Pacers Notes: Vogel, Hill, Conley

Pacers executive Larry Bird went into the All-Star break thinking about letting go of former coach Frank Vogel, who was ultimately dismissed after the Pacers’ playoff run, Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star details. The Pacers went 250-181 in parts of six seasons under Vogel, but Bird wanted the team to score more and play at a faster pace, Buckner writes. Bird also believed the players may have tuned Vogel out over the course of the season and that the team never had a true identity, Buckner adds.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

• The decision to decline to pick up the fourth-year option on former first-round pick Solomon Hill will likely come back to haunt the Pacers, considering he will likely earn more money elsewhere and fit well with the Pacers’ small-ball style that Bird wants to see more of, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post writes. Hill was to make about $2.306MM on the option, which covered the fourth season of his rookie scale contract.
• The Pacers must address their need for a point guard this summer and signing free agent Mike Conley would be the most logical addition the team could make, Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star argues. The team must prioritize Conley because the other options in free agency would be Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo, two players with histories of coaching baggage, Doyel adds.
• The Pacers may regret parting ways with Vogel because his consistent success and his work with Roy Hibbert proved his ability to develop players, Chris Mannix of The Vertical opines.