philadelphia 76ers.

WESTERN CONFERENCE – 1. L.A. Clippers, 2. Memphis Grizzlies, 3. Houston Rockets, 4. Oklahoma City Thunder, 5. Golden State Warriors, 6. San Antonio Spurs, 7. Portland Trailblazers, 8. L.A. Lakers, 9. Minnesota Timberwolves, 10. Dallas Mavericks, 11. New Orleans Pelicans, 12. Utah Jazz, 13. Denver Nuggets, 14. Sacramento Kings, 15. Phoenix Suns.