Hoosiers and Pacers continue to play the waiting game
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — If you’re a fan of both Indiana teams, you’ve been through a lot over the last several years. Neither the Hoosiers or Pacers have won a post-season round in quite some time. And now? They’re both in a holding pattern of sorts. One team is still looking for a coach, while the other is a mere hours away from the NBA Trade Deadline.
HOOSIERS CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR A HEAD COACH
At this point, all we know about the IU search is that we don’t know much. Maybe we should’ve trusted Athletic Director Scott Dolson in the first place when he said “you won’t hear from me again until I hire a coach.” The rumors have been flying, and if you search long enough, you might even find a rumor about Gene Keady becoming the next IU coach. Or, every single coach that has won a game in this year’s NCAA Tournament is also somehow a candidate.
Having covered the Hoosiers a little bit over the years, I do have a few of those “sources” that are sometimes in the know about the program. But even those sources are all over the map with what they’ve been hearing. One source claimed the Thad Matta report was actually true, and the physical-doomed contract was in the 6 year, 24 million dollar range. Another source believes John Beilein has been the guy all along for Indiana, and the Hoosiers are taking their time while he builds a great staff + his eventual successor with him to Bloomington. Then we have other sources claiming Mike Woodson is going to be the guy. There could be some truth to these, or… they could all be way off.
Jake Query reported that Calbert Cheaney interviewed (via Zoom) for the job just today. That alone could tell us Indiana isn’t close to naming their next coach.
Like many others, I would be very interested in the Chris Beard’s, Nate Oats’, and Eric Musselman’s of the world. I would be hesitant to hire someone who has never been a head coach in college before. But I also know this- outside of Brad Stevens, there probably isn’t a guaranteed home-run hire out there. It will be a “wait-and-see” kind of thing, no matter who gets the gig. If it ends up being Woodson, I will have my doubts, but there’s still a chance it could be great. He obviously knows the program, and though he’s never recruited, his NBA experience might be appealing to recruits. If it ends up being Beilein? I’d be nervous about his age and his “comment” in Cleveland following him. But we know he can coach. Imagine if he brought a Michael Lewis type with him to be next in line? There is some intrigue there.
But for now, all we can do is wait. Players entering the transfer portal isn’t fun to see, but it’s nothing to be too alarmed with just yet. Hire a good coach in the near future, and then we’ll get a better idea of who wants to stay. Not to mention, the transfer portal make taketh away, but it can also giveth.
NBA TRADE DEADLINE LOOMS FOR THE PACERS
It’s been a weird year for the Indiana Pacers. They had high expectations this season, but things haven’t gone according to play. They’ve once again been crushed with injuries, but they remain very much alive in a bunched-up Eastern Conference.
They have some assets that contending teams would want. But would Pacers President Kevin Pritchard pull the trigger on something when his team is still only a few games out of the 4th seed in the East?
Head Coach Nate Bjorkgren was asked about the Trade Deadline before Wednesday night’s game against Detroit: “Players understand it,” he said. “I’m sure people are calling about our players. Our players know they’re wanted here. It’s part of this game, and every year they have to deal with it the best that they can.”
I still believe this team can get hot in April, move up in the standings, and be a little dangerous come playoff time. However, the likelihood of winning a playoff series right now isn’t too high. If they end up the No. 6 or 7 seed, they’re not winning any of those match-ups. Can they still get to No. 5 in the East? I think so, but they’d have to play .600 basketball or so the rest of the way. Being only a few games out is one thing, but there are several teams standing in the way. If even a few of them (like Boston) starts playing better, that journey to a 5-seed gets all the more difficult. If I’m Kevin Pritchard? I look to the future at this trade deadline. And no, that doesn’t mean trade Malcolm Brogdon or Myles Turner. But this time of year, it’s wise to leave everything on the table.
