Posts tagged ‘Jermaine O’Neal’

Now the New Era of the Indiana Pacers OFFICIALLY starts.

After weeks of beating around the bush and avoiding questions because of possible league dealt fines, the Pacers can confirm and welcome in the 7 new faces that will now start to shape this franchise.  The Brawl and off-the-court incident riddled team that have been the Pacers over the last half a dozen or so seasons is now completely over with. Larry Bird and David Morway had goals this summer and so far have done well in trying to accomplish them.  They say they still have moves to make, which would be nice since this team is still far from a championship. I am truly excited for next season to see the makeup for this team.  The franchise has brought in high class guys as well as high class players that all fit different roles for the team and will work well with Jim O’Brien.

The Pacers are not going to have Jamaal Tinsley back next year either.  On local talk show Kravitz & Eddie, Coach O’Brien basically reiterated that he could not depend on Tinsley and that he would not be back with the team next season.  This means the Pacers are prepared to buy out the $21.4 million left on his contract if they cannot find a trading partner, which is unlikely.  The GM Morway said they’re multiple teams interested in Tinsley, but I doubt that.

Another rumor being shot around is that even Mike Dunleavy is being shopped around to see what the team could get.  I have no problem with this because Dunleavy had the best season of his career last year, meaning his trade value is high.  Also, the Pacers just picked up another 3 year contract with TJ Ford and Dunleavy has 3 years left with over $29 million to be paid.  If they can get EQUAL value for him this would be another good trade to open up cap space and take advantage of his rising stock.  The franchise must get equal value for him though becuase this team is not nearly as good without him on the  floor.  If a talented or young (or both) big is available I could see the Pacers biting on the deal since they are deep on the wings but struggle in the front court.

In the Next Episode:

-Around the NBA free agency period.

-Tribute to Jermaine O’Neal and where he ranks among Pacer greats.

-Why this Pacers team is closer to winning a championship than people think, but still has work to do.

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?

On Pacers.com, Jim O’Brien gave each player summer homework assignments to improve their game.  I’m going to see if his assignments are good or bad and where they need improved.

“Danny Granger. I want Danny to be our go-to guy and he needs to work on his one-on-one abilities for that to happen. He’s an excellent spot-up shooter off of one or two dribbles but to be the go-to guy he’s going to have to work on his first step, penetrating the lane and hitting big shots while he’s closely defended. “

My Assignments: I could not agree more that Granger needs to work on his one-on-one moves and his first step.  He hit the head on the nail on what Danny needs to improve technique wise.  He needs to improve his ballhandling and his ability to drive and create off the dribble will fall in place.  O’Brien did not mention the intangibles Granger needs to be a perennial all-star: passion and clutch.  He needs to show more passion on the floor when he’s out there.  I’ve harped on him for this before, but it’s true.  All stars have that passion behind their game and show it on the floor. He also needs to take over when this team needs a basket.  That Michael Jordan/Reggie Miller esque ability to hit a big basket at the right time.

“Mike Dunleavy. Michael was asked to carry a tremendous load this year and he may have worn down physically a little as the year went on. The NBA season is a marathon. I’m asking Mike to take the whole concept of conditioning to a different level by training harder and longer than he ever has. In his past years in the NBA he hasn’t been called on to be a go-to guy and we need him on the court because he makes our movement on offense very, very effective. After he does, he’ll be just as fresh toward the end of the season as he is on opening night.“

My Assignments: Conditioning for this entire team would be a good assignment because of all the big leads this team blew by a lack of concentration and lack of energy down the stretch.  One thing Dunleavy must focus on in particular is his lateral quickness.  Though he flourished offensively this past season under Jim O’Brien, his defense was no where to be found.  Boston is proving that Defense wins Championships and this Pacers team did not play any last season.  I realize he is never going to be a lock down defender because of his lack of athleticism and quickness, but an improvement from him is a must.

“Travis Diener. After having surgery on his foot, Travis’ goal this offseason is to recover and recondition himself so he can effectively explode up the court on fast breaks next season. And he’s one of the smaller guys in the NBA and plays with a tremendous amount of energy but you’re always worried about him having a collision with somebody a lot bigger than he is, so anything we can do to protect his body by working on flexibility and strength is great. And he didn’t shoot the ball with consistency. He is not used to getting as many shots as we’re giving him and he has to be able to get them off quickly. It was great scoring in college, but he didn’t have to play against the athleticism of the NBA. So I think he’ll do things that are natural to him, which is work on his ability to shoot off of movement and to shoot with speed.“

My Assignments: O’Brien is right.  He MUST improve his shot.  His lack of a consistent jumper is the reason the team went out and got Lil Flip Murray.  If he does not improve this, expcect Andre Owens to be resigned and getting backup minutes.  The Pacers are looking to draft a point guard.  They already have Jamaal Tinsley who is going to be ahrd to deal with all of his baggage.  If Diener wants to see the court, he has to get a consistent 3-point shot.  Also, a little more work on quickness and speed will help him keep up with quicker and faster point guards at the defensive end.

“Stephen Graham. He should continue to do what he always does, work as hard as anybody on planet Earth. When his number’s called next year, I want him to be ready to go and that means he needs to be ready mentally to play a big role. He is a man with a lot of pride, knows that he has a great opportunity here at the Pacers, and will play in the summer league along with Shawne Williams. We just feel that Stephen has to be a guy that will compete for minutes next year.“

My Assignments: He is one of my and other fans favorites because he plays like we want the whole team to play: with head, heart and hustle.  That is what I want to see out their on the floor and he gives it to me.  With that being said, he has a lot to work on offensively.  He is styled similarly to Danny Granger.  He has a better handle than Danny and needs to use that to get to the bucket.  He needs to be more aggressive on the offensive end when he gets the ball.  Overall though, he fills his role on this team very well.  Hopefully, he will be able to break into the rotation more next year.

“Marquis Daniels. Marquis will work a lot on his stand-still open 3-point shots. He really had a good finish to the year from the standpoint of recognizing that when he has his feet set, he can be a good 3-point shooter. I don’t think he’s ever going to be a great 3-point shooter, but we want him to be a consistent 34 percent, 35 percent 3-point shooter. So I’m sure he’ll work a great deal on shooting. The rest of the game is instinctive to Marquis, but he needs to get up thousands of shots during the summer.“

My Assignments: O’Brien is smart here with his word choice “instinctive.”  That is how Marquis plays. Instinctive.  He is a slasher and when he sees an opening he reacts and tries to attack.  He does need to acquire a solid 3-point shot, but he has never had one so I don’t know how likely that is.  Marquis has the ability to be a solid defender, but does not give a consistent effort.  He must work on his mental game and work on his mental toughness and focus.  A lot of times he just seems to be going through the motions.  A sports psychological coach would be good for him.

“Jeff Foster. I don’t tell Jeff to do anything. Jeff loves to be in the weight room and is always ready when the season starts. I think Jeff was pleased with his new role as a passer and there’s not a lot you can do about practicing passing. But he also knows that our staff has a lot of confidence in his ability to knock down a stand-still open shot and so I think that he’ll want to prove, not only to us but to the rest of the league, that he’s a very effective shooter.“

My Assignments: He needs to work on his back to the basket moves in the post.  He has added a 10-15 foot jumper to his game over the last few seasons, so the next step is post moves.  If Jermaine is still with the team, he won’t need them all the time but a change of pace and weak side scorer on the block would be good.  Just add a little mini-jump hook or an effective drop step and he will be an even better starting center in this league.  He is already one of the best role players in the NBA.

“Jermaine O’Neal. Jermaine just needs to rehab. He has a number of exercises that he has been given to rehab and strengthen his legs and his knee in particular. We’re confident that he can get back to full speed, but it’s just going to come down to his diligence and continuing the rehab process that he spent the last half of the season working on.“

My Assignments: He gave us the most basic and obvious answers on this one.  Yes Jermaine needs to rehab.  But he has to enter next season in the best shape of his career because of that injury.  He must not show any signs of ineffectiveness next year or the doubters will all come out. His physical condition must be at its peak in order to make sure there is no rust on his game when he returns.  Plus his better condition will help him keep up in the Pacers up-tempo offense.  Besides that, what more can you ask from a perrenial all-star coming off an injury?

“Troy Murphy. Murph needs to work on learning to take charges. I think it’s an important element in his game. He really moves well, has a great basketball IQ, and we would like him to become a guy that can help us protect the basket better than we have as a team. If he can learn to take charges, that would be a step in the right direction. He’s a great shooter and has a great deal of pride in his body, so I have no question that he’ll follow the conditioning program.“

My Assignments: One thing stands out to me in this statement: “He really moves well.”  When have you ever seen Troy really move well?  Please let me know because I haven’t ever seen it.  If anything taking charges is the furthest from my mind when I think of trying to improve Troy’s game.  There might be hidden meaning in this statement meaning he needs to work on his lateral quickness (noticing a trend?), which is true.  More lateral quickness will help him be able to move  his feet fast enough to be in position to take a charge.  That is the biggest thing Troy needs to work on so he is not vulnerable to the face up big man that a lot of guys are turning into.  Also, a low-post move or two wouldn’t hurt.

“Ike Diogu. He needs to play as much basketball as he can. The more he’s on the court, five on five, the better off he is. Ike is a well-conditioned athlete, he’s strong, he takes pride in his conditioning, he always stays at the top level from a physical conditioning standpoint. He needs to be in a full-court setting as much as possible, playing five on five, and guys prefer to do that, anyway.“

My Assignments: I’m not as confident in his conditioning as O’Brien seems to be, but he must just continue to improve.  I’m not trying to be vague but Ike has shown a lot of signs of being a good post player but he is still a project.  He has to improve is confidence as an offensive player.  He has the moves but does not seem to feel right taking his shots.  He has to improve his ability to pass out of the post, something playing a lot of 5-on-5 will help him with.  Also, he needs to be quicker to help from the weak side on defense.  He doesn’t always come off of his man quick enough to prevent an easy layup.

“Shawne Williams. Shawne should just be going into his senior year in college next season, so he needs to spend as much time as possible here in Indianapolis working with our coaching staff. Every phase of the game is important to him, every fundamental of the game – ball-handling, shooting and moving without the ball in particular. He also needs to strengthen his body, make sure his body is ready to play at a higher level than it has in the past so he might be able to play one of the big spots when called on. His summer program is as important as anybody on the team. He needs to continue to grow as a player.“

My Assignments: O’Brien again impresse me here with his honesty.  Shawne needs to improve in every aspect of his game just like Ike.  He also showed a lot of promise at times.  It is kind of weird that the Pacers have two players with very VERY similar games in Shawne and Danny.  Both are long, athletic, rely on a jumper and lack high level ball handling.  I actually give Shawne the edge with his ability to handle.  I’m not sure it’s actually better than Danny’s, but he at least shows it off more.  The things I think Shawne should focus on are a mid range jumper, a more consistent 3-point shot, and assertiveness getting to the basket. 

With all of this being said, their are a couple names left off O’Brien’s list of “students”: Jamaal Tinsley and David Harrison.  Both probably to the pleasure of Pacer fans.  O’Brien has already stressed that Jamaal is not a player he can rely on because of all of his injuries.  And of course David is another player that cannot always be counted on. 

In the Next Episode:  

-A Reality Check for All Pacers Fans and Calling Out Colin Cowherd

Since Larry Bird is looking to mix things up this summer, here are some options for him to consider

TJ Ford-PG-Toronto-The newest hot comodity.  Would be a perfect fit for the Pacers’ offense but he is often injured, just like JT.  Still a possibility depending on what Toronto wants

 Milwaukee’s #8 pick, Michael Redd, Mo Williams-The Bucks have said this pick is tradable and have also not said that Michael Redd and Mo Williams are secure.  All three are options for the Pacers

New Jersey 10, 21, 40 picks, Richard Jefferson-Though they have said they aren’t shopping the picks they have used language like “for now” and “at this time” which indicates that they are actually.  Richard Jefferson being available is no secret.

Golden State-Patrick O’Bryant, #14, Brandan Wright, Monta Ellis-Patrick O’Bryant is a free agent possibility for the Pacers.  Also, the Warriors have been said to have a package of #14 and Brandan Wright available as well.  Of course, the most intriguing is Monta Ellis who finally exploded this past season.  He is another free agent possibility.

Knicks-They have had a known interest in acquiring JO, and with Donnie there, you never know.

In the Next Episode:

The possibility of one of these trades/acquisitions actually happening.

All I have to say about the prospects of drafting Kevin Love is: Please don’t do it.

I understand the guy has some of the most polished offensive post moves and highest basketball IQ in this draft, but I do not like him coming to the Pacers.  Let’s discuss the positives first.  He is by far the best passer of any big man in college this year and in my mind in recent memory.  This is something the Pacers could use to compliment J.O. and to free up Granger and Dunleavy along the perimeter.  He would be the team’s best passer besides Tinsley.  Also, he has some very good low post offensive moves.  We saw at UCLA that he could be the focal point of the offense on the blocks.  This is again something the Pacers need because they have not had a post presence to compliment J.O. since Brad Miller.  Love could be that instant impact low post scoring player to be the third or fourth option offensively and still fill that role well. 

With that being said, I think he would be the wrong selection at #11 no matter who else is available.  Love would fit well into the Pacers plan offensively, except for getting up and down the court consistently.  Where he would not fit in is in what they need most: athleticism and defense.  Love has neither of them.  Not even close to being good at either.  I realize he would help be the compliment offensively to J.O. and Danny but defensively he will be a burden.  No, he will be more than a burden.  He will be target practice.  The Pacers have 1 really good defender in Granger, and 2 solid defenders in J.O. and Jeff Foster, but neither of them are intimidating defensively.  They need someone athletic and quick who can play tough on-the-ball defense or a long, lanky inside presence who will make people think twice about driving to the basket.  Too many times this year did they get beaten off the dribble by quicker, more athletic players, especially guards.  Love would do nothing but be slow on the weak side rotation, get beat off the dribble or get dunked on. 

The Pacers do not really have problems on offense.  They can put up points. We’ve seen that.  They don’t necessarily need another offensive weapon (especially one with a vertical less than mine).  They need someone who can play defense or at least someone quick and athletic who can be taught to play good D.  There defense was so bad this year because the team did not have enough quickness and athleticism to keep up with better offensive players.  All of these players I consider mediocre at best on D: Dunleavy, Murphy, Diener, Daniels, Tinsley, Diogu, Lil Flip (Murray), Williams, Rush, Owens, and Harrison.  That is too many bad defenders to add another one to that list. Kevin Love does fill a couple roles for the Pacers, but no the most pressing ones.  They need to select someone quick (point guard or combo guard) who can keep up with quicker guards the team struggled with last year and also break people down off the dribble offensively.  The other option is a big man that can contribute at the defensive end immediately and will probably be a little bit of a project on the offensive end.