Size matters
Huge lineup is key to Pacers' hopes of winning East
Posted: Thursday October 9, 2003 2:47AM; Updated: Thursday October 9, 2003 2:47AM
By John Hollinger, SI.com
sportsillustrated.cnn.com...a.preview/
Last year's rebuilt Indiana Pacers looked well on their way to contending for the Eastern Conference championship before a second-half collapse sent them crashing to Earth, culminating in a playoff flameout against a Boston team with a tenth of the talent. That paved the way for an onslaught of offseason changes, but the basic structure is still intact -- Indiana is a young, powerful team with a horde of developing big men.
Yet there are notable differences. Most prominently, Pacers fans don't have Isiah Thomas to kick around anymore. While his team played hard for him and the players generally respected him, Thomas was a lightning rod for criticism throughout his reign. When new general manager Larry Bird took over for Donnie Walsh, his first act was to review the Pacers' late-season collapse and whack Thomas for his role in it. Rick Carlisle, Bird's top assistant when he coached the Pacers, conveniently was sitting at home waiting for a call from Bird to take over at the time. Carlisle inherits the challenge of keeping Ron Artest on his medication, and developing Indiana's wealth of young talent.
That's not all that changed. The Pacers didn't want to go over the luxury tax to keep Jermaine O'Neal, Reggie Miller and Brad Miller, but decided two out of three ain't bad. To accommodate that, they had to trade Brad Miller to Sacramento in a complicated deal that also shipped Ron Mercer to San Antonio, and brought back big man Scot Pollard. Losing the All-Star center was a tough blow, especially if Pollard can't shake the back trouble that troubled him last year.
Size. The Pacers still have some questions about which players will be their starting five, but regardless of how they line up, they are absolutely huge. Indiana potentially can send out a fivesome of 6-foot-3 Jamaal Tinsley at point guard, the muscular, 6-7 Artest at shooting guard, 7-foot Jonathan Bender at small forward, and a pair of 6-11 brutes in O'Neal and Pollard on the front line.
The other guys aren't exactly Spud Webb, either. At 6-7, Reggie Miller is taller than most shooting guards, although he lacks muscle. Al Harrington is a matchup terror at small forward, where his 6-9, 260-pound frame is too much for most to handle. Jeff Foster (6-11) is quick enough that he's sometimes used to defend guards at the end of quarters. Festering deep on the bench are Austin Croshere, who at 6-10 can play both forward spots, and 6-4 Jamison Brewer, who dwarfs most point guards.
The size is the key to Indiana's two core strengths: rebounding and defense. The Pacers were above-average on the glass, rebounding 51.1 percent of missed shots in their games last year. And they were extremely difficult to score against in the paint, tying for second in the NBA with 506 blocked shots, and holding opponents to 42.8 percent shooting, the third-best figure in the league. Because Pollard is a more stout defender than Brad Miller, this year's team could be even better.
Point guard. The Pacers can score on people inside, but those players can be even more productive if there's an effective deterrent on the perimeter. That's why Tinsley's play is so important. He's an outstanding passer, and can bully smaller point guards in the paint, which is why he reminds many people of Mark Jackson.
What doesn't remind people of Jackson, however, is his propensity for turnovers. Tinsley often gets into trouble spinning in traffic, especially when opponents bait him into charging fouls. His rate of 2.6 turnovers a game last year was scandalous for a guy who was the fifth option and took fewer than eight shots a night.
He could reduce the turnovers and create more space for the big guys by developing a reliable jumper, or alternatively if he at least wouldn't insist on shooting it so often. Tinsley fired more than two 3-pointers a game despite hitting only 27.7 percent for the season, numbers that would make even Antoine Walker blush. Making matters worse, Tinsley struggled on defense last year and seemed to regress from his rookie season. He'll need to deliver more consistently at that end to keep his job.
Tinsley has to start by default, however, because behind him is an uninspring crew. Kenny Anderson is a decent backup, but has just as shaky a jumper as Tinsley without being nearly the passer; Anthony Johnson, meanwhile, is a career reserve who rarely screws up but doesn't add much to the party. Additionally, both are already injured.
Is Ron Artest completely insane? Artest is one of the most talented wing players in the game. Defensively, he's a nightmare for opponents, with quick feet, fast hands, a brutish 247-pound frame, and the bulldog mentality of a stopper. He averaged more than two steals a game last season and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. For good measure, he scored 15.5 points a game and grabbed five rebounds.
The problem is that Artest is nuts. Last year, he missed 12 games due to suspension. Twelve!! Artest was suspended for giving fans the finger, for ac ulating too many flagrant foul points, and for trashing a video camera after a game, among other things. He had twice as many flagrant fouls (eight) as any other player in the league. He probably would have led the league in technical fouls, too, if he hadn't missed so many games with suspensions.
The challenge for Carlisle is to do what Thomas couldn't: get Artest under control. His second-half emotional tailspin helped bring about Indiana's demise a year ago, but he's an All-Star if he can be kept on an even keel.
Lurking in the pack. Nobody doubts Indiana's talent, not after they blew out of the gate 30-12 last year. Losing Brad Miller will hurt, but several of the young players are in a position to contribute much more than they did a year ago. If Tinsley can put the pieces together, and Artest's head stays screwed on, the Pacers can still rule the East. It's up to Carlisle to put in place the pieces that Thomas couldn't.
Pacers at a Glance
Head coach:
Rick Carlisle
2002-03: 48-34
2002-03 Stats
Key Additions
C Scot Pollard (Kings)
PG Kenny Anderson (Hornets)
PG Anthony Johnson (Nets)
Key Losses
C Brad Miller (Kings)
SG Ron Mercer (Spurs)
Projected Lineup
Starters Reserves
PG J. Tinsley K. Anderson
SG R. Miller J. Bender
SF R. Artest A. Harrington
PF J. O'Neal A. Croshere
C S. Pollard J. Foster
Well hard to say...Last night's game, they showed a lot of speed, which helped towards the end as they pulled away from the Bulls.
Pollard showed some toughness in the middle last night. They need to make more crisp passes and not get off to slow starts, cause that will come back and hurt them as the season goes on.
i wouldn't consider mercer a key loss...
Mercer was some "extra weight" that was gratefully unloaded.
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