Posts tagged ‘DJ Augustine’

Well the Pacers might just go against my suspicion of no big deals in the off-season and pull one off.  One that would help their future quite a bit.

J.O. to Toronto for TJ Ford and Rasho Nesterovic (and likely Maceo Baston) and the #17 pick the upcoming NBA draft.

This would hurt the Pacers in the near future but greatly help them in the long run.  If they bring JO back next year, this team will be a decent playoff team in the Eastern Conference, but in a couple seasons they will be worse off than theyare now.  They must go into rebuilding mode right now and getting rid of JO’s huge contract is a big part of that.

This trade would allow the team to see Jamaal Tinsley’s role dwindle a bit because O’Brien says he cannot depend on him.  TJ Ford is a solid starting point guard when he is healthy.  Sadly this team will have to take a chance on him staying healthy. At the end of last year he played with a little more caution than the wreckless abandon he played with his first couple years and was just as effective.  This will have to be his mindset if he is to stay healthy throughout his career.  He is a player that is very skilled at running an offense especially an up tempo one like the Pacers have. What better way for an undersized Texas point guard to learn than from someone with similar hurdles?  (Meaning I think the Pacers will take DJ Augustine no matter if this trade is made or not)

Rasho Nesterovic maybe the best part of this deal.  Playing wise, he will give the Pacers another big body to contend down low since David Harrison is so unpredictable.  He will help this team defensively on the blocks, but he is nothing special on offense to say the least.  Nesterovic is due to get $8.5 million next season, but his contract expires after next season.  That is the part I love best about this deal.  The Pacers need cap room in order to bring in some big free agents or a host of young players.  They already have two other huge contracts in Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy who are both signed through the 2010-2011 season along with Jamaal Tinsley right there only a few million behind them.  Murphy and Dunleavy will be near impossible to move in a trade. (Combined they are owed over $22 million in 2010-2011)  I don’t think Tom Cruise could even pull that mission off.

If the Pacers make this trade, They will only have $47.9 million in contracts past next season (Both Baston and Nesterovic’s contracts expire after next year).  They will have a team option on Marquis Daniels, but I doubt they’ll pick that up.  This will leave them in prime shape to sign a big free agent in ‘09 or ‘10, both off-seasons that will have a lot of stars available.

Here are possibilities to sign after next season: Andre Igoudala, Andre Miller, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Shawn Marion, Mike Bibby, Kevin Martin, Carlos Boozer, Gilbert Arenas, Josh Smith, Al Jefferson, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Drew Gooden, Allen Iverson, JR Smith, Rasheed Wallace, Baron Davis, Andris Biedrins, Elton Brand, Shaun Livingston, Lamar Odom, Kevin Garnett, Jason Kidd, Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson.

A lot of those players are coming off of their rookie contracts and are unlikely to sign with other teams, but if the price is right, you never know. Others are likely to never leave because their team will outbid any other teamt oget them, but there are still very good options.

If the Pacers choose to pass on a big free agent after next year, even more stars are available after th 09-10 season: Lebron James, Joe Johnson, Josh Howard, Dirk Nowitzki, Rip Hamilton, Al Harrington, Tracy McGrady, Cuttino Mobley, Kobe Bryant, Mike Miller, Dwyane Wade, Andrew Bogut, Chris Paul, Hedo Turkoglu, Amare Stoudamire, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams and Andrew Bynum.

That class obviously has more stars available and might be the best path for the Pacers, especially since they would only have 4 players under contract beyond 09-10.

To round out this trade is the #17 pick which will probably be used for a big man.  If Darrell Arthur slips down to there, which I doubt, I think the Pacers would take him.  Bird says he is the most talented big man outside of Beasley.  Other option are Roy Hibbert (I hope not!), Kosta Koufos (good fitin offense), DeAndre Jordan (Huge upside but little motivation), Javale McGee (Huge Upside but raw), and Mareese Speights (same as McGee).  At least one if not more of those big man should be available at #17 if this deal gows down.

Summary: This trade may cost the Pacers a playoff spot next season and maybe even the year after that, but a couple years down the road, they will have room to make some huge moves and revamp this franchise with the use of cap space and draft picks.  This trade could be the cornerstone of future franchise success.  Hopefully, this will go down, but there is still the possibility that Larry Legend will come up short of expectations yet again with off-season moves.  Will he be remembered as a Isaiah Thoms or a Danny Ainge type of Player-GM?

First, I want to apologize for not getting to blog or a new episode.  I was in the process of moving back home to Indianapolis, Indiana.  The home city for your Pacers.  It’s as beautiful as ever (rain every other day).

I have constantly said  this Pacers team needs a new face to the franchise and possible superstar.  Someone who can both contribute on the court and put people in the stands.  If more people are in the stands, then the Simons are probably more likely to spend a little more money on players.  A player that will do that better than anybody except Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley is Eric Gordon (EJ).  You have to take this with a little bit of bias since I did go to school with the guy, but most situations like this I can think from the outside.

EJ will most definitely draw people to Conseco.  Being from Indianapolis and attending Indiana, there will be no better player to make Hoosiers excited about Pacers basketball again.  Even though this team was worst in the NBA in attendance, it does not mean people in Indiana are no longer Pacers fans.  It is purely that they are fed up with the off the court incidents and the lack luster play of the team.  If the team starts winning or draws in that star (i.e. EJ) the fans will return.  In the late 90s and early 00s, Conseco Fieldhouse was one of the hardest places to play because of the rowdy atmosphere.  Now the opposing team is just as likely to have home court advantage on the Pacers home court, a sad thing to see in the heart of basketball.  Bringing in Eric Gordon would change that all.  People (including me) will come out to see this kid go up against the NBA’s best and see whether he can be the next best combo guard.  I attended the Memphis game where Mike Conley played his first game back home in Indianapolis.  That arena had many more people than other games against similar quality teams.  There were even a group with Conley Memphis jerseys.  If an opposing local player can make people come out to the game then just think of what could happen if the fans could actually root for one of their team.

 Besides just the attendance factor, EJ would fit very well in this team and give them multiple things they are lacking.  He brings quickness, tons of athleticism, and the ability to get to the bucket almost at will.  He can shoot the three beyond NBA range, has the strength to finish inside, gets to the free throw line, and (with coaching) could be a solid defender.  I understand he would most likely play the 2-guard, a position already deep with talent, but I think they could fit him into the lineup. 

I would play him at the point sharing ball handling responsibilities with Dunleavy and Granger.  Coming out of High School, EJ was thought of being as possible college point guard prospect but IU needed him to play off the ball for them.  This did not allow him to develop as a point guard over the course of the year.  At this point he is more cut out to be a combo shooting guard, but there is so much potential and time that becoming a scoring first point guard is not out of the picture.  People look at film and see him struggle at the point the few times he played there this past year, see his bad assist-to numbers and automatically write him off as a shooting guard only.  These people are ignorant. 

The reason he struggled the times he played point was because he hardly ever played there all year.  He went from playing off the ball or on the wings to being the starter of the offense.  This isn’t exactly an easy transition.  This would be similar to a big man used to playing in the low post having to play at the high post and struggling.  It is a totally different game and mindset while playing point.  It takes a transition period and EJ never got that transition at IU because it was a win now philosophy. 

Now to the bad assist and turnover numbers.  He averaged 2.4 assists and 3.6 turnovers per game ( a 1.5:1 assist to turnover ratio) Yes it is true that this is what NBA point guards are mostly judged by, but these numbers do not tell the story.  This is why I am not a stats guy.  The reason he did not average many assists and turned the ball over so much was because he had to taken on a huge role in the offense.  He was the go-to guy for the Hoosiers.  He had to create shots for others.  He had to create shots for himself.  He had to win them games.  They saw last year that this team was missing a playmaker (and no DJ White is not a playmake in my mind).  EJ tried to step up into that role and probably tried to do too much, but it was because no one else would.  Bassett did every once in a while and White was the Robin to his Batman, but neither one was “the guy.”  When put on an NBA team with plenty of other talented players, he will not have to shoulder the load he did in high school.  It will take the pressure off him and most likely open up his game 

Many people see this situation and automatically think of the Steve Alford/Reggie Miller situation in 87.  You have got to get that out of your mind.  This team needs to draft the best available talent and not avoid him because he grew up and played college ball in Indiana.  There should not be a superstition or fear of drafting in state players.  Yes Steve Alford over Reggie would have been the wrong decision, but I don’t think Eric Gordon over DJ Augustine or Russell Westbrook would.

I think EJ would work perfectly with this team.  He could start at the 2-guard right now and develop into a future point guard.  This would just mold even more to the run and gun high powered offense that this team is using.  Plus, Gordon can play defense when he puts his mind to it.  He better put his mind to it all the time and I would feel better, but I think maturation will help that.  ESPN ranks him as the 7th best prospect the Draft and has him off the board by the time, but NBADraft.net keeps switching him from 6 or 7 to 12 and back.  If he is available at 11 I will be even more disappointed in this organization if they do not draft him.  That will be a missed opportunity to catch a guaranteed good player and possible superstar.  I think EJ, if available at 6 or 7 would be a worthy candidate to trade up to get.  He could be the new and welcome face of this franchise.  One that I would love rooting for.

 Predictions for Tonight’s games:

Detroit 89                                                                            

Orlando 78

New Orleans 97

San Antonio 94