From the Indiana Pacers: INDIANAPOLIS – Veterans Jeff Pendergraph and Lance Stephenson, along with first-round draft pick Miles Plumlee and second-round pick Orlando Johnson (acquired in a draft night trade with Sacramento), are among 13 players on the Indiana Pacers’ rookie/free agent roster, which starts camp Thursday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The roster is […]
Category: Pacers
By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor The Indiana Pacers and point guard George Hill have agreed to a new deal, Hill’s co-agent, Michael Whitaker, wrote in a text message on Tuesday morning. “Yes it’s true,” Whitaker wrote. “George is excited about his return to his hometown Pacers.” Hill, 26, a restricted free agent, will sign once […]
By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor As a black man, I was fascinated by the overwhelmingly negative response on Twitter to Indiana’s selection of Miles Plumlee. Many of them, from my Caucasian brethren, focused on the untrue belief that outgoing team president Larry Bird had once again found a slow, unathletic white guy to add to […]
1: Jeff Foster, F/C, 1999-2012 (Texas State) Foster played his whole career in Indiana, and ironically, was the opposite of the stereotypes about Bird’s players. He was extremely athletic and couldn’t shoot for most of his career. The hustle stereotype holds true — he is the Pacer against whom all hustle players in the future […]
2. Troy Murphy, F/C, 2006-2010 (Notre Dame) Murphy was one of the most versatile Pacers in recent years. He averaged 14.3 points and 11.8 rebounds in 2008-09 and 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds the next year. He could drive to the basket and was especially dangerous as a trail post behind the 3-point line. Occasionally, he […]
3. Mike Dunleavy, G, 2006-2011 (Duke) Dunleavy might have been No. 1 if not for injury problems. His best year was 2007-08, when he averaged 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He started all 82 games that year and made 42 percent of his 3-pointers. He never played more than 67 games or started more […]
4. Austin Croshere, F, 1997-2006 (Providence) Croshere gets extra credit for being on the NBA Finals team in 2000. That year, he averaged career-bests of 10.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. His versatility was just the right fit for those Reggie-led teams. He also gets credit for longevity. He remains visible as a commentator […]
5. Tyler Hansbrough, F, 2009-present (North Carolina) Pacers fans booed this pick, but quickly fell in love with this hustle player. Hansbrough was a bull in a China shop as a rookie, but he eventually developed a mid-range jumper and some passing skills to go with his reckless drives and offensive rebounding prowess. He missed […]
6. Josh McRoberts, F, 2008-2011 (Duke) McRoberts was a reserve for most of his stay with the Pacers, but the leaper from Carmel, Ind. was a fan favorite for his highlight-reel dunks. Former coach Jim O’Brien often grew tired of getting questions about why McRoberts didn’t play more. He only started three games his first […]
7. Peja Stojakovic, F, 2006 People often forget this blip on the Indiana radar. Stojakovic played just 40 games with the Pacers, but what a 40 games it was. He averaged 19.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and shot 40 percent from 3-point range. People were unhappy with him because he was injured and […]
8. Sarunas Jasikevicius, G, 2005-07 (Maryland) Jasikevicius was a player Larry Bird had high hopes for. The Lithuanian was a Euroleague star who came to the states hoping to add to a championship contender. That also was the year Ron Artest decided he didn’t want to play for the Pacers anymore, so that threw a […]
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