The essentials:
Wizards (0-0) at Pacers (0-0)
7 p.m.
Conseco Fieldhouse
Comcast Sports Net

Last year:
November 8: Wizards 117, Pacers 91.
March 14: Wizards 112, Pacers 96.
April 18: Wizards 98, Pacers 95.

Notable Pacers numbers (all are 2006/07):
21st in expected winning percentage (.398).
9th in pace factor (91.1 posessions per game).
30th in offensive efficiency/offensive rating (104.2).
11th in defensive efficiency/defensive rating (107.7).

Key links
Indy Cornrows.
Pacers Pulse
Indy Cornrows blog preview.
Pacers Pulse blog preview.
Competition discussion: Indiana

Starting lineups:
Pacers
PG: Jamaal Tinsley.
SG: Mike Dunleavy.
SF: Danny Granger.
PF: Troy Murphy (questionable)/Ike Diogu.
C: Jermaine O'Neal (questionable)/Jeff Foster.

Wizards
PG: Gilbert Arenas.
SG: DeShawn Stevenson.
SF: Caron Butler.
PF: Antawn Jamison.
C: Brendan Haywood.

Tonight's lines:
Wizards at Pacers: Wizards by 2.5.
Over/Under on Big 3 scoring: 67.3 points.

Is anyone else ready for Wizards season?  Wait, that's a silly question.  Presenting, this year's first Bullets Forever regular-season game thread!

As you can see, there's a slightly different format for the game threads.  We'll try to stick mostly numbers there instead of us rambling, just so we can focus on the game itself.  I put the gambling lines up there because we had a contest here last year where you made picks on those before every game, and I'd like to do it again, except this time we'll give out actual prizes to the winner (I still have the posters in my room for last year's winners).

As for the game, the one thing that's interesting about these numbers is that, as much as Jim O'Brien talks about pushing the pace, Indiana already played that way last year.  They were ninth in pace factor (the Wizards were fifth, by the way), yet they still couldn't score.  All this is a roundabout way of suggesting that this game will be played at the Wizards' tempo.

Defensively, Indiana was good last year, but they'll suffer if Jermaine O'Neal doesn't play.  With O'Neal, Indiana can turn the Wizards into a jumpshooting team.  Without him, that'll open up the lane for slashes to the basket.

This is an open game thread, so celebrate accordingly.  I'll be here the entire time, though I'll probably be listening rather than watching, since I've yet to figure out the league-pass-broadband-without-a-TV conundrum.  Join me in the comments section tonight, and every night, for live banter.

GO WIZARDS!