Reggie Miller is on drugs!

[redskinfan]

tonight on the tnt game he said that the pacers are the deepest and the best team in the nba. what a homer

[LuvBones]

what a shock.

[nkdlunch]

dude watch the Pacers play, they look like a team of clones minus the 2 white boys, which are also good as hell.

I can't wait for Detroit vs. Indiana in the playoffs

[romsey31]

tonight on the tnt game he said that the pacers are the deepest and the best team in the nba. what a homer


Ok...so in otherwords anyone who doesnt think Spurs is the deepest team or that think they're gonna repeat is on drugs....I see. Maybe you should take off your homer glasses and take alook at this Pacer squad....They are for real, win or lose this game they're gonna be there come June.

[redskinfan]

I just see the facts and they dont lie spurs second 5 rivals the pacers starting 5 nuff said homer

[Reggie Miller]

Selective hearing, I think. He said best bench in the NBA. I never heard him say best overall team. (He may have, but I didn't hear it. I'm obviously on the computer while I'm watching this game, but so is everyone else posting messages right now!)

[Reggie Miller]

I forgot to mention...

Yes, I am on drugs right now. Thank you for noticing. They tell me this stuff is Australian for beer. :drunk

[redskinfan]

He did say that they are the best team I just thought it was funny. No doubt they will have to be reckonned with come playoff time. Would be a good series if both teams stay healthy.

[romsey31]

I just see the facts and they dont lie spurs second 5 rivals the pacers starting 5 nuff said homer


You really think so? Your bench cant see our starters, matter of fact your starters cant see our starters

[Marklar MM]

He said that when the Pacers play a certain way(like when they were throttling the Heat in the 1st half), they are the best team. He also said the Pacers have the deepest bench.

[Marklar MM]

You really think so? Your bench cant see our starters, matter of fact your starters cant see our starters

Neither of your starters can see our starters.

[JamStone]

I just see the facts and they dont lie spurs second 5 rivals the pacers starting 5 nuff said homer



I'm no Pacers defender ... check the team in my profile. But, that is a ridiculous statement. The Spurs second 5 average almost 33 years in age, the three scorers have experienced significant drop-offs in production in the last two years (two of which still were getting starter minutes), and the two main scoring weapons (NVE and Finley) experienced significant injuries last year at an age in which you don't recover the same way. Now, as back-up players, they are great, amazing even. But, saying the Spurs' second unit is on the same level as the starting five of a championship caliber team is really outrageous.

[SA210]

Look, let's end this right now.

Spurs are the best. Simple.

See, that was easy.

[romsey31]

Look, let's end this right now.

Spurs are the best. Simple.

See, that was easy.

Last season- yes.

This season- still to be determined.

[The Artest Factor]

I agree with Reggie. San Antonio is a nice team, but when it comes down to it, Indiana is better. They're a more complete team.
Tinsley, Jackson, Artest, O'Neal, Foster are simply more talented and dangerous than Parker, Manu, Bowen, Duncan, Mohammed. And as much as it may pain you all - Rick Carlisle is a better coach than Duncan's Jockstrap....err..I mean Gregg Popovich.

[ZStomp]

Seriously..who cares? Who cares what anyone says about the Spurs..or lack off. Maybe in his eyes- INDY is the deepest team. Who knows?

Whether he had said the SPurs were the best team ever or the worst team ever....WHO CARES?

[Hook Dem]

Pacers are good but Carlisle is a DOUSCHE!!!!!!!

[The Artest Factor]

You All Care!

[ZStomp]

We will find out in June.

Don't get too excited man.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I'm sorry but any team that has to start Austin Croshere is not deep.

[Nikos]

Foster was injured.

[Manu'sMagicalLeftHand]

Sean Marks>Ben Wallace
Sean Marks>Rasheed
Sean Marks>Jermaine O'Neal
Sean Marks>Shaq

That's how deep the Spurs are, you don't agree you are on crack, you trollhomer!

[2centsworth]

No one listens to a word Reggie says except defensive spur fan and pacer fans. The rest of the world just sees Reggie as a pacer rooting for his old team. the only person that should worry about that is reggie beause his dreams of being an analyst are washing away as we speak.


btw, Indiana is a nice team. I don't see the defense or inside game to get it done though. They are very good jumpshooters.

[The Artest Factor]

Foster and Pollard are out, and David Harrison looks like a baller. Can't wait to watch this kid grow. He's almost as big as Shaq and he was 2nd in the league in FG% as a rookie last year and 8th in Blocks per minute!

[2centsworth]

I like Harrison a lot. Thought the whole game I wish he was on the spurs bench.

[Friscospur]

No need to worry about Reggie...He want last the entire season as a host. Any attempts to upstage Barkley will be futile...

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Harrison is a scrub.

How can you call Indy deep? Have you seen their bench? Go away Pacer trolls.

[Spurminator]

I think Reggie will be fine as an analyst. I've heard him give analysis on radio shows and he has a great personality for it. I look forward to seeing his chemistry with EJ, Barkley and Smith.

Hopefully it'll mean less Magic.

[T Park]

any team that has to start Austin Croshere is not deep

Aggie puts it in perfect perspective.

Thank you aggie. Goodnight Pacertards.

[TDMVPDPOY]

First it was bender, then harrison then granger and jasikevicus, stop overhypying ur players cause they havnt prove anything yet

[romsey31]

I'm sorry but any team that has to start Austin Croshere is not deep.


So Rasho is better than Croshere? :lol :spin :drunk .

[romsey31]

First it was bender, then harrison then granger and jasikevicus, stop overhypying ur players cause they havnt prove anything yet

& Oberto has....

[romsey31]

You guys really need to give credit where its due, anyone who doesnt think Spurs are gonna repeat you guys have the GREATEST thing to say about the person. Opinions difer, thats the best thing about life, everyone isnt gonna like the same thing, just relax, thats why the games are played anyway. No one is gonna roll over and crown you guys champs in Nov.

[maddnezz]

& Oberto has....
I think won Olympic goal and your boys haven't even won a college championship "NUFF SAID!"
:fro

[romsey31]

I think won Olympic goal and your boys haven't even won a college championship "NUFF SAID!"
:fro

Lmao ....won olympic GOLD....not goal, this ain soccer. And you and I both know what you did in the olympics has nothing to do with what you do in the NBA, ask Arroyo. So if its olympics you're basing this discussion then Saras has tons.

[duncan_21]

I think the bigger question is why are they letting miller take up time that charles, eddie, or the jet could talk. Get rid of miller. Down with Miller. :td

[atlfan25]

It's the man's opinion. No need to get riled up about it.

[MadDog73]

And as much as it may pain you all - Rick Carlisle is a better coach than Duncan's Jockstrap....err..I mean Gregg Popovich.


Right, because Rick Carlisle has won multiple rings, right?

I can't wait until the Heat beat the Pacers' ass in the ECF.

Off topic, but why does Pop still not get respect? I'm looking at coach's polls on NBA.com, and coaches are rating Larry Brown over Pop in almost every category!

Does beating someone not mean anything anymore?!?

[TwoHandJam]

Give romesy a break. The Pacers are a damn good team and he isn't trolling since he brings good takes to the board.

The Pacers have the talent to be in the finals but Reggie is right, the propensity they have for losing their heads has to be addressed before they can get to the next level. Artest, Tinsley, Jackson and even O'Neal can and do lose their cool too easily. I honestly don't know if they'll ever collectively solve this problem since it affects a large part of the team.

[mando6599]

I agree with Reggie. San Antonio is a nice team, but when it comes down to it, Indiana is better. They're a more complete team.
Tinsley, Jackson, Artest, O'Neal, Foster are simply more talented and dangerous than Parker, Manu, Bowen, Duncan, Mohammed. And as much as it may pain you all - Rick Carlisle is a better coach than Duncan's Jockstrap....err..I mean Gregg Popovich.

WHAT?? Your 5 "more talented and dangerous" than our 5? Of course we're going to have our biases for our teams, but let's not take it that far!

I think SA has more talent than your 5, come on. :rolleyes

Mohammed v. Foster. Foster? Maybe he's even talent-wise with Mohammed.

Duncan v. O'Neal. I'll give the physically more talented edge to O'Neal, but his overall game? Nope. Hands down to Duncan. Oh, and 2 MVP's, 3 rings, and 3 Finals MVP's. But you're not talking about 'past' achievements, right?

Parker v. Tinsley. Tinsley is a much better PG than Parker may ever be, but Parker's quickness is unsurpassed by Tinsley. Oh, and 2 rings.

Manu v. Jackson. "Talented and dangerous"? Manu hands down!! Jackson's never won a ring without the Spurs and is the only one on that team that owns one. (Besides Larry Bird) Manu happens to play defense, too. Oh, 2 rings and Real World Champ(Argentina).

Bowen v. Artest. Artest is much more gifted offensively as he can take you 1-on-1 and he's got youth on Bowen. Both are pretty equal at defense. Oh, and 2 rings.

The argument that Carlisle is a better coach than Pop is asanine! :nope
Let's argue this again when Carlisle, who is a great coach, wins 1, or 2, or even 3 rings and then we can start comparing them.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

I'm a diehard Spurs fan but I don't wear the Homervision Goggles as well. The Spurs are the better team but there is one main reason they are. Basically the Pacers can' get their sh*t together. They've got loads of talent and athleticism but their heads aren't in the right place.

Any analyst just coming off of a season with his team is going to have some degree of bias but Reggie isn't as bad as had been discussed here. First of all, he has chosen the Pistons to come out of the East, not the Pacers. And he called it staight out, the Pacers aren't consistent, they are too easily excitable, and anything can set them off and throw them off their game plan. That sounds like good analysis to me.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

And enough of this "a ring makes you better than anyone else". Our IR fodder and end of the bench guys have gotten rings during out three championships but does that make them better than any other player in the NBA who doesn't have one?

You can't use "Rings" as a basis of comparision between two players or coaches, only two teams. Championships aren't won through individual play. Can one player have an extensive effect on the effort toward a championship? Yes. Can he win it by himself? No. A lot of factors come into play when it comes to winning a championship, any of which can derail the effort.

Sometimes you have great players or coaches who never got a ring because one or more of these factors didnt't fall into place. Team not talented enough, ill-timed injuries to key players, their team reached their peak at a time a more dominant team was also peaking, etc, etc, etc. Does that make them lesser players? What about someone like Reggie Miller who has been considered one of the most clutch shooters of recent memory? He probably didn't think they'll cross the championship hump this year or he may have stuck around one more year. Any because of loyalty to his franchise, he didn't bolt a couple of years ago in search of a ready made championship team like other players did. I consider that type of loyalty noble and don't think it makes him a lesser player because he didn't get a ring.

[nkdlunch]

So Rasho is better than Croshere? :lol :spin :drunk .

:lol :owned

[JamStone]

Rick Fox has 3 rings. He's better than Manu (2 rings).

[Oh, Gee!!]

Pacers can win the East this year.

[nkdlunch]

Detroit is better than Indiana.

[T Park]

Tinsley is a much better PG than Parker may ever be


lol your kidding me right?????

[JamStone]

How crazy would the Spurs' line-up be if Larry Bird didn't lie to Jermaine O'Neal's face about keeping Isiah Thomas as coach, and J.O. accepted an offer by the Spurs to team up with Duncan? Now that would be scary ...

On a tangental note, even as good as Jermaine O'Neal is, as explosive as Amare Stoudemire was last year, as prolific a scorer Dirk Nowitzki is, even as dominant as Shaq can still be, there is no other big man in the league that should even be mentioned in the same sentence as Tim Duncan, with the exception of Kevin Garnett. And, that does not mean KG is as good. It just means he's the only other big man that can EVEN BE MENTIONED in the same sentence.

[nkdlunch]

^ true, J'oneal looks great. But when he plays Duncan, he looks like an elementary kid trying to play a high schooler

[50 cent]

I laughed when he said the Spurs big three of Duncan, Manu, and Tony were basically a wash with the Pacers big 3.

Indy is pretty good, but Reggie is just making himself look stupid when he says nobody can play with the Pacers when they play at the top of their game.

Please, the Spurs could play at 70% and whip this Pacers team at 100%.

[GrandeDavid]

What a chick.

[JamStone]

Reggie is obviously having objectivity issues. After picking the Pistons to win the East, Reggie reportedly received several text messages from Jermaine O'Neal giving him crap about the Detroit pick. Perhaps Reggie was over-compensating by showing a little too much love for the Pacers. It as to be tough being completely unbiased when your loyalty runs so deep with a team and organization.

I don't think it's a big deal.

[fdmf]

I'd have to go with the Spurs on this one....Rasho and Marks aside...the whole team is solid from top to bottom.

I'm looking at vets (with meaningful play) with a deep desire to win (NVE and Fin) added to the already serious group of vets with experience. Not to mention most of them have hit big shots in their past and can handle pressure. Beno and Nazr will have their moments and I think Oberto will play much more than Rasho before this season is over with.

As for Indy...I like Jasikevicus and Austin on some nights...but to look at Foster and Pollard and the rest of them (Harrison is alright but that's it...and Granger is probably better but not this year...or next) and face them up with the Spurs bench...you can't be serious.

[mando6599]

And enough of this "a ring makes you better than anyone else". Our IR fodder and end of the bench guys have gotten rings during out three championships but does that make them better than any other player in the NBA who doesn't have one?

You can't use "Rings" as a basis of comparision between two players or coaches, only two teams. Championships aren't won through individual play. Can one player have an extensive effect on the effort toward a championship? Yes. Can he win it by himself? No. A lot of factors come into play when it comes to winning a championship, any of which can derail the effort.

Sometimes you have great players or coaches who never got a ring because one or more of these factors didnt't fall into place. Team not talented enough, ill-timed injuries to key players, their team reached their peak at a time a more dominant team was also peaking, etc, etc, etc. Does that make them lesser players? What about someone like Reggie Miller who has been considered one of the most clutch shooters of recent memory? He probably didn't think they'll cross the championship hump this year or he may have stuck around one more year. Any because of loyalty to his franchise, he didn't bolt a couple of years ago in search of a ready made championship team like other players did. I consider that type of loyalty noble and don't think it makes him a lesser player because he didn't get a ring.

Well, I wasn't only using rings as a basis for being talented or untalented. I think players like Reggie and Barkley and Ewing had great careers, but not winning one championship places them lower on the totem pole. But flat out saying "our coach is better than your coach" just doesn't make sense to me. Our coach is also our GM, which means he gets to oversee not only the talented players, but also which ones have the character and integrity the Spurs are looking for. Which leads me to Carlisle. Great coach. Should be named alongside Pop as a great coach, but then you have to separate them due to Pop's 3 rings, you just have to. There's no getting around it. ALL TEAMS have injuries to franchise players throughout their history. But you can't start using that as an excuse to say that's why they didn't win that year or whatever. Artest. No one could foresee last year's brawl, but character comes to mind when you think, "how would've the Spurs handled that" if in the same situation. The Spurs would not put themselves in the position to create something like that. Artest and then the Pacers did. That's a year-long suspension for an all-star who brought it upon himself and his team, coached by Carlisle. It goes back to him, Bird, and even ownership. It's a trickle-down effect from the top. If they employ low character, high talent players, suspensions and such could be the norm for that or any team. I'm just rambling, but oh well, if you read this far, good for you.

mando

[kskonn]

I think saying that a top tier team can not run with another top tier team when they are both healthy is a bad statement. Because anyone can run with anyone on any given night.

Regardless, I do not think you can compare the Pacers Bench to the spurs, I do not feel they are even close. the starters? yea they are close and different people are going to give the edge to either team based on there personal opinion?

Coaching? I do not think it is even close between Pop and Carlisle, and I am basing that off of success, I do believe rings is a grading factor for head coaches. that is how coaches are remembere, Phil, red that is how they are remembered.

[benjirh]

Rings don't define quality of players but they do define quality of team. The spurs ring from last year shows how strong they are. As far as Indiana goes, I think they are the second best team. I think that they are deeper than Miami and have better team chemisty than Miami. Their bench is just as strong as SA's if not better. I would rate their first 5 off the bench(Harrison, Croshere, Granger, Jasikevicus, Jones) slightly behind of our first 5(Mohammed, Horry, Finley, Barry, Van Exel). But I think they are improving while our bench is at it's best. Our starting 5 is about even. But I think their bottom 5 definitely tops our bottom 3. So are they deeper on the bench, probably, but it is about dead even as far as the players who get major pt. My point is that Indiana, Detroit, Miami, and San Antonio are so close that is only logical to give the team your root for the nod. Now if a fan of the Clippers, Magic, or Blazers were to say that they had the deepest and best team, then I would have issue with that.

[benjirh]

Regardless, I do not think you can compare the Pacers Bench to the spurs, I do not feel they are even close.

You are saying the Spurs bench is by far the better bench? Why do you say that? Here is how I see it.

Harrison is just as good as Mohammed/Nesterovic (whoever you choose to bench)
Pollard is more proven than Oberto
Horry is slightly better than Croshere
Finley is better than Granger, but possibly only because of experience
Barry is more proven than Jasikevicus
Jones is better than Van Exel primarily because of age and athleticism
Johnson is better than Udrih becuase right now he runs the point better
Walker and Marks cancel each other out

Looks pretty even to me.

[JamStone]

Coaching? I do not think it is even close between Pop and Carlisle, and I am basing that off of success, I do believe rings is a grading factor for head coaches. that is how coaches are remembere, Phil, red that is how they are remembered.


Rings can factor in when evaluating how good a coach is, but I don't think it should be the main or determining factor. In fact, many people would argue that a coach who takes bad players and make them play better than their talent is a better barometer than taking a team of great players and coaching them to their potential.

Remember that Larry Brown was considered the best coach in the league for many years without having won a championship. So much so, he was a hall of famer before he had the ultimate success of NBA championship coach.

Rick Carlisle has only been in the league for 4 years, has made the playoffs every year with two different organizations. He made a better than average Detroit team into a top conference team. And, he took a decimated Pacers team to the second round of the playoffs.

Pop is probably the better coach, but it's tough to say that he's far and away the better coach. Pop has always had David Robinson and/or Tim Duncan. Rick Carlisle once fielded a Detroit team that started Chucky Atkins, Jerry Stackhouse, Michael Curry, Cliff Robinson, and Ben Wallace to the best record in the conference.

Just something to think about using a little perspective ...

[Notorious H.O.P.]

I agree with JamStone here. Some people in here act like Carlisle is a scrub that doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as Pop. The fact is that Carlisle has done very well with what he has been given and has persevered in the face of adversity.

Coaches have to coach the team they are given, especially someone like Carlisle because he had Dumars making the personnel decisions in Detroit and Bird in Indiana. Pop gets to make the team in his own image which is a huge advantage.

Because talent is at a premium and because of coaching turnover in the NBA, a GM puts together a team he thinks can succeed. It is easier for him to get a new coach to implement a style that the team is best suited for than to have a coach with a specific style and reshape your roster to match it.

So some coaches are at a disadvantage because of this. If you let me coach a team with Robinson and Duncan on it, I could guide a team like that to 55 wins. Could I deliver a championship? Not likely but with that kind of talent you have a shot. There are a few coaches can take that kind of talent and win a championship.

Indy is good and they can use their athleticism to run people out of the building. They are quick and active and if they have their head in the game, they can run with anyone. Do they have championship level talent? Yes. Have they found a way to put it together? No. Even if they did, the Spurs still present a formidable enemy.

Which leads to the last issue that prevents a coach from slipping on a championship ring. Sometimes you are unfortunate in the fact that you can have a championship level team but another team has peaked at the time your team is peaking. Jerry Sloan is a great coach who should have a championship by now. The problem? The peak years of the Jazz franchise also coincided with the peak years of Jordan's Bulls. At any other time, the Jazz probably have a good chance to win. During this time, no one was going to unseat the Bulls.

Does this make Sloan less of a coach? I don't think so. Their window came and left and it was unfortunate for Sloan. It also didn't help that Malone choked away chances to win which is another pitfall coaches have in their quest for the title.

Pop is a great coach but there are other great coaches out there. But we are lucky that Pop runs the whole operation because instead of multiple minds that have to work toward compromise, a single mind can focus on success.

[romsey31]

Reggie is obviously having objectivity issues. After picking the Pistons to win the East, Reggie reportedly received several text messages from Jermaine O'Neal giving him crap about the Detroit pick. Perhaps Reggie was over-compensating by showing a little too much love for the Pacers. It as to be tough being completely unbiased when your loyalty runs so deep with a team and organization.

I don't think it's a big deal.

& You know this how?

[JamStone]

& You know this how?


Don't know first hand. Read it on one of those sports webpages ... either hoopshype or insidehoops.

[JoeChalupa]

Just his opinion.