May 3, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; The Indiana Pacers are introduced before game seven of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Just like the Pacers, 8p9s is in training camp mode. Over the next few weeks, we will be welcoming some new contributors. Some will make the team and some will just get a nice workout. Today’s entry is from Ryan Barth, who has written about the Pacers for his school paper. If you would like to try out for 8p9s, email 8pts9secs@gmail.com.

The Indiana Pacers prepare to open the 2014-15 season with diminished expectations and a puncher’s chance to make the playoffs in a vastly improved Eastern Conference. Given the Pacers difficult offseason, what can the team expect from attendance in Banker’s Life Fieldhouse this year?

Last year, per ESPN, the Pacers finished 15th in the NBA in average attendance per game (17,501 fans) and sold out 28 of 41 home games. This may not sound like much, but it was their best attendance in over 13 years).

Several season ticket holders renewed prior to the playoffs (over 90%), so the numbers should be strong again this season. However, single-game ticket sales are expected to drop given the departure of Lance Stephenson (a fan favorite) and the season-ending injury to the Pacers marquee star, Paul George.

Star power is everything in the NBA and fans want to see All-Stars on a nightly basis. This season will prove difficult for Indiana’s ticket sales reps, but one would think they could right the ship by playing to the crowd as a team that needs fan support now more than ever (similar to the post-brawl marketing campaigns of 2004-05).

It is reasonable to expect a 1,000-2,000 per night decrease in average attendance, especially if the team gets off to a rocky start, as most analysts predict. This could account for several million dollars’ worth of ticket revenue lost as a result. These numbers could significantly change as well if the Pacers brass decides to unload several players at the trade deadline and rebuild for next season around Paul George. However, I don’t expect Larry Bird to tank at any point this season — and history suggests he will not.

Things might not fall off so badly though. Because there is no shortage of marquee games this season to entice fans. LeBron is now in the Central Division, so he will bring his Cleveland Cavaliers to town twice in February. Derrick Rose, health permitting, will also come to the Fieldhouse twice. And there is also the much-anticipated return of Lance Stephenson (plus Indiana University favorites Cody Zeller and Noah Vonleh), who will come to town twice when Indiana hosts the Charlotte Hornets in games slated for November and April.

Moreover, when looking at the schedule, there is reason to believe a hot start is possible, given the Pacers will only have to face one team in the first 10 games who was ranked in the top four from the playoffs last season (at Miami on November 12).

In the end, a regression to the mean (around 16,000 fans per night) is probably the most likely outcome, and the Indiana Pacers will have to greatly exceed expectations to get anything close to the relative highs reached last season.

Of course there is one seat we know won’t change this year: Larry Legend will continue to occupy his spot in section 2. But if a few balls bounce the right way, his team might generate enough buzz to keep those butts in the seats all season long.