The Indiana Pacers offseason has brought forth many changes, resulting in seven new players on the roster. The Pacers will have new faces coming off the bench, a superstar they hope returns to form, and young players they hope step up to the challenge. This resembles the start of a new era, so what happened at the start of the previous Pacers era? What should we expect from this year's team as far as success is concerned? For these answers, we look back to the start of the previous era during the 2011-2012 season.

During the offseason of 2011, many changes were being made. The team had just finished a quick, but very respectable series against the Chicago Bulls during Derrick Rose's only healthy campaign. After that series, many fans were optimistic, but the question was could the team build on the late season magic from last year? Danny Granger was a great scorer but it was decided that he needed help leading the team. The other questions surrounding the team were about Paul George's growth and how would the front office upgrade the bench backcourt?

History tells us that the Pacers would attempt to solve the questions of concerns with the hopes of David West, trusting Paul George, and hoping Darren Collison could handle the starting point guard role with George Hill as a backup guard. Initial concerns with entrusting David West as the leader on the court was because he was recovering from a bad ACL tear from the previous season. Trusting Paul George for a vital supporting role was a big leap of faith because he was only in his second season as a player, and it would be his first full season.

After the Pacers acquired George Hill to help fill the bench, it was believed that he would have difficulty controlling an offense due to his inexperience at the point position. History tells us that the Pacers would grow up under David West, and George Hill would take over starting duties late in season while Paul George would take leaps necessary (especially against LeBron James in the playoffs) to give the team confidence that he could be the star Indiana needs for the future.

So how does this relate to this year's team?

Paul George is the star coming off a serious injury, so can he return to form and can he lead the team with George Hill as David West did before? Can the new playing style and supporting cast such as Monta Ellis, C.J. Miles, and Rodney Stuckey give the Pacers the necessary firepower without sacrificing too much defensive efficiency?

As far as leadership is concerned, George Hill was the on-court leader last year as David West and Roy Hibbert seemingly checked out at times on the court due to the team's rough start. With the return of PG-13, he can cement the leadership with the hometown hero and lead in a new era of length, speed, and toughness. For those concerned about Paul's health, one should focus on recent videos circulating on the internet about the return of his explosiveness accompanied with an improved jump shot. The offense for this team will be there, especially with the addition of a healthy Paul George and George Hill, along with the addition of Monta Ellis.

The defense will likely decrease with the departure of Roy Hibbert, but it will not be as drastic as most think. The Pacers were actually a better defensive team with Hibbert on the bench and using Ian Mahinmi as the center. This was because of the NBA going to many stretch lineups with smaller centers than in years past.

Another reason for defensive hope for Pacers fans is Myles Turner. With the increase of pick and roll usage in NBA offenses, defensive schemes must change as well. According to Synergy, NBA offenses have increased pick-and-roll usage by 32.9 percent from last year alone. Turner has always been a leader in shot blocking and Frank Vogel's defensive schemes have always been centered on the perimeter defenders funneling the attackers to a good rim protector. With Turner's ability to guard the perimeter and the quickness to retreat and protect the rim, he could be a future upgrade over Roy Hibbert. With the great instincts and long arms that Turner possesses, he will thrive in the system as long as he stays out of foul trouble.

If we continue with the topic of the pick and roll, the play is a vital role in the NBA offense now. Indiana had a great pick-and-pop game with George Hill and David West last year, but had a horrible pick-and-roll game due to the below average speed with Hill, Hibbert, and West. The lack of speed resulted in the Pacers finishing number 26 in pick-and-roll efficiency last year, according to synergy.com. Monta Ellis has blinding speed and good passing instincts, so it's no surprise that Dallas finished at number one in the NBA in pick-and-roll offense last year. With good shooters in Dallas combined with Ellis' speed, the Mavericks were very proficient in the PnR and Ellis should be able to provide the same talents to Indiana.

Check the video below for a prime example of his passing ability out of the PnR:

Due to pace and extra firepower alone, the offense will likely increase scoring around six points per game, so let's say the defensive efficiency goes up, allowing two more points per game next year, so a net positive of four points. The Pacers last year were nearly even at 0.3 point differential, and if the Pacers increase to a point differential of plus-four, they would definitely be a playoff team. If we use last year's statistics as a comparison, a plus-four would put Indiana number seven in the NBA and number three in the East behind only the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers. (All stats per ESPN.com)

If the Pacers do improve as this writer's prediction indicates, and with the inflation of competition in the East from teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and deflation of competition from teams like the Washington Wizards and Hawks, a home court seed is not out of the question for this team. If Cleveland does finish with the best record in the East, and Indiana finishes fourth behind the Cavaliers, Bulls, and Bucks, that would put Indiana with a second-round matchup with LeBron James once again, like in 2011. A second-round playoff berth is very reasonable for this team, but only time will tell if they can exceed those high expectations.