Comments on: Game #77 Recap: Lessons to be Learned

By: Tim Donahue

Tim Donahue — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:23:53 +0000

Good thoughts, guys.

Terry, we talked on the phone, so all I have to say is, paragraphs, man.

Lefty – good read.

kester – I think the position that you’ve been pimping for awhile – a return of Dunleavy and perhaps McBob to the lineup – seems pretty sensible. I figure that after Sunday’s loss at NO, Dunleavy is almost certain to replace George as early as Wednesday.

I go back and forth on Tyler/Josh. That unit with DC-Jr-Danny-Tyler-Roy has been positive on the year, but not real efficient offensively. They’ve played 151 minutes, and for every 100 possessions, they’ve scored 100 and allowed 96. That’s crappy offense, but great defense.

Ian – I’m completely open to trading Hibbert, but that’s way too much risk to invest in Oden. I think Oden can play, but I don’t know if he can stay on the court.

By: New Orleans Blow Out Indiana Pacers 108-96

New Orleans Blow Out Indiana Pacers 108-96 — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 02:58:44 +0000

[...] Pacers are headed to the playoffs. Tim Donahue may not have been ready to call it after the team’s nail-biter against Milwaukee last Friday, but I’m ready to dive across Charlotte’s limp carcass like a UFC referee just 48 hours [...]

By: Ian

Ian — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 01:25:59 +0000

Bill Simmons had an interesting bit about the Pacers in his latest Blog

“Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, Darren Collison, Tyler Hansbrough, Paul George, Brandon Rush and some summer cap space … not a bad foundation. That’s two-thirds of a perennial playoff team. Still, it’s a small-market team with short pockets; they’re never signing a marquee free agent, which means they have to get creative and roll the dice. You know, with something like the following post-lockout deal: Hibbert and James Posey (expiring in 2012) in a sign-and-trade for Greg Oden and a future No. 1 pick.

Portland turns Oden into a solid 7-footer (Hibbert, past 2 months: 50% FG, 13.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.8 bpg) who can definitely stay on the court. Oden gets away from Portland (too much baggage, too many bad memories), goes home to Indiana (where he’ll have the longest leash possible) and gets a fresh start. And the Pacers give him a four-year, $40 million extension and get their dice roll; if Oden stays healthy, they just stumbled onto a franchise center. How else would they get one? And can you think of anyone who needs a change of scenery more than Oden? I hope this happens. Uh-oh — I think I just exploded the Blazer’s Edge message board.”

I’m not sure I agree with the trade itself or not, but I think he’s right about us having to get creative and rolling the dice. Right now we’re not bad enough to get good lottery picks (ala Oklahoma City) and have them stay, or have a prayer of signing a big time player in free agency, but I don’t feel we have all the pieces to get into contender status. It’ll be a very interesting off-season, to say the least

By: kester

kester — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:53:07 +0000

I’d love to see Josh and Dunleavy return to the starters, even at this late date, but it would not be a joyously greeted move amongst the youth movement idealogues and/or the ‘we’re here because Tyler’s here’ crowd.

By: Leffty

Leffty — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 22:29:32 +0000

Well, we ran the numbers, and it looks like the Pacers are projected to hold onto the 8th spot and make it into the playoffs:

http://sportstatistics.blogspot.com/2011/04/nba-playoff-picture-eastern-conference.html

By: Terry Donahue

Terry Donahue — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 21:10:14 +0000

Very well put. It might appear that the more offensive options you have the better off you are, but if your players don`t play off each other you end up with only one option at a time, with the rest of the offense not involved. It is also true that there are very few well rounded players, who are equally adept at offense and defense, and most if not all teams make tradeoffs, trying to balance the scoring ability you have to have against the defensive mix you need to slow down the other teams offense. What the best teams do is develop a team concept on defense that allows them to play their best offensive players by having them, and everyone else, commit to a team defensive concept that involves primarily being where your supposed to be and moving to support your teammates when they are beaten or move to help. During one of Butler`s games last week Reggie Miller spoke about how Larry Brown expected the players to be on a string, that when one moved the others reacted to maintain the defense confident that the next guy would be there to pick him up. I think that one of the main problems we have right now is that our rotations are not unwilling, but indecisive. Players are trying to decide what to do, and by the time they decide its too late. It has to be more natural. We were a contender in the NBA, and a good defensive team, with Rik Smits, Mark Jackson and Reggie Miller as starters. None of those players was particularly known for their defense, but because of the committment of them and their teammates they were able to be competitive. We are nowhere near that type of committment at this time. The way to get there is experience and trust. But I think we as fans need to take our eye off the ball and watch what players are doing away from it. I think that is where we will see the development, or lack of, of this team.