Pooh
09-08-2003, 06:09 PM
Pacers G.M. answered questions from fans over the past week or so. Here are his answers to them.
Q. I am worried about Jermaine. He has openly stated in the offseason that he did not want to play for another coach than Isiah Thomas, and that he would not have re-signed with Indiana if Isiah were not going to be here. Do you feel that you can explain to him that this was a business decision made in the best interest of the franchise and that you will hear his concerns, but this is the direction we are going in, and you're either on this ride or you're not? Hopefully, Jermaine will understand the nature of the business, and keep his obligation to the Indiana Pacers, and play hard for the new coach, but what stance will you have if he demands to be traded? (From R.J. in Muncie, IN)
A. Jermaine is very emotional right now for a reason. He has a good friend that was coaching him that he had a lot of trust in, and we made the decision to go in a different direction. Over time, yes, I think Jermaine will come around because he’s a basketball player, he wants to win, he wants to play for our fans, and he wants to be successful here. I understand his concerns, but this franchise will move forward, one way or the other – and we want Jermaine to be a big part of it. If he asks for a trade, it can’t be right now. We’ll have to wait a year. If Jermaine doesn’t like playing here, it’s like I told all the players when I came here to coach, if they didn’t like it here I would do my best to move them on. But I can’t just move them on for nothing. I have to get the quality back, and it’ll be the same with Jermaine. We want Jermaine here for the next seven years. Hopefully, we can work all this out.
Q. I would like to ask if your decision to let go of Isiah Thomas was based more on team chemistry (from the ownership on down to the players) or was it based more on what you thought of his coaching ability on the court? (From Paul in Clermont, FL)
A. There were a lot of factors. One of them that really concerned me was the communication, or the lack of communication we had while I’ve been here. After watching some tape, without getting into great detail or nit-picking, I just felt this team needed to go in another direction. If we got off to a rough start, I’d have felt very uncomfortable making a coaching change in the middle of the season. I didn’t think it was fair for the fans or fair to Isiah.
Q. When Larry Brown was here, he talked about how an NBA roster should have a certain number of players that could do certain things, i.e. post defenders, ball handlers, scorers. Do you have a philosophy about the make-up of a team? (From Tom in Westfield, IN)
A. Definitely. You have to have certain players who do certain things – Scot Pollard, for example. He’s not a great scorer, but he’s a great rebounder and a great defender who’s going to do all the dirty work for us. You take another guy like Jermaine O’Neal, who’s a shot-blocker, an intimidator in the middle and a scorer, and he’s basically an all-around player. But you have to mix and match. You have to have guys that can get the ball to the people you want at certain times. Mark Jackson was a guy who could get the ball wherever you wanted it at a certain time in the game. And you have to be able to stop the ball out front. You need defenders at the point guard and two-guard to keep pressure off the big guys underneath. So, yeah, you have your own vision of how you’d like to build your team. They don’t all necessarily have to be great athletes, but they need to be able to get the job done when you need it done.
Q. Will you ask Scot Pollard to work on his offense, or do you think that it's less important to have a center who is a scorer since the Pacers already have some offensive weapons? (From Jeannette in Orlando, FL)
A. I think it’s important for him to be able to knock down the 15-foot jumper because we’re going to see a lot of double-teams going Jermaine’s way. And the way we’re going to play, you’re going to have a lot of drive-and-kick, so he’s going to have a lot of opportunities to score with the short jump shot around the basket. It’s important for him to score because his man will be sagging off a lot to clog up the middle. He doesn’t need to score 15 points a game but if he has an open look at the basket he has to be able to knock down the jumper.
Q. I see how the NBA has digressed (since you and Magic departed) in terms of strong fundamentals and team mentality. What is the difference between the players in your era and the players now that made the 80s-early 90s so good and the mid 90s-current so darned disappointing (in my view)? (From Joe in Wheaton, IL)
A. Players now seem like they’re more athletic than they were in the ‘80s. We had some players then who could do the spectacular plays, the dunking and all of that. I think what’s missed with the game now is the ability to shoot a high percentage with the ball. On the team’s I’ve played with, a lot of games we shot well over 50 percent in a game. We had two players, (Kevin) McHale and (Robert) Parish, that shot 58 or 59 percent. I shot around 50. Now, take an Allen Iverson, who shoots 42 percent. I think we’ve regressed in some of the areas of the game as far as shooting the basketball.
Q. In addressing the shortcomings at the point guard position, is the acquisition of Anthony Johnson to back up Jamaal Tinsley all we can expect in the short-term, or do you plan to make another move? Or, do you feel Tinsley and Johnson are our 2003-2004 point guards and another move is unnecessary? (From Jackson in Cincinnati)
A. I think on any team you might have to have three point guards, or two point guards and a two-guard that can handle the ball. If you have an injury with one of them, you’re sort of left out in the cold, as they say. So we’ll probably be looking for another point guard to stabilize the backcourt. So in the next few weeks we might be looking to pick up someone else.
Q. You recently signed one of my favorite players, Carl English from Hawaii. I want to know if he has a chance of getting through training camp and into the lineup for the season. Does he have what it takes to play in the NBA? (From Brett in Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
A. Carl English is the type of player that works very hard, he’s very aggressive, he’s a tough kid and he can shoot the basketball, so that’s a major plus.
Q. Three years ago when you were head coach of the Pacers, I seem to remember Austin Croshere getting a lot of minutes and announcers commenting on you somewhat taking him under your wing, so to speak. Since you left, Croshere's role with the team has gotten somewhat smaller. Any chance of him getting more minutes this year? Or do you have any other plans for him? (From Sunny in Lincoln, NE)
A. I’m not the coach, but I see Austin back in the mix of things. He’s a very talented athlete. He can rebound the ball, he can shoot the ball from outside and it’s always good to have shooters. So I look for Austin to get a lot more minutes this year.
Q. In re-signing with the Pacers, Reggie Miller said that he didn't want to "be like some of these other guys to jump on another team's bandwagon just to get a ring.” On the other hand, you have a guy like Karl Malone who many admire for taking a pay cut to play on a championship-caliber team. Both of these guys are great players and representatives for the league, but they've taken different approaches to their final years in the NBA. What do you think about situations like these? (From Dan in Lansing, MI)
A. It’s according to what you think of your franchise. I know Karl played a lot of years in Utah, but they were in a rebuilding process so in his mind he was thinking, ‘If they’re going to do that, why don’t I go and try to chase down a ring?’ In Reggie’s situation, he’s been the big fish here in Indianapolis. He’s been awful good for our franchise. Our fans love him and he loves this city. And he wants to be one of the old-timers that finishes his career in the same place it started. So you’ve got to respect that.
Q. Ron Artest is a real go-getter and is a very exceptional team player, but can’t control his temper, which I think hurts the team’s chances on going far into the playoffs. What are your thoughts on Ron Artest and what can the organization do to calm him down? (From Anthony in NJ)
A. I love the way he practices, I love how he plays the game, but that’s an issue right now. It’s totally up to Ronnie. If he wants to stay in the league and stay in the games, he’s going to have to control himself a little bit better. Sure, players get frustrated from time to time on the basketball court, but Ronnie’s got to be very careful this year in the way he handles himself, if he wants to play quality minutes here with the Indiana Pacers.
Q. Do you get a chance to play much recreational basketball or do you only shoot around? Can you still school some of these young guys? (From Joe in San Diego, CA)
A. The school days are over. I haven’t really played since my last year coaching. I found out then that I should give it up and leave it to the younger guys.
Q. I am worried about Jermaine. He has openly stated in the offseason that he did not want to play for another coach than Isiah Thomas, and that he would not have re-signed with Indiana if Isiah were not going to be here. Do you feel that you can explain to him that this was a business decision made in the best interest of the franchise and that you will hear his concerns, but this is the direction we are going in, and you're either on this ride or you're not? Hopefully, Jermaine will understand the nature of the business, and keep his obligation to the Indiana Pacers, and play hard for the new coach, but what stance will you have if he demands to be traded? (From R.J. in Muncie, IN)
A. Jermaine is very emotional right now for a reason. He has a good friend that was coaching him that he had a lot of trust in, and we made the decision to go in a different direction. Over time, yes, I think Jermaine will come around because he’s a basketball player, he wants to win, he wants to play for our fans, and he wants to be successful here. I understand his concerns, but this franchise will move forward, one way or the other – and we want Jermaine to be a big part of it. If he asks for a trade, it can’t be right now. We’ll have to wait a year. If Jermaine doesn’t like playing here, it’s like I told all the players when I came here to coach, if they didn’t like it here I would do my best to move them on. But I can’t just move them on for nothing. I have to get the quality back, and it’ll be the same with Jermaine. We want Jermaine here for the next seven years. Hopefully, we can work all this out.
Q. I would like to ask if your decision to let go of Isiah Thomas was based more on team chemistry (from the ownership on down to the players) or was it based more on what you thought of his coaching ability on the court? (From Paul in Clermont, FL)
A. There were a lot of factors. One of them that really concerned me was the communication, or the lack of communication we had while I’ve been here. After watching some tape, without getting into great detail or nit-picking, I just felt this team needed to go in another direction. If we got off to a rough start, I’d have felt very uncomfortable making a coaching change in the middle of the season. I didn’t think it was fair for the fans or fair to Isiah.
Q. When Larry Brown was here, he talked about how an NBA roster should have a certain number of players that could do certain things, i.e. post defenders, ball handlers, scorers. Do you have a philosophy about the make-up of a team? (From Tom in Westfield, IN)
A. Definitely. You have to have certain players who do certain things – Scot Pollard, for example. He’s not a great scorer, but he’s a great rebounder and a great defender who’s going to do all the dirty work for us. You take another guy like Jermaine O’Neal, who’s a shot-blocker, an intimidator in the middle and a scorer, and he’s basically an all-around player. But you have to mix and match. You have to have guys that can get the ball to the people you want at certain times. Mark Jackson was a guy who could get the ball wherever you wanted it at a certain time in the game. And you have to be able to stop the ball out front. You need defenders at the point guard and two-guard to keep pressure off the big guys underneath. So, yeah, you have your own vision of how you’d like to build your team. They don’t all necessarily have to be great athletes, but they need to be able to get the job done when you need it done.
Q. Will you ask Scot Pollard to work on his offense, or do you think that it's less important to have a center who is a scorer since the Pacers already have some offensive weapons? (From Jeannette in Orlando, FL)
A. I think it’s important for him to be able to knock down the 15-foot jumper because we’re going to see a lot of double-teams going Jermaine’s way. And the way we’re going to play, you’re going to have a lot of drive-and-kick, so he’s going to have a lot of opportunities to score with the short jump shot around the basket. It’s important for him to score because his man will be sagging off a lot to clog up the middle. He doesn’t need to score 15 points a game but if he has an open look at the basket he has to be able to knock down the jumper.
Q. I see how the NBA has digressed (since you and Magic departed) in terms of strong fundamentals and team mentality. What is the difference between the players in your era and the players now that made the 80s-early 90s so good and the mid 90s-current so darned disappointing (in my view)? (From Joe in Wheaton, IL)
A. Players now seem like they’re more athletic than they were in the ‘80s. We had some players then who could do the spectacular plays, the dunking and all of that. I think what’s missed with the game now is the ability to shoot a high percentage with the ball. On the team’s I’ve played with, a lot of games we shot well over 50 percent in a game. We had two players, (Kevin) McHale and (Robert) Parish, that shot 58 or 59 percent. I shot around 50. Now, take an Allen Iverson, who shoots 42 percent. I think we’ve regressed in some of the areas of the game as far as shooting the basketball.
Q. In addressing the shortcomings at the point guard position, is the acquisition of Anthony Johnson to back up Jamaal Tinsley all we can expect in the short-term, or do you plan to make another move? Or, do you feel Tinsley and Johnson are our 2003-2004 point guards and another move is unnecessary? (From Jackson in Cincinnati)
A. I think on any team you might have to have three point guards, or two point guards and a two-guard that can handle the ball. If you have an injury with one of them, you’re sort of left out in the cold, as they say. So we’ll probably be looking for another point guard to stabilize the backcourt. So in the next few weeks we might be looking to pick up someone else.
Q. You recently signed one of my favorite players, Carl English from Hawaii. I want to know if he has a chance of getting through training camp and into the lineup for the season. Does he have what it takes to play in the NBA? (From Brett in Kingston, Ontario, Canada)
A. Carl English is the type of player that works very hard, he’s very aggressive, he’s a tough kid and he can shoot the basketball, so that’s a major plus.
Q. Three years ago when you were head coach of the Pacers, I seem to remember Austin Croshere getting a lot of minutes and announcers commenting on you somewhat taking him under your wing, so to speak. Since you left, Croshere's role with the team has gotten somewhat smaller. Any chance of him getting more minutes this year? Or do you have any other plans for him? (From Sunny in Lincoln, NE)
A. I’m not the coach, but I see Austin back in the mix of things. He’s a very talented athlete. He can rebound the ball, he can shoot the ball from outside and it’s always good to have shooters. So I look for Austin to get a lot more minutes this year.
Q. In re-signing with the Pacers, Reggie Miller said that he didn't want to "be like some of these other guys to jump on another team's bandwagon just to get a ring.” On the other hand, you have a guy like Karl Malone who many admire for taking a pay cut to play on a championship-caliber team. Both of these guys are great players and representatives for the league, but they've taken different approaches to their final years in the NBA. What do you think about situations like these? (From Dan in Lansing, MI)
A. It’s according to what you think of your franchise. I know Karl played a lot of years in Utah, but they were in a rebuilding process so in his mind he was thinking, ‘If they’re going to do that, why don’t I go and try to chase down a ring?’ In Reggie’s situation, he’s been the big fish here in Indianapolis. He’s been awful good for our franchise. Our fans love him and he loves this city. And he wants to be one of the old-timers that finishes his career in the same place it started. So you’ve got to respect that.
Q. Ron Artest is a real go-getter and is a very exceptional team player, but can’t control his temper, which I think hurts the team’s chances on going far into the playoffs. What are your thoughts on Ron Artest and what can the organization do to calm him down? (From Anthony in NJ)
A. I love the way he practices, I love how he plays the game, but that’s an issue right now. It’s totally up to Ronnie. If he wants to stay in the league and stay in the games, he’s going to have to control himself a little bit better. Sure, players get frustrated from time to time on the basketball court, but Ronnie’s got to be very careful this year in the way he handles himself, if he wants to play quality minutes here with the Indiana Pacers.
Q. Do you get a chance to play much recreational basketball or do you only shoot around? Can you still school some of these young guys? (From Joe in San Diego, CA)
A. The school days are over. I haven’t really played since my last year coaching. I found out then that I should give it up and leave it to the younger guys.