ducks
05-21-2005, 08:29 PM
Pacers prepare for life without Reggie
By STEVE HERMAN, AP Sports Writer
May 20, 2005
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Reggie Miller had been preparing for the moment for several years, handing the team leadership over to younger, more athletic players and getting the Indiana Pacers ready to move on without him.
When Miller's NBA career ended with a playoff loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, the transition was complete.
``The mantle goes to Jermaine (O'Neal) now,'' Miller said. ``It's his team. But there's a lot of great, young talent here.
ADVERTISEMENT
``Truthfully, this has been the most trying season and the most challenging. The most rewarding part is that we brought this team, franchise and city together,'' he said.
Coach Rick Carlisle had a short meeting Friday with the team -- including Miller and suspended forward Ron Artest -- and told them to expect changes next season beyond the loss of Miller, the franchise's career scoring leader with 25,279 points.
``We're not going to be standing pat,'' Carlisle said. ``There are a lot of possibilities how that can be done. ... It could go a lot of different ways. Larry (Bird) and Donnie (Walsh) will be the decision-makers, but I wouldn't rule out anything.''
Stephen Jackson likely will move to Miller's spot at shooting guard, with Artest returning to small forward. Dale Davis, who re-signed with the Pacers after O'Neal was injured early in March, started the final 25 regular-season games and all 13 playoff games at center. He's a free agent, but Carlisle called him a key to Indiana's late success and said the Pacers would try to keep him.
A healthy Jamaal Tinsley, who averaged more than 19 points in the 27 games at point guard before he bruised his foot, also could strengthen the Pacers.
``I gave the guys the message there's still a lot of work to be done,'' Carlisle said. ``Any success we did have this season was great, but we're in it to win a championship.''
Miller considered retiring last year, after the Pacers won an NBA-best 61 games in the regular season but lost to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. He had one year left on his contract, however, and decided to come back for a final try for the championship.
He had every reason for optimism.
The Pacers bolstered their roster by trading to get Jackson from Atlanta. And with O'Neal, Artest and Tinsley, Miller figured the Pacers had a good chance to challenge for the title.
Everything changed that night in Detroit last November, however, when a fan hurled a cup of beer that landed on Artest, triggering a wild free-for-all in the stands. The Pacers won that game, but Artest was suspended for the rest of the season, Jackson was suspended for 30 games and O'Neal was suspended for 25. His suspension was later reduced to 15 games.
Injuries also began piling up. Tinsley missed half the season with a variety of ailments, and O'Neal was out 22 games late in the regular season with a sore shoulder -- which still bothered him in the playoffs.
Indiana used 32 different starting lineups throughout the season and playoffs, and the projected starting five at the beginning of the year did not play a single minute together because of the suspensions and injuries.
``It's tough to lose a playoff series, but somehow our guys and our fans have to realize they've been a part of one of the unlikeliest stories in the history of pro sports,'' Carlisle said. ``I'm really just proud that our guys never flinched. Everybody decided they wouldn't give in to lower expectations after the unfortunate incident.''
The Pacers were 7-2 after the brawl in Detroit. They lost the next game, at Orlando, but won three straight after that as the remaining players rallied together.
Then the reality of their situation set in.
Playing short-handed, the fatigued Pacers lost seven straight games and stood 12-12 before O'Neal returned in December. Jackson came off suspension in late January, and the Pacers finished 44-38 for the sixth playoff seed in the East. They beat Boston in seven games in the first round and led Detroit 2-1 before losing their final three games.
Carlisle, who coached Detroit for two years, said he held no animosity toward the Pistons or their fans because of ``one fool with a beer cup.''
``This whole thing has been about restoring the integrity of the relationship of these two franchises and our fans and the league. They're both great teams,'' Carlisle said.
O'Neal said his biggest regret was not winning a championship for Miller.
``Everybody knows how I feel about Reggie,'' O'Neal said. ``So what I achieve from this point on, I dedicate to Reggie.''
By STEVE HERMAN, AP Sports Writer
May 20, 2005
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Reggie Miller had been preparing for the moment for several years, handing the team leadership over to younger, more athletic players and getting the Indiana Pacers ready to move on without him.
When Miller's NBA career ended with a playoff loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, the transition was complete.
``The mantle goes to Jermaine (O'Neal) now,'' Miller said. ``It's his team. But there's a lot of great, young talent here.
ADVERTISEMENT
``Truthfully, this has been the most trying season and the most challenging. The most rewarding part is that we brought this team, franchise and city together,'' he said.
Coach Rick Carlisle had a short meeting Friday with the team -- including Miller and suspended forward Ron Artest -- and told them to expect changes next season beyond the loss of Miller, the franchise's career scoring leader with 25,279 points.
``We're not going to be standing pat,'' Carlisle said. ``There are a lot of possibilities how that can be done. ... It could go a lot of different ways. Larry (Bird) and Donnie (Walsh) will be the decision-makers, but I wouldn't rule out anything.''
Stephen Jackson likely will move to Miller's spot at shooting guard, with Artest returning to small forward. Dale Davis, who re-signed with the Pacers after O'Neal was injured early in March, started the final 25 regular-season games and all 13 playoff games at center. He's a free agent, but Carlisle called him a key to Indiana's late success and said the Pacers would try to keep him.
A healthy Jamaal Tinsley, who averaged more than 19 points in the 27 games at point guard before he bruised his foot, also could strengthen the Pacers.
``I gave the guys the message there's still a lot of work to be done,'' Carlisle said. ``Any success we did have this season was great, but we're in it to win a championship.''
Miller considered retiring last year, after the Pacers won an NBA-best 61 games in the regular season but lost to the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. He had one year left on his contract, however, and decided to come back for a final try for the championship.
He had every reason for optimism.
The Pacers bolstered their roster by trading to get Jackson from Atlanta. And with O'Neal, Artest and Tinsley, Miller figured the Pacers had a good chance to challenge for the title.
Everything changed that night in Detroit last November, however, when a fan hurled a cup of beer that landed on Artest, triggering a wild free-for-all in the stands. The Pacers won that game, but Artest was suspended for the rest of the season, Jackson was suspended for 30 games and O'Neal was suspended for 25. His suspension was later reduced to 15 games.
Injuries also began piling up. Tinsley missed half the season with a variety of ailments, and O'Neal was out 22 games late in the regular season with a sore shoulder -- which still bothered him in the playoffs.
Indiana used 32 different starting lineups throughout the season and playoffs, and the projected starting five at the beginning of the year did not play a single minute together because of the suspensions and injuries.
``It's tough to lose a playoff series, but somehow our guys and our fans have to realize they've been a part of one of the unlikeliest stories in the history of pro sports,'' Carlisle said. ``I'm really just proud that our guys never flinched. Everybody decided they wouldn't give in to lower expectations after the unfortunate incident.''
The Pacers were 7-2 after the brawl in Detroit. They lost the next game, at Orlando, but won three straight after that as the remaining players rallied together.
Then the reality of their situation set in.
Playing short-handed, the fatigued Pacers lost seven straight games and stood 12-12 before O'Neal returned in December. Jackson came off suspension in late January, and the Pacers finished 44-38 for the sixth playoff seed in the East. They beat Boston in seven games in the first round and led Detroit 2-1 before losing their final three games.
Carlisle, who coached Detroit for two years, said he held no animosity toward the Pistons or their fans because of ``one fool with a beer cup.''
``This whole thing has been about restoring the integrity of the relationship of these two franchises and our fans and the league. They're both great teams,'' Carlisle said.
O'Neal said his biggest regret was not winning a championship for Miller.
``Everybody knows how I feel about Reggie,'' O'Neal said. ``So what I achieve from this point on, I dedicate to Reggie.''