Pacers Pulse - An Indiana Pacers blog
After the signing of All-Star forward David West, I expected the good news to keep rolling in.
But alas, it was not to be. The Pacers failed again in their attempt to procure OJ Mayo from the Memphis Grizzlies through a sign a trade involving Josh McRoberts (and possibly Brandon Rush, which is probably what killed the deal), and now it looks like the Pacers will be without the swingman this season, at least for now.
Is that a bad thing? I dunno. Mayo was unhappy in Memphis with his playing time and had some off court issues. But the awesome playoff run the Grizzlies had may have rejuvenated him a little. Now Mayo certainly would have been a super upgrade on Brandon Rush, but he would have taken away valuable on-court development time from Paul George, and we need George to be the best player he can be. Plus the Pacers finally got rid of all their questionable character guys (well, the old ones at least -- Stephenson and Rush are still on the roster) -- so if Mayo does not getting as much as he expected, would he start causing problems in the locker room?
Perhaps I am just trying to make myself feel better, because the Pacers certainly could have used a player with Mayo's scoring prowress and ability to create his own shot.
Speaking of which, the other guy the Pacers wanted was Jamal Crawford, but he turned down the Pacers' almost insulting $5 million x 2 years deal. No biggie. If Crawford was willing to sign for that price, then great, but the Pacers don't really need him right now. With the core additions of George Hill and David West, plus the subtractions of TJ Ford, Mike Dunleavy and James Posey, the Pacers have made decent strides this offseason already.
BUT, in some sad news, Josh McRoberts has decided to sign with the LA Lakers. I don't know why, but the Pacers didn't think McBob was worth bringing back. McBob had a decent year and for a big man has a unique skill set (can jump and pass), but he's clearly a role player at best. I think if the price was right the Pacers would have brought him back, but clearly McBob was going to demand more money than he was really worth.
McBob was obviously disappointed because he stated before that he would like to return to Indiana, but was glad that he was going to a team that "wanted" him. Words of hurt, perhaps?
All the best to McBob. We'll miss your highlights every night. no comments
But alas, it was not to be. The Pacers failed again in their attempt to procure OJ Mayo from the Memphis Grizzlies through a sign a trade involving Josh McRoberts (and possibly Brandon Rush, which is probably what killed the deal), and now it looks like the Pacers will be without the swingman this season, at least for now.
Is that a bad thing? I dunno. Mayo was unhappy in Memphis with his playing time and had some off court issues. But the awesome playoff run the Grizzlies had may have rejuvenated him a little. Now Mayo certainly would have been a super upgrade on Brandon Rush, but he would have taken away valuable on-court development time from Paul George, and we need George to be the best player he can be. Plus the Pacers finally got rid of all their questionable character guys (well, the old ones at least -- Stephenson and Rush are still on the roster) -- so if Mayo does not getting as much as he expected, would he start causing problems in the locker room?
Perhaps I am just trying to make myself feel better, because the Pacers certainly could have used a player with Mayo's scoring prowress and ability to create his own shot.
Speaking of which, the other guy the Pacers wanted was Jamal Crawford, but he turned down the Pacers' almost insulting $5 million x 2 years deal. No biggie. If Crawford was willing to sign for that price, then great, but the Pacers don't really need him right now. With the core additions of George Hill and David West, plus the subtractions of TJ Ford, Mike Dunleavy and James Posey, the Pacers have made decent strides this offseason already.
BUT, in some sad news, Josh McRoberts has decided to sign with the LA Lakers. I don't know why, but the Pacers didn't think McBob was worth bringing back. McBob had a decent year and for a big man has a unique skill set (can jump and pass), but he's clearly a role player at best. I think if the price was right the Pacers would have brought him back, but clearly McBob was going to demand more money than he was really worth.
McBob was obviously disappointed because he stated before that he would like to return to Indiana, but was glad that he was going to a team that "wanted" him. Words of hurt, perhaps?
All the best to McBob. We'll miss your highlights every night. no comments
For those who don't fully understand the 'amnesty clause' in the new NBA collective bargaining agreement (CBA), it essentially allows each team in the NBA to shred ONE existing player from their roster for salary cap purposes. This player must already be on an NBA contract from the date the CBA is brought into effect and the clause can be utilized at any time during the CBA is in effect, but only once.
Once the player is waived from a team's roster, any other team in the NBA under the salary cap can make a blind bid for the services of that player (ie, a bid where you don't know how much other teams are bidding). The team with the highest bid will get that player and pay them how much they bid, with the player's old team (ie, the team that cut him) paying the remainder of the contract. If a player is not claimed via the bidding process he will become a free agent and the team that waived him will have to pay for the entirety of what's left on the contract.
In short, the amnesty clause:
Now we've gotten that out of the way, the Indiana Pacers will use their amnesty on forward James Posey. The hard-nosed, once brilliant, two-time NBA Champion, not-yet-35-years-old veteran who has turned into little more than a catch and pop three-point shooter (who isn't all that accurate) and charge-taker.
By all accounts, Posey is a leader and a good presence in the locker room, but on the floor he is so single-faceted that he often becomes a liability for the Pacers. In any case, he did not play at all after new coach Frank Vogel took over the reigns and was asked not to join training camp. It was clear Posey's time in Indiana was up, and shredding his $7.6 million salary from the cap will open up more opportunities for the Pacers in the market, especially with guys like OJ Mayo, Carl Landry and Andrei Kirilenko still potentially up for grabs.
Some might say using the amnesty on Posey is a waste. After all, he was only on contract for one more year, $7.6 million is not all that much, so why not let him continue to be a 'good influence' on the end of the bench? On the other hand, given that the Pacers don't actually have any bad contracts to shed (if you discount Dahntay Jones and Brandon Rush, who don't cost as much as Posey combined), they are being aggressive this offseason pursuing good players and that Posey has almost zero trade value, getting rid of him via the anmesty provision is actually doing Posey a huge favor. Now, instead of doing nothing on the Pacers bench, he can either get claimed by a team that actually wants him and will use him, or he can go to a contender as a free agent -- without losing out on his salary.
All the best to Posey. It didn't work out in Indiana but hopefully he can find a place where he can either be utilized or have a chance to win another title. no comments
Once the player is waived from a team's roster, any other team in the NBA under the salary cap can make a blind bid for the services of that player (ie, a bid where you don't know how much other teams are bidding). The team with the highest bid will get that player and pay them how much they bid, with the player's old team (ie, the team that cut him) paying the remainder of the contract. If a player is not claimed via the bidding process he will become a free agent and the team that waived him will have to pay for the entirety of what's left on the contract.
In short, the amnesty clause:
- allows teams to get rid of one big bad contract clogging up their cap space;
- allows teams under the cap (usually small market teams or financially responsible teams) to bid for a player (who was at least once worth a lot) for a fraction of what he was being paid; and
- entitles the waived player to the salary they were originally contracted to.
Now we've gotten that out of the way, the Indiana Pacers will use their amnesty on forward James Posey. The hard-nosed, once brilliant, two-time NBA Champion, not-yet-35-years-old veteran who has turned into little more than a catch and pop three-point shooter (who isn't all that accurate) and charge-taker.
By all accounts, Posey is a leader and a good presence in the locker room, but on the floor he is so single-faceted that he often becomes a liability for the Pacers. In any case, he did not play at all after new coach Frank Vogel took over the reigns and was asked not to join training camp. It was clear Posey's time in Indiana was up, and shredding his $7.6 million salary from the cap will open up more opportunities for the Pacers in the market, especially with guys like OJ Mayo, Carl Landry and Andrei Kirilenko still potentially up for grabs.
Some might say using the amnesty on Posey is a waste. After all, he was only on contract for one more year, $7.6 million is not all that much, so why not let him continue to be a 'good influence' on the end of the bench? On the other hand, given that the Pacers don't actually have any bad contracts to shed (if you discount Dahntay Jones and Brandon Rush, who don't cost as much as Posey combined), they are being aggressive this offseason pursuing good players and that Posey has almost zero trade value, getting rid of him via the anmesty provision is actually doing Posey a huge favor. Now, instead of doing nothing on the Pacers bench, he can either get claimed by a team that actually wants him and will use him, or he can go to a contender as a free agent -- without losing out on his salary.
All the best to Posey. It didn't work out in Indiana but hopefully he can find a place where he can either be utilized or have a chance to win another title. no comments
Whether it is a good deal remains to be seen, but for now Pacers nation is rejoicing the reported signing of marquee free agent and new starting power forward David West from the New Orleans Hornets, after a reported deal with the Celtics fell through. The deal is said to be $20 million over 2 years, which might seem like a gamble considering West's recent ACL surgery, but all things considered, is a relatively low risk signing in the scheme of things.
The 6'9" West averaged 18.9 and 7.6 rebounds per game last season and will provide a much needed offensive boost to the Pacers, who often struggled to find offense down the stretch, especially when Danny Granger wasn't on his game. Now they not only have a second consistent scorer and genuine post up presence (sorry Roy and Tyler), they also have a pick-and-roll expert who has once worked with Darren Collison on the Hornets. Hopefully this will also amp up Collison's game in the upcoming season as he learns to be more of a passing point guard. It can also potentially improve Hansbrough's game as he now shifts to the back-up PF position where most believe he will thrive as an energy guy off the bench. Having a low post scorer can also potentially improve Hibbert's game (Hibbert is an underrated passer in the post) and get him to concentrate more on the boards. And finally, it will be great for Granger not having the pressure of carrying the offensive load night in night out.
The Pacers aren't quite done dealing yet, as reports indicate that they are still after OJ Mayo, a wildcard SG from the Memphis Grizzlies. You might remember that the Pacers almost sent Josh McRoberts over for Mayo at the end of last season but the deal collapsed at the last minute. Mayo is a guy who can flat out score and more importantly can create his own shot, something few Pacers can do at the moment. The Pacers apparently were after either Mayo or Jamal Crawford from the Hawks, but since Crawford is close to signing with the Knicks, they have turned their attentions to Mayo.
Other reports also indicate that the Pacers have not given up on Carl Landry and Andrei Kirilenko yet either.
Here is a table on what the Pacers have been doing this offseason and how the roster might look like next season:
| Position | Signed/Re-signed | Additions | Subtractions | Unsigned (likely to leave) |
Hot Seat? | Potential Signing? |
| PG | Darren Collison | |||||
| PG/SG | AJ Price |
George Hill | Lance Stephenson | |||
| SG/SF | Paul George |
Mike Dunleavy Jr | Dahntay Jones Brandon Rush |
OJ Mayo | ||
| SF/PF | Danny Granger | James Posey | Andrei Kirilenko | |||
| PF | Tyler Hansbrough |
David West Jeff Pendergraph |
Josh McRoberts Solomon Jones |
Carl Landry | ||
| PF/C | Jeff Foster | |||||
| C | Roy Hibbert |
Only a couple of player reviews left, and it's only fitting that the second last one is that of arguably the second most important player on the Pacers last season, big man center Roy Hibbert.
At a glance of his overall stats, Hibbert had a decent third season in the NBA, where he played in 81 games (80 starts), played 27.7 minutes a night and averaging 12.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2 assists per game, shooting 46.1% from the field and 74.5% from the line. Not spectacular numbers but a mild improvement on his previous years, thought you could say it was because he found a way to stay on the floor for longer. In his first two seasons, Hibbert was a foul machine and because he struggled with asthma, got winded quite often.
Before the commencement of 2010-2011, Hibbert had a well-publicized couple of months where he engaged in MMA training with rookie Paul George to improve his fitness and worked with legendary big man Bill Walton to improve his post game. And for the first few games at least, these things appeared to have paid off big time, with Hibbert playing like man possessed and leading the Pacers to a better than expected record.
In his first 11 games of the season, apart from a 9 point outing against the 76ers, Hibbert scored at least 13 points every game, and as high as 28 (against the Spurs in the season opener). Everyone was jumping on the bandwagon and Hibbert became the frontrunner for the Most Improved Player Award, an award the Pacers have been very good at getting over the years (Danny Granger, Jermaine O'Neal and Jalen Rose are all former recipients).
But just as quickly, the wheels fell off for the 7'2" behemoth, as they did for the Pacers. Hibbert couldn't hit a shot to save his life and grew increasingly frustrated with his own play, which only led to worse play and more frustration. This vicious cycle continued until Hibbert's confidence bottomed out and he realized that instead of dissecting his troubles through the media, he should just shut up and play.
This revelation coincided with the firing of former head coach Jim O'Brien and the ascension of Frank Vogel, which gave Hibbert the boost of confidence and second wind he sorely needed. Hibbert bounced back strong with a string a stellar performances to end the season. Though they weren't as impressive as what he had been doing at the start of the year, and the performances were somewhat sporadic, they were still much better than before.
Hibbert entered the playoffs with confidence and played okay -- he only had one very good game, a 16 and 10 performance in game 4, which, not surprisingly, was the only game the Pacers won in the 5 game series.
The numbers don't lie -- the Pacers are so much better when Hibbert is on his game, which is why it is so important for the future of the team that Hibbert continues to grow, not only in strength and skill but also mentally, where he still struggles frequently.
Going forward, Hibbert will need to continue to work on all facets of his game. He is a solid mid-range shooter for a big man and has shown glimpses of brilliance in the post, but too often his hook shots still look wonky and dependent on luck. He'll need to utilize his height better and add some more variety and consistency to his offensive game -- 46% shooting for a man his size is simply not good enough. Defensively he needs to continue to improve his quickness and lateral movement and find ways to further reduce ticky tack fouls he still picks up from time to time. Most of all, he needs to improve his rebounding. The Pacers got eaten up on the boards far too regularly last season and the inability of the 7'2" Hibbert to grab boards he ought to grab played a big part. There is no reason why Hibbert can't average close to 10 boards a night.
On the whole, it was a tumultuous season for Hibbert but nevertheless a step in the right direction. He'll never be Dwight Howard but Roy needs to be the best player he can be.
Grade: B+
no comments
After the Pacers reportedly dropped out of the Nene sweepstakes after New Jersey offered $15 million a season, they turned their attention to New Orleans scoring PF David West, who is coming off ACL surgery. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), West is apparently (according to Yahoo Sports), close to signing a 3-year deal with the Boston Celtics in a sign a trade involving former Pacer Jermaine O'Neal and Sasha Pavlovic.
The deal is said to be around $24-25 million for 3 years, which was within what the Pacers were willing to offer, but it seems like most ageing players, West wants an opportunity to win a championship ASAP, something the Pacers obviously cannot offer this upcoming season. Boston recently lost Big Baby Davis to the Magic, so they were in need of a back-up PF, but it's not exactly a role I envision West playing given his status and production. With Garnett as the incumbent and with Shaq retired and Jermaine shipped out, one wonders how the Celts are going to manage their roster. Still, it's a good dilemma to have, because it means they have good players in place.
However, if the deal with the Celtics fall through, the Pacers are prepared to sweep in and nab West with a 2-year deal containing a higher yearly salary. The advantage for the Pacers is that they have the cap space to sign West outright, whereas the Celtics need a more complicated sign-and-trade which would probably involve a third party.
If both West and Nene are gone, that just leaves Carl Landry, whom I am still not convinced is the PF of the future the Pacers are looking for. In any case, the Pacers have been pursuing Landry.
Looks like the Pacers might have to be content with what they already have, though they will clearly need to add another big body up front before the start of the season. no comments
The deal is said to be around $24-25 million for 3 years, which was within what the Pacers were willing to offer, but it seems like most ageing players, West wants an opportunity to win a championship ASAP, something the Pacers obviously cannot offer this upcoming season. Boston recently lost Big Baby Davis to the Magic, so they were in need of a back-up PF, but it's not exactly a role I envision West playing given his status and production. With Garnett as the incumbent and with Shaq retired and Jermaine shipped out, one wonders how the Celts are going to manage their roster. Still, it's a good dilemma to have, because it means they have good players in place.
However, if the deal with the Celtics fall through, the Pacers are prepared to sweep in and nab West with a 2-year deal containing a higher yearly salary. The advantage for the Pacers is that they have the cap space to sign West outright, whereas the Celtics need a more complicated sign-and-trade which would probably involve a third party.
If both West and Nene are gone, that just leaves Carl Landry, whom I am still not convinced is the PF of the future the Pacers are looking for. In any case, the Pacers have been pursuing Landry.
Looks like the Pacers might have to be content with what they already have, though they will clearly need to add another big body up front before the start of the season. no comments
Remember when James Posey arrived in Indiana as a side piece in the Darren Collison deal and everyone said he could be a hidden gem? A guy considered a key to Miami and Boston's championship runs, Posey was expected to be a leader on and off the floor, provide solid defense and timely three point shooting.
But as often is the case when highly touted players arrive in Indiana, they disappoint. In Indiana, Posey turned into perhaps the most single-faceted player in the entire NBA. All he did was catch and shoot threes (kind of like what I do with my basketball teams); of all the shots he took, 88% were three pointers! Sadly, Posey only made 31.6% of his three-point shots and made an abysmal 15 free throws all season, making him more of a liability than a weapon on the floor.
Posey's total numbers for 2010-2011: 49 games, 17.1 minutes, 4.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists.
At times he was still relatively valuable -- when he knocked down the occasional big three or when he drew charges, which he was still experienced enough to do from time to time. But the reality was that Posey appeared kind of out of shape and overweight throughout the season, and his lack of quickness meant he struggled to guard most small forwards and his lack of size meant he struggled to guard most power forwards.
Watching Blake Griffin annihilate Posey (and to be fair, every other player the Pacers threw at him) en route to a career high 47 points was my most memorable highlight of Posey in 2010-2011 (because it almost made me cry).
Grade: D+
no comments
Like the rest of the Pacers, second round pick AJ Price had an erratic sophomore season. Due to a knee injury he suffered during a charity game in New York before the commencement of the 2010-2011 season, Price missed the first few months and his numbers were down almost across the board -- 50 games (all off the bench), 15.9 minutes, 6.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.356 from the floor including 0.275 from three point range, and 0.667 from the line -- and yet watching him, I could swear that Price has improved, even though his turnovers remained steady at 1.1 per game.
Price's numbers are by no means impressive, but with Collison often struggling and the other option being TJ Ford, he was often called upon in the second half of the season to lead a young team. And all things considered, Price did an okay job. He is a scoring point and always will be, and not much of a passer, and probably never will be. He is what he is and a relative steal from the second round (52nd overall), plus importantly he displays the confidence of a lottery pick, evident from a few big shots he knocked down last season. But his role should not be the immediate back-up PG.
To be honest, Price is probably best used as a third-string point guard where he could thrive if the top two PGs are struggling or are injured. He wasn't afforded that opportunity very often in his second year, but with the acquisition of George Hill, Price could very well end up in that role -- if the Pacers don't trade him.
If the Pacers keep him and he continues to get similar minutes, I expect Price to put up better numbers this season, provided he stayed in shape. This time he won't be playing catch up like he did last year after the knee surgery, and with more experience and confidence under his belt, Price could be a very valuable guy to have on the bench, called upon from time to time to provide an offensive spark or relieve struggling or injured guards. For under $900,000 a year, Price is a bargain.
Grade: C+ no comments
Wow, the 2011-2012 season is about to begin shortly and I still haven't finished my 2010-2011 player reviews. Better get a move on then.
Up next is Jeff Foster, the ageing 34-year-old veteran who is on the verge of re-signing a one-year contract with the Pacers.
In 2010-2011, Mr Pacer only played in 56 games due to injury, and started in only 3 (in favour of Tyler Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts and Roy Hibbert). That's actually 40 games more than he played the season before. His numbers also continued to slide, though they were up slightly from 2009-2010. He averaged only 3.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, but when you take a step back, Jeff's numbers are actually still quite impressive, especially considering what he has gone through the last couple of years.
Foster actually set a career high with 6.1 offensive boards per 36 minutes, and tied his career high with 13.4 total rebounds per 36 minutes, the best since his rookie year. Think about that for a minute. Despite his limitations, Foster has undoubtedly established himself as one of the most efficient rebounders in recent years. Not bad for a skinny 6'11" white guy who isn't particularly athletic (and hasn't been for years).
In the playoffs, Foster played sparingly (averaged 18.6 minutes over 5 games) but was a headliner for leading the rough 'em up strategy against the Bulls and Derrick Rose. Bulls fans labeled him public enemy number one, but every team in the NBA would love a guy like Foster on their squad.
When he retires (most likely after the coming season), a lot of Pacers fans will be disappointed. Through all the rubbish that happened over the last few years, Foster has been the one pillar of integrity in the team. He will always be a limited role player -- a guy in the mould of the Davises (Dale and Antonio) who go after every rebound, hustle after every loose ball, never back down from anybody and basically does all the dirty work in the key, even playing the villain if he has to.
Unfortunately, while Foster was relatively effective when he did play, he didn't play enough to make a significant impact on the team last season, at least onthe floor.
Grade: C+ no comments
While the rest of the world is still trying to digest the Chris Paul to LA Lakers trade that never was but may still yet happen, the Pacers have been busy trying to reshape their own roster.
One of the first things they will do is re-sign Jeff Foster to a one year contract so that he can hopefully finish his career in Indiana, where he belongs. Very classy move by the Pacers. Jeff won't do as much on the court as he used to, especially at his age (he'll be 35 in January) and with the mileage on his meter, but he'll be a stabilizing force in the locker room and help the Pacers' young players develop and keep their heads on straight.
Reports are also suggesting that the Pacers will cut ties with Mr "Three Pointers Only" James Posey, who did not appear at training camp. The Pacers would like to send Posey and his fat contract packing, but are thinking of ways to avoid using the valuable amnesty clause on him. Maybe they can work something out, but at this stage of his career, Posey's past glories are not going to be as attractive to other teams as they used to be. Posey helped the Pacers less than he hurt them last season in my humble opinion, at least on the court, so it will be a smart move to let him go.
Lastly, the Pacers appear to have sadly given up on acquiring Nene, whom I felt was the best option amongst David West and Carl Landry. The New Jersey Nets apparently offered the max $15 million, which I think would have been overpaying him by a significant amount, so it's the smart economic decision to make by the Pacers. Now they focus on the risky West and the questionable Landry, both of whom would help the Pacers but aren't as good fits as Nene (I reckon).
The Pacers' current roster looks like this (signed players only):
PG: Darren Collison
PG/SG: George Hill, AJ Price, Lance Stephenson
SG/SF: Paul George, Dahntay Jones, Brandon Rush
SF/PF: Danny Granger, James Posey*
PF: Tyler Hansbrough
C: Roy Hibbert
*will most likely be gone before the start of the season
Free agents who are gone or are unlikely to return: Mike Dunleavy (Bucks), Solomon Jones, Josh McRoberts
Free agents likely to be signed or re-signed: Jeff Foster (PF/C), Jeff Pendergraph (PF)
If the Pacers go ahead and sign Foster and Pendergraph and cut Posey as expected, that puts their roster at 12, with enough players to play but looking slightly flimsy on size and experience up front. There are also far too many guards/undersized small forwards.
Chances are the Pacers will find ways to make more changes, including adding an experienced big man and a reliable scorer to pair with Granger. The obvious trade-bait guys are Dahntay Jones, Brandon Rush and AJ Price (if we assume no one will take Stephenson), but none of these guys will exactly get any GMs around the league excited, so it's probably best not to get too excited at this stage.
Stay tuned. no comments
One of the first things they will do is re-sign Jeff Foster to a one year contract so that he can hopefully finish his career in Indiana, where he belongs. Very classy move by the Pacers. Jeff won't do as much on the court as he used to, especially at his age (he'll be 35 in January) and with the mileage on his meter, but he'll be a stabilizing force in the locker room and help the Pacers' young players develop and keep their heads on straight.
Reports are also suggesting that the Pacers will cut ties with Mr "Three Pointers Only" James Posey, who did not appear at training camp. The Pacers would like to send Posey and his fat contract packing, but are thinking of ways to avoid using the valuable amnesty clause on him. Maybe they can work something out, but at this stage of his career, Posey's past glories are not going to be as attractive to other teams as they used to be. Posey helped the Pacers less than he hurt them last season in my humble opinion, at least on the court, so it will be a smart move to let him go.
Lastly, the Pacers appear to have sadly given up on acquiring Nene, whom I felt was the best option amongst David West and Carl Landry. The New Jersey Nets apparently offered the max $15 million, which I think would have been overpaying him by a significant amount, so it's the smart economic decision to make by the Pacers. Now they focus on the risky West and the questionable Landry, both of whom would help the Pacers but aren't as good fits as Nene (I reckon).
The Pacers' current roster looks like this (signed players only):
PG: Darren Collison
PG/SG: George Hill, AJ Price, Lance Stephenson
SG/SF: Paul George, Dahntay Jones, Brandon Rush
SF/PF: Danny Granger, James Posey*
PF: Tyler Hansbrough
C: Roy Hibbert
*will most likely be gone before the start of the season
Free agents who are gone or are unlikely to return: Mike Dunleavy (Bucks), Solomon Jones, Josh McRoberts
Free agents likely to be signed or re-signed: Jeff Foster (PF/C), Jeff Pendergraph (PF)
If the Pacers go ahead and sign Foster and Pendergraph and cut Posey as expected, that puts their roster at 12, with enough players to play but looking slightly flimsy on size and experience up front. There are also far too many guards/undersized small forwards.
Chances are the Pacers will find ways to make more changes, including adding an experienced big man and a reliable scorer to pair with Granger. The obvious trade-bait guys are Dahntay Jones, Brandon Rush and AJ Price (if we assume no one will take Stephenson), but none of these guys will exactly get any GMs around the league excited, so it's probably best not to get too excited at this stage.
Stay tuned. no comments
Lots of craziness in the NBA today. First, Chris Paul was going to the Lakers via Houston for essentially Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, angering the crap out of everyone as it looked like the Lakers might pull off the impossible task of acquiring both Paul AND Dwight Howard. Then, amidst all the protesting, NBA Commissioner David Stern killed the deal for 'basketball reasons' (yeah right).
Secondly, Tyson Chandler is supposedly closing in on a deal with the New York Knicks, and Caron Butler signed with the LA Clippers, effectively destroying the Mavs' chances of a repeat.
Thirdly, Dwight Howard is reportedly going to ask a trade to the New Jersey Nets to team up with fellow superstar Deron Williams.
Fourthly, Greg Oden is apparently going to accept the Trailblazers' offer, ending speculation that the Pacers might have had a chance to bring the oft-injured center back home.
None of these really affect the Pacers, except perhaps foreshadowing that it's going to be very difficult for the Pacers to make any significant inroads this short offseason.
But wait, there is Pacers news! Lost in the pandemonium of the day was the fact that Mike Dunleavy Jr has signed a $7.5m 2-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Dunleavy had a patchy history with the Pacers, starting off phenomenally but then struck by injury, before making a decent, albeit sporadic comeback. Although the Pacers kept saying that they wanted to bring Dunleavy back (presumedly for a much lower price), they don't seem to have kicked up much of a fuss at all. Let's face it, Dunleavy's days as a productive Pacers player are long gone. He is at best, a streaky shooter with decent court vision, but his lack of athleticism, often unreliable shot and horrendous defense meant that he was always going to be a role player without a genuine spot in the rotation behind developing players like Paul George. Nevertheless, I wish him all the best.
And another piece of news that got swept under the rug is the explosive revelation that the Pacers are on the verge of signing power forward Jeff Pendergraph from the Blazers!
Who? Yes, Jeff Pendergraph! The third-year player missed all of 2010-2011 due to injury (red light, anyone?) after playing in 39 games during his rookie season, in which he averaged 2.7 points!
Okay, maybe I'm being cynical here. Chances are the Pacers are signing Pendergraph for next to nothing, and chances are it is merely as a back-up plan since Solomon Jones is definitely out the door (they would have preferred to sign a statue over him) and all signs point to Josh McRoberts signing a more lucrative deal elsewhere. I don't think it means that the Pacers have given up on Nene or David West or even Carl Landry, but it might suggest that the Pacers are potentially open to trading Tyler Hansbrough for more pieces. I hope not!
The next few days are going to be very interesting! no comments
Secondly, Tyson Chandler is supposedly closing in on a deal with the New York Knicks, and Caron Butler signed with the LA Clippers, effectively destroying the Mavs' chances of a repeat.
Thirdly, Dwight Howard is reportedly going to ask a trade to the New Jersey Nets to team up with fellow superstar Deron Williams.
Fourthly, Greg Oden is apparently going to accept the Trailblazers' offer, ending speculation that the Pacers might have had a chance to bring the oft-injured center back home.
None of these really affect the Pacers, except perhaps foreshadowing that it's going to be very difficult for the Pacers to make any significant inroads this short offseason.
But wait, there is Pacers news! Lost in the pandemonium of the day was the fact that Mike Dunleavy Jr has signed a $7.5m 2-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. Dunleavy had a patchy history with the Pacers, starting off phenomenally but then struck by injury, before making a decent, albeit sporadic comeback. Although the Pacers kept saying that they wanted to bring Dunleavy back (presumedly for a much lower price), they don't seem to have kicked up much of a fuss at all. Let's face it, Dunleavy's days as a productive Pacers player are long gone. He is at best, a streaky shooter with decent court vision, but his lack of athleticism, often unreliable shot and horrendous defense meant that he was always going to be a role player without a genuine spot in the rotation behind developing players like Paul George. Nevertheless, I wish him all the best.
And another piece of news that got swept under the rug is the explosive revelation that the Pacers are on the verge of signing power forward Jeff Pendergraph from the Blazers!
Who? Yes, Jeff Pendergraph! The third-year player missed all of 2010-2011 due to injury (red light, anyone?) after playing in 39 games during his rookie season, in which he averaged 2.7 points!
Okay, maybe I'm being cynical here. Chances are the Pacers are signing Pendergraph for next to nothing, and chances are it is merely as a back-up plan since Solomon Jones is definitely out the door (they would have preferred to sign a statue over him) and all signs point to Josh McRoberts signing a more lucrative deal elsewhere. I don't think it means that the Pacers have given up on Nene or David West or even Carl Landry, but it might suggest that the Pacers are potentially open to trading Tyler Hansbrough for more pieces. I hope not!
The next few days are going to be very interesting! no comments
