Larry Bird believes Pacers can win championship

Three-time NBA champion and Pacers president Larry Bird thinks that Indiana is capable of winning its fourth championship this season.

Indystar asked Bird if his franchise has the potential to win a world championship, and there was no hesitation in his answer.

"Yes," Bird said. "We're all in."

There shouldn't be any reason to doubt Bird's words. The Pacers were the only team in the Eastern Conference to take Miami to seven games in last season's playoffs. And having strengthened their bench in the off-season by acquiring point guard C.J. Watson, small forward Chris Copeland, and power forward Luis Scola, an appearance in this season's NBA Finals seems plausible.

"Anything less than (a Finals appearance or a conference finals appearance) would be a disappointment," Bird added. "I think anything over 50 wins is a good season, but I believe we're built more for the playoffs than we are for the regular season. Because we're deep and we'll have time to prepare. It's hard to beat 10 or 11 guys."