Quick Thoughts on the Pacers’ universe
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
Let’s face it, none of us have had as much fun this month as Lance Stephenson has using Vine, a video-sharing application on Twitter. He posted 25 clips in 12 days.
Of all the misguided assumptions that circled around the Pacers this year, the most foolish is the argument that turnover troubles stemmed from having George Hill at point guard. Too many people settled on Hill as the poster child for the team’s constant offensive miscues, without checking to see if their conclusion was correct. In fact, Hill had the second lowest turnover ratio among point guards – and the best of the league’s starting floor generals.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do a second and third time, till at length it becomes habitual.” Keep that in mind the next time you thumb through Internet rumors during the NBA offseason.
Among the things that have come out in the past few days is that the Pacers supposedly have a “strong interest” in Brandon Jennings. Actually getting the young, high-scoring point guard to Indianapolis would likely require a sign-and-trade agreement. Forget the sense of such an investment from the Pacers’ point of view – there’s little – and consider instead the silliness of floating a rumor whose execution would require the consent of three parties.
Speaking of a “rash judgment,” that’s how team president Donnie Walsh characterized the criticism of the team’s bench. No word on how the veteran executive describes, in hindsight, the decision to give three guaranteed seasons to Gerald Green and four to Ian Mahinmi.
As of June 13, Walsh had not spoken to his predecessor, Larry Bird, since the season ended. Bird might yet return to the organization. Someone should pry a scoop from Stephenson, who claims to text Bird frequently. Then again, Stephenson might simply reply with a Vine of Bird saying indecipherable things.
Here are two mind-blowing statistical readings from last season: Roy Hibbert shot 53.6 percent on shots taken within three feet of the basket. That was easily the worst conversion rate of any center who played in at least 40 games and averaged at least 20 minutes. On the flip side, Stephenson, who is nine inches shorter than Hibbert, shot an incredible 68.9 percent in close. Stephenson thus ranked second among all shooting guards in finishing at the basket.
A reader asked whether the Pacers would be well-served by trading Danny Granger to the Clippers for Caron Butler and Eric Bledsoe. In reply, I said that my answer depended on whether Indiana was willing to invest long-term dollars in Bledsoe, who is a restricted free agent next summer. Restricted free agents rarely change teams but are usually overpaid. Bledsoe would accentuate some of the Pacers’ biggest weaknesses: He is not a reliable outside shooter, he’s not much of a distributor, and he commits too many turnovers. He would, however, bring much-needed depth.
Jermaine O’Neal told a fan on Twitter that his 2008 departure was fueled by the front office’s decision to rebuild around Granger. Now Granger’s inevitable exit is due to the presence of Indiana’s next centerpiece, Paul George. Such is the circle of life in the NBA.
The more I study the draft prospects, the more I fall in love with Ben McLemore. Last season, it was Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond who held my adoration. They seem to have panned out. But my record is decidedly mixed – I believed 2010 draftee Evan Turner would be a superstar. Oops.
Does anyone think that San Antonio would be as threatening to Miami as they are if John Kuester were the coach? I don’t think it is a coincidence that – if the Spurs finish this off – two excellent coaches in Gregg Popovich and Rick Carlisle would be the only ones to beat the Heat in a playoff series in the Big Three era.
One of the keys to knocking off Miami is limiting their trips to the foul line. In the conference finals, the Pacers allowed 25 free-throw attempts per game. Through five games in the Finals, the Heat are averaging 16.2 attempts against a more disciplined Spurs defense.
In the modern NBA, a plain declaration of intention becomes a sacrifice of leverage – yet David West and the Pacers’ front office have each happily done so ahead of the negotiation.
General manager and busybody Kevin Pritchard said he ran more than four miles Monday morning. Maybe he sleeps while he runs.
