Comments on: How Do You Solve a Problem Like O’Brien?

By: NBA Rumors: The Pacers Can’t Afford to Give Up Danny Granger » Pacers Gab

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:49:04 +0000

[...] One day he plays a guy 28 minutes and then five the next. I mean, what’s the deal? Tim Donahue had an amazing article about handling the coaching situation. Here was the part that I 100-percent agreed on and that [...]

By: Josh Dhani

Josh Dhani — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:08:38 +0000

Solid, solid job here Tim. Agreed with the article.

By: paven

paven — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 19:30:40 +0000

everyone has touched on what ive been thinking; thanks to the article and every comment for finally condensing the situation; the only forgotten is the fact that weve wasted many opportunities to get the developing into elite players year after year even though they were on our doorstep; so theres plenty of sharing to be done for the circumstance.

By: Ian2

Ian2 — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:16:29 +0000

I still think you are letting O’Brien too much off the hook. Your article seems to imply that while O’Brien is making mistakes right now, he’s not the primary problem. But that makes an assumption of what the primary problem is.

If the primary problem is ‘The Pacers are not an elite team’ then yes, I agree %100 that he is not the major issue. Obviously the talent level on the roster is not ‘elite, or even very good’.

But if the primary problem is ‘the young players on the squad are not developing, but rather, regressing’ then yes, I think that IS on the coach. He is not putting his guys in a position to succeed, and that is creating a repeating cycle of loss of confidence. That is on HIM. I want to see what happens if a coach comes in and tells Hibbert ‘we aren’t going to ask you to initiate the offense anymore, just focus on D and rebouding and we’ll try and get the ball occasionally if there is a good matchup?’ He goes to Collison and says ‘we are going to turn you loose a bit more and see what you can create, and oh, btw, what sort of fast break are you most comfortable running?’ Goes to Hansborough and George and says ‘the starting jobs are yours to lose’.

The Pacers need a teacher. O’Brien is not, nor ever has been, a teacher. He was fired from Phily because he was unwilling to develop the young players on the roster. Maybe some of this is on Bird for insisting that they make the playoffs. Maybe they need a coach that is confident enough that he can let the players work through their growing pains without changing everything the instant something goes wrong. I admit those coaches are not always in rich supply. But its worth looking for one.

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 05:32:30 +0000

…just do it and move on…sometimes getting mired in stagnation is the same as spiralling down the lousy tube…

By: Hardwood Hype

Hardwood Hype — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:02:23 +0000

Great breakdown. I totally agree with your assessment. O’Brien does need to make a commitment and stand for something, whatever that “something” is. And while I agree that he’s not running a potentially elite team into the ground, there is some talent on this roster, namely Granger, Collison, George and Hibbert, whom I still have a lot of faith in as a long-time starting big man in the NBA. More that making the playoffs, O’Brien’s goal has got to be to create and nurture some rapport and chemistry among his most talented guys so that they can begin the process of growing together.

By: mellifluous

mellifluous — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 02:51:51 +0000

Fantastic article. If you combine this article with the Mahoney article you guys linked to about Hibbert, I think you’ve got an excellent picture of why the Pacers aren’t winning.

By: Ian Levy

Ian Levy — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 01:56:42 +0000

That’s the best description of the coaching situation I’ve heard. Especially this line:

“This isn’t an incredibly talented team whose coach is holding them down. This is a flawed, immature team whose coach isn’t making things any better or easier.”

Thanks for such a thoughtful, complete and realistic assessment.

By: TC

TC — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 01:30:07 +0000

Not a Pacer fan, an NBA and Laker fan but your analysis sounds wise. It will take the leadership of Bird to impress upon O’Brien that he needs to arrive at a predictable, reliable rotation so that his players know where they stand with relation to the team…..and then once that’s done, obviously the players will need to step up. A great post though…..I fully agree that the only way O’Brien could make a mediocre situation worse is to tamper too much when his players are out there doing what they can. You have to give players a chance to fail……and when they have that chance, you are often surprised at how they will respond. I see talent on the Pacers, I think the primary responsibility for their poor performance has to be on a coach whose players are off-guard because they don’t know what he wants from them.

By: @Pacers_Chants

@Pacers_Chants — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:44:13 +0000

Tim,

A truly spot-on analysis. I agree with everything you say.