Bob Kravitz

bob.kravitz@indystar.com

By now, coach Frank Vogel must be safe. He has to be safe, doesn't he? Wouldn't you think steering the Indiana Pacers to a second straight Eastern Conference finals would earn him the opportunity to return next year and the years beyond?

Let this be noted now, before the Pacers get much further into the East finals, which continue Tuesday night with Game 2 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse:

While some of Vogel's moves have been maddening — and late in coming, especially in the Atlanta series — the bottom line is he's navigated the choppy waters brought on by the late-season storm. While his team was collapsing in on itself, while Roy Hibbert was moaning that "we've got some selfish dudes in there (the locker room)," Vogel steered the ship to port.

Notably, he did it by being himself, by being appropriately supportive and critical when the circumstances demanded it. He resisted the temptation to blow everything up, but he's been open to making changes when he's needed to make them. Like having Paul George guard Jeff Teague after Game 1 of the Atlanta series. Like moving George over to Bradley Beal after Game 1 of the Washington series. Like (finally) moving to a smaller lineup when the Hawks series was on the line.

He's often viewed as a Pollyanna because he never takes his players to task publicly, but that's smart coaching: Jim O'Brien used to rip his players in the press, and as a result, they never had his back (for that and many other reasons). But Vogel is not all about sunshine and balloons privately. Never has been. There's a toughness there that belies his affable nature.

"He's pretty intense, fired up; we've had a couple of (Andrew) Dice Clay moments in these playoffs," David West said with a smile. "But his belief in us is strong. It's never wavered, even when we were struggling. He's always remained confident in who we are and the system we have and the things that we do."

From the 10-13 regular-season finish to the seven-game death march against Atlanta to the befuddling but ultimately successful series with the Wizards, Vogel has shown why he's the right person to lead this team now and in the future. They could have imploded, and certainly, they appeared to be on that path. If that happened, Pacers President Larry Bird could be forgiven if he decided to move in another direction. But Vogel has steadied the ship.

To think, just a few weeks ago, Vogel was answering questions from ESPN's Mark Schwarz about an ESPN.com report that his job was in jeopardy if he didn't get the Pacers deep into the playoffs.

"It didn't really bother me much," Vogel said Monday. "I know it's part of the business. I know we have high expectations here. But I also know I've got great support from Larry Bird, so I didn't think that much of it except to understand that in this business, you never get too comfortable."

By now, Vogel should have earned an honorary degree in sports psychology. Through the tough times, he tried a little bit of everything to jolt his team into wakefulness, including sitting the entire starting five in a late-season game at Milwaukee when the No. 1 seed in the East was still on the line. X's and O's are important, but with this sometimes-befuddling team, it's what's between the ears that seems to count the most.

"I'd say most of (the struggles) were probably psychological, mental," Vogel said. "It was about confidence, about feeling good about what role you're in, know what the team identity is. That's where I had my focus in trying to stabilize things in my guys' minds.

"Honestly, it's as much about teaching the fundamentals, getting back to basics and making sure all the things that go into winning basketball are executed on the court. When that happens, all the mental stuff and the confidence comes. Guys have got to be comfortable and confident in their roles. In tough times, you have to make sure everybody understands that."

Nobody has been more psychologically unsettled than Hibbert, who fell off the face of the earth in the Atlanta series and put up a doughnut (zero points, zero rebounds) in the first game of the Washington series. Since then, though, Hibbert has been a difference maker, starting with that 28-point, nine-rebound performance in Game 2.

Vogel could have lost Hibbert in the Atlanta series, benching him for long stretches of time, especially in the fourth quarter. But to Vogel's credit, and Hibbert's, the big man stayed inspired and engaged, and is back to being the one player the Heat can't cover.

"Frank's done a great job, kept us confident and motivated, and he's made a lot of adjustments and changes in the playoffs," West said. "But the biggest thing is, he's been himself. He's remained very positive and very absolute in his belief about what this group can accomplish."

Now, here we are on the eve of Game 2, and it's Miami coach Erik Spoelstra who is getting raked over the coals for starting a small lineup featuring Shane Battier instead of Udonis Haslem.

After two hard months, Vogel and his team have finally found their happy place.

Bob Kravitz is a columnist for The Indianapolis Star. Call him at (317) 444-6643 or email bob.kravitz@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BKravitz.