Nat Newell

nat.newell@indystar.com

In recognition of the Indiana Pacers celebrating their 50th season, we've ranked their top 50 players. The team was officially founded on Feb. 2, 1967. In honor of that milestone, here are the top 10 players:

1. Reggie Miller

Reggie Miller is synonymous with the Indiana Pacers.

He made his name against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in the mid-90s: scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, the famous eight points in 8.9 seconds in Game 1 of the 1995 conference semifinals, and the 34 points -- 17 in the fourth quarter -- to clinch the franchise's lone NBA Finals appearance in 2000.

"He knew it was a big stage, he flat-out knew it," Pacers executive Donnie Walsh told IndyStar prior to Miller's induction into the Hall of Fame in 2012. "Unlike a lot of players, Reggie was looking for that big stage. He wanted it. It was Madison Square Garden and nationally televised games."

The only possible argument against Miller for the No. 1 spot is the lack of a title the ABA legends have on their resumes. But Miller joined a team that had made the playoffs twice in 13 seasons – losing in the first round both times – and was the centerpiece of a franchise that made the playoffs in 14 of 15 seasons, including six Eastern Conference finals and the 2000 NBA finals. He played all 18 of his seasons in Indiana so he dominates the career leaders lists: games (1,389, Rik Smits is second at 867), points (25,279, Smits, 12,871), assists (4,140, Vern Fleming, 4,038) and steals (1,505, Fleming, 885).

But he also produced many of the top seasons in Pacers history. Using Win Shares – a statistics on basketball-reference.com that attempts to incorporate all of a players’ contributions in a single number – Miller produced five of the top six seasons in franchise history and eight of the top 12. He was also selected to five NBA All-Star games and won a gold medal with the 1996 Olympic team.

The Pacers have been one of the NBA’s model franchises over the past three decades, and one of the first pieces put in place was Reggie Miller.

"When we took him in the draft, he was committed to making this franchise better," Walsh said. "I think he always wanted to be a player that only played on one franchise, no matter what happened, and do everything he could to help it win a championship.

"When you think Indiana Pacers, you think Reggie Miller, and that's how it should be."

2.Roger Brown

How good was Roger Brown? In his first five seasons, he averaged 20.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists. The only players to top those numbers in ABA/NBA history: Oscar Robertson, George McGinnis, Grant Hill and Larry Bird.

“The Pacers were the class of the league, and Roger was the class of the class,” Julius Erving said in a documentary about Brown by former IndyStar editor Ted Green.

Brown got a late start on his professional career after being linked to gambler Al Molinas in college, though no charges were filed and no proof of wrong-doing was ever offered. When the ABA was created, local legend Oscar Robertson suggested the Indiana Pacers look at Brown, who was playing AAU ball in Dayton. He became the team's first signee, receiving a salary of $18,000 in 1967 and peaking at $173,000 by 1973.

"Before the ABA came along, I was dead," Brown, who became a city councilman, told IndyStar in 1995. "That was a great opportunity."

According to his contemporaries, Brown could shoot from distance, go to the basket and drew comparisons to Elgin Baylor. Brown won three ABA titles with the Pacers and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.

"He put on a performance that was unbelievable," former teammate Freddie Lewis said. "He was so smooth that he was getting those points effortlessly. We'd go to Disneyland, play putt-putt golf for three, four hours, then he'd go out and score 45 (points) that night easily. He was beyond an elite player."

3.Mel Daniels

Daniels joined the Pacers in 1968 after they posted a losing record in their first season. His game needed a minor adjustment -- Daniels was shooting 15-footers at his first practice when coach Slick Leonard said, “Next time you shoot from that far out, I’m gonna punch you in the nose” -- but the Pacers would win at least 44 games each of his six seasons, with three ABA titles, a runner-up finish and two other appearances in the Division finals.

Daniels averaged 19.4 points, 16.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in his six seasons but his impact went beyond the numbers.

“He always wanted his teammates to know he had their back," teammate Freddie Lewis said after Daniel's death last season. "He always stepped forward to take on anybody. There were so many times we got into fights with different teams and we all rallied around each other and took up for each other.”

Daniels was named league MVP during his first season in Indiana and won the honor again in 1971. He retired as the ABA's all-time leading rebounder with 9,494, had his No. 34 jersey retired by the Pacers on Nov. 2, 1985 and was elected into the Naismith Hall of Fame by the ABA Committee in 2012.

4.George McGinnis

McGinnis averaged 29.8 points, 14.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game in 1974-75, his final season with the Pacers. No one else in basketball history has approached that kind of season. And it was hardly a fluke. From his second to fourth seasons, McGinnis averaged 27.7 points, 13.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals. And he was no ABA creation. He then joined the Philadelphia 76ers and averaged 23 points, 12.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.6 steals.

Changes to the selection process for the Hall of Fame last year, however, almost ensures McGinnis -- a legendary Indiana high school player and former IU star -- will be left out, despite a strong case to join Miller, Brown and Daniels.

“It’s a real injustice to George,” former teammate Bill Keller said last year. “When you look at all the power forwards who played, in the ABA or the NBA, George was one of the best in either league. It really appears to me that they are slighting him because he was an ABA player.”

5.Paul George

6.Jermaine O'Neal

Yes, I'm extrapolating a touch with George. Today, O'Neal has a slight edge. But George should be here two more seasons (we hope) and that will be more than enough to push him ahead of O'Neal.

It's not a stretch to say George and O'Neal had a greater impact on individual games than Reggie Miller due to their versatility. O'Neal averaged more than 20 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks for four consecutive seasons and is the best of the Pacers' NBA big men. George has topped 21 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals in his last two healthy seasons and plays elite defense.

What pushes George ahead is that he was the best player on a pair of Eastern Conference finalists in his first six seasons with the Pacers. O'Neal only made it that far once. O'Neal played more than 51 games once in his final four seasons with the team as the brawl suspension and injuries took a bite out of his production at the end of his career.

7.Rik Smits

The most difficult aspect of these lists is balancing longevity with peak seasons. Smits was never the best player on his team as Danny Granger and Billy Knight (and Detlef Schrempf and Jalen Rose) were. Smits made a single All-Star team (in 1998), never averaged 20 points or even 8 rebounds a game. But he was a key figure in the best sustained run of success by the franchise in its NBA history, often raising his level of play in the playoffs. At his best, Smits could be counted on for 15 or more points, 7 rebounds and -- at 7-4 with a jumper -- a unique talent who was difficult to match up with.

"I always felt, even when I wasn't here, that he was the key to the Pacers winning," said Isiah Thomas, who took over the coaching reins the season after Smits retired.

Smits is No. 2 in franchise history in points, games and blocks, and third in rebounds. Being a part of five Eastern Conference finalists -- including one trip to the NBA finals -- gives Smits the edge.

8.Freddie Lewis

A 10th-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Royals in 1966, he earned a spot as Oscar Robertson's backup, averaging 4.7 points and 1.3 assists per game. "Oscar taught me a lot," Lewis is quoted on remembertheaba.com about the legend from Indianapolis. "(He) taught me how to be cool, how to handle situations instead of running all over the court helter-skelter." Lewis was selected by San Diego in the NBA expansion draft but instead signed with the Pacers in the ABA and became the franchise's greatest point guard.

He was an ABA All-Star his first season with the club, averaging 20.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists, and had career marks of 16.1 points and 4.0 assists in eight seasons with the Pacers. He was a member of all three championship club, winning the playoff MVP award in 1972, averaging 19.2 points, 4.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds. In '72, he had 23 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in Game 7 vs. Utah in the semifinals, hitting two free throws with 24 seconds left for the winning points. Lewis also led a comeback from a 20-point deficit in Game 5 vs. New York in the finals, hitting the game-winning free throws with 17 seconds.

9.Billy Knight

Knight’s timing was poor, to say the least. He joined the Pacers in 1974 ... just after the franchise finished winning ABA titles. With the veteran core fading, Knight averaged 23.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in his first three seasons, finishing second to Julius Erving in scoring in the final season of the ABA (28.1) and then runner-up to Pete Maravich in Knight's first NBA season (26.6).

After three seasons in Indianapolis, he was traded to Buffalo for Adrian Dantley and Mike Bantom. Knight hurt his knee and, while still effective, wasn't the same player. His scoring average dropping from 23.6 points per game his first four seasons to 14.4 over the next four.

Knight returned to the Pacers in 1979 (in exchange for Rick Robey), joining the team for a five-year stretch in which it posted a single winning record. Knight was a reliable scorer, averaging more than 15 points points per game in his second tenure.

He served as the Hawks general manager for six seasons, resigning in 2008 after the franchise made its first playoff appearance after an eight year drought.

10.Danny Granger

He fell to the Pacers at No. 17 in 2005, quickly providing a building block -- and hope -- to a franchise trying to recover from the brawl. Granger far exceeded expectations, making an All-Star team, winning the NBA's Most Improved Player Award and posting back-to-back seasons with more than 24 points per game. He then seamlessly integrated Paul George into the lineup, sacrificing statistics for team success. The sub-.500 team Granger joined was able to challenge the Miami Heat in the conference semifinals in 2012.

He was a major figure in setting the stage for the Pacers' back-to-back Eastern Conference finals appearances in 2013 and '14, unfortunately, a knee injury first sidelined Granger then sapped his skills. He averaged 18.2 points on 43.8 percent shooting over his first seven seasons but just 7.3 on 37.9 percent shooting his final three.

He was traded to Philadelphia on Feb. 20, 2014, waived less than a week later and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. He signed a multi-year deal with Miami prior to the 2014-15 season but was dealt again, this time to Phoenix. After the 2014-15 season, Phoenix traded him to Detroit but he was waived prior to the season, ending his NBA career.

Greatest Pacers of All Time: Nos. 11-20

Greatest Pacers of All-Time: Nos. 21-30

Greatest Pacers of All-Time: Nos. 31-40

Greatest Pacers of all-time: Nos. 41-50