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Pacers suck right now. They just lost to atl. They need to make some moves & fast,
Time To Tinker, Trade O'Neal, Rebuild.
Bob Kravits
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../1088/SPORTS04
Today marks exactly one month before the NBA trading deadline, or 42 days since Ron Artest was put into permanent timeout. And the Indiana Pacers, now a bland, mediocre franchise doomed to middling status in the Eastern Conference, have left themselves with only two real choices:
Start the rebuilding process now, or wait until this summer?
Because unless somebody has a debilitating brain cramp and opts to send Kevin Garnett here for Ron Artest and a nail clipper, the Pacers are going absolutely nowhere. Fifty wins, at best. A second-round playoff ouster, at best.
What? You think Pacers president Larry Bird and team CEO Donnie Walsh, who so thoroughly botched the Artest situation from the start, are going to make a season-saving trade sometime in these next few weeks?
No.
Blow it up.
Start over.
Unpopular? Yes. Difficult? With this screwy salary structure, with Jonathan Bender and Austin Croshere ranking as the second- and third-highest-paid players on the team, absolutely. Necessary? That, too. It's just a matter of when.
"I can't really see that happening,'' Jermaine O'Neal said Saturday night after the Pacers' disturbing 101-89 loss to the Chicago Bulls at Conseco Fieldhouse. "The owners (Herb and Mel Simon), Donnie, Larry, they're too prideful to let that happen. But it's up to them. If we can't get the job done, I truly believe there are going to be some changes by this summer, and hopefully, my teammates and myself understand that.''
There will be changes, and it would be foolish to dismiss the notion that those changes wouldn't involve O'Neal.
On the one hand, some of us think he's grown as a player and as a leader, that he's become a regular double-double guy while operating without a second post-up presence in the lineup. He's not the reason this thing has stagnated, any more than Elton Brand was the reason the Bulls were so horrible for all those years. Management, which has let Artest destroy a second straight season while sitting in his front-row seat at Los Angeles' Staples Center, deserves ultimate culpability.
That said, if they're going to rebuild, they've got to start by moving O'Neal. He's the only player on this roster who can demand another All-Star-caliber talent. Anything short of that, they're basically tinkering, which defeats the entire purpose.
When the latest Artest mess reached critical mass, the thought here was, move the guy, give the new players a chance to get integrated, then decide by Feb. 23 whether to make subtle changes or take a blowtorch to the whole thing.
Well, nothing has happened yet. And even if it happens this week, it's not going to give coach Rick Carlisle and the rest of management enough time to know who they have, or what they have, or whether to make additional moves by the deadline.
Essentially, they've punted away a second straight season.
"We can't wait around for Superman to come in here and save the town, save the team,'' O'Neal said. "It's up to us to get it done.''
That's a noble sentiment, and it's one you'll hear throughout a very professional locker room. To their enduring credit, the Pacers' coaching staff and players have never, not once, used the team's terminal instability as an excuse.
Carlisle has been dealt a lousy hand for two straight seasons, and while his lineup-tinkering can be maddening at times, he still has this group playing about as well as possible.
These players have been virtually abandoned, left to fend for themselves, and they've refused to let the bizarre cir stances compromise their professionalism.
"Even given all of the situations we've been put in, we still should be playing better than we are,'' Austin Croshere said. "I felt the same way last year, so maybe that's just me.''
If I thought a little bit of tinkering might put them over the top, or at least get them into the area code of the top, I'd say they need to keep battling away with the current roster, be patient. If I thought an eventual trade would mentally kick-start them, make them some kind of dark horse contender, I'd call for maintaining the status quo.
Except it's not going to happen.
Is Jamaal Tinsley ever going to stay healthy? And if he does, will his maddening, painfully inconsistent street game ever evolve?
No, and no.
(Understand, Tinsley is a base-year compensation player, which means if they traded him now, they'd get only half his contractual value in return. So if they're going to move him, it will be this summer, when they can get full financial value.)
Is Stephen Jackson the long-term answer at either the two- or three-spot?
No.
There are some decent pieces in place, some younger players who have a chance to emerge with additional minutes. But in the end, the Pacers as currently cons uted are monuments to mediocrity, products of an Eastern Conference where .500 is viewed as an elite standard.
They're going to have to start over. Now or later,
they're going to have to start over.
... hmmmnn, rolleyes
i think suggesting of trading O'Neal at this time is ridiculous.
KG stated last week that he's willing to play again(?) with Stephon but not in NY. He's not a NEW York kind of guy, he'll stay in Minnesota, and Marbury can come to Minny instead.
Will he say yes to Indiana?
i think if there's one Pacer who should be traded it's Artest and not O'Neal. Unless Jermaine wants to come to S.A.(), but we have no one to trade him for besides Duncan. Of course I'd still want Duncan over O'Neal, even if I am a fan of O'Neal too! And I was really hoping he'd sign with us when David retired.
Pacers suck right now. They just lost to atl. They need to make some moves & fast,
Mohammed, Oberto, Barry, Udrih
TAKE THEM!!!
Let us have JO!!
bird wanted oneal to step up this year or he would trade him
I think it is possible that he gets traded
what pacers are doing is hurting them by not trading artest
he is not playing and they are getting no one for him right now
oneal for odom + picks + ?
Why would they rebuild around players aging 30, 34, and 28?Mohammed, Oberto, Barry, Udrih
TAKE THEM!!!
Let us have JO!!
Is Stephen Jackson the long-term answer at either the two- or three-spot?
No.
OUCH JACKSON HOMERS
Gee, they basicly tricked Jermaine into resigning, and they wonder why he isn't lifting their franchise on his back. Duh.
Well, Mohammed and Beno are ending contracts. I think Barry and Oberto have two years left after this one. Not terrible contracts as NBA contracts go. They're not the building blocks, they're contract ballast, although Beno might be a fit. None of them are bad guys, and would be good mentors to any young players brought in. They can also have ANY draft picks we have stashed as the honey of the deal.Why would they rebuild around players aging 30, 34, and 28?
They need to move SJAX that guy is a cancer.
What sucks is he probably would've signed with us had he known Isiah was going to get canned.
I know. If Indy does want to blow it up, we can offer them a "mulligan".
that really sucks...
then, they kicked Isaiah after..
no offense to Rasho, but we could have signed J.O'Neal and now that Tim is not 100% healthy we're at least free from all of the anxieties and uncertainties questioning ourselves, will there be a repeat? is this team good enough? what if Manu's injury was serious? what if TP suddenly gets injured? what if Tim's ankle can't hold up til playoffs ?
i heard J.O was willing to sign with Pops. He was the 2nd choice.
what made you say that?
SJax behaved well as a Spur.
^^^And he's been PITA in Indy once he got his big contract. It's called Malik's syndrome.
Jack was actually a real asshole and headcase his first year here. Mike Brown cornered him and told him that wouldn't get him any PT. He shut his mouth enough to get on the court, but I'll be Pop saw this coming.
but I think if there's one place J.O'Neal wants to go right now, it would be NY.
Only there's no Knick player good enough to get the trade done.
Wow.
How the mighty have fallen.
Stephen Jackson is a great player and person. how soon you ing forget who made those 3 pointers in the finals a few years back. Indiana was the favorites last year until they got ed in Detroit. The Spurs are not trading anyone nor should they.
When the spurs were going after Kidd and O'neal, they only had a realistic chance at Kidd because he was again and the money gap between the 2 contracts wasn't that much.
But O'neal is/was young and stood to lose about 30mill if he came to San antonio.
Too much money and way too young to be ring chasing. NO way in did Spurs have a chance to get him.
trade our bench for JO
speaking of Artest, I think Indiana take a little peek on Utah's Boozer. He's a scorer and a PF(when he was still a CAvalier, then suddenly went pfffffffffin Utah), he could be a nice addition. I read Utah really, really wants to unload Boozer, right now.
read this article:
Once Carlos Boozer returns to the Jazz from his hamstring woes, the only reason he'll be playing is to be showcased so Utah can finally get rid of him. -- New York Daily News
Phil Jackson and the Lakers have a strong interest in Ron Artest. Reportedly, the Lakers aren't willing to part with rookie center Andrew Bynum or Lamar Odom to make a deal work for Artest. -- Press-Enterprise
Pacers players say the uncertainty surrounding Ron Artest is playing a significant role in the team's slide. Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said they've narrowed their list of teams to about five. It's believed most of the interest is coming from Western Conference teams. -- Indianapolis Star
You can almost hear Mike Dunleavy screaming to be traded to Indiana for Ron Artest. Nothing is imminent, but Dunleavy seems to have had enough of Golden State teammate Baron Davis. -- Chicago Tribune
The Magic is asking Steve Francis to be more of a leader, but it's going to make a concerted effort to trade him because he and Brian Hill are never going to coexist. One possible destination is Minnesota, which has interest. -- New York Daily News
The Golden State situation continues to spin out of control, and many believe it's only a matter of time before assistant Mario Elie will replace Mike Montgomery. -- Chicago Tribune
Those Jalen Rose-to-New York rumors are resurfacing again. Reports out of the Big Apple yesterday had Knicks general manager Isiah Thomas once again angling to land the 12-year NBA veteran to prop up a mediocre squad. -- Toronto Star
i say if the pacers have interest and vice versa, we should pursue
JO will only be traded for KG
oneal should have been the first one to go after not kidd
ONEAL SAID HE FELT BAD BEING THE SECOND ONE. SO that is one reason he went back to pacer land
Author of the piece is an idiot.
Yes, Pacers need to rebuild - around J'Oneal! A good big is the toughest piece to find; they've go it locked up, and he isn't old.
Dumb
Unless any of you wanna part with Duncan, Parker, or Manu, JO will not be coming to SA.
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