[festar35Participant]

Was reading the sites write-up about the first day of pre-draft work-outs and it said that Larry Bird kept his eyes on Hayward through-out the entire work-out. Is Hayward to the Pacer almost a sure thing unless Hayward does something to move up or completely ruin his chances?

[13kavak]

to special player in the league and larry bird realizes that.

[eci_eliteParticipant]

This post is the most blatantly racist thing I’ve ever seen on this site. It’s akin to Isaiah Thomas saying if Bird was black he’d just be another player. Dunleavy had fellow lottery pick Jay Williams, first rounder Dantay Jones, NBA All Star Carlos Boozer, and Second round picks Chris Duhon and Daniel Ewing on his final four team with him. Who did Gordan have? As for the Pacers needing a center what about Roy Hibbert? He will be an All Star the minute the Pacers get rid of the idiot O’Brien. Also Josh McRoberts(the Pacers youngest player) is a good power forward when he gets to play. Let’s be honest Xavier Henry isn’t any better than the former Jay Hawk the Pacers have in Rush. Dantay Jones is a waste of space. Foster has never played hard but for some reason the Pacers hold on to him. Granger shoots 42% from the field and 36% from the 3. He’s a good Pippen to someone’s Jordan but we don’t have him yet. As for Ed Davis what has he really done? He was the second leading scorer at 12.9 ppg and led the team in rebounding at 9.2 on a rather average UNC team. They didn’t make the tourney. NIT please. Lost to Mid Major Dayton. Look I am a true blue Pacer fan ;which I doubt any of you are; I was a Pacer fan when we had the telethons to save the team. I bought season tickets to help keep the team here. I was a fan when we were winning ABA tittles. If we’re going to lose I’d rather watch Hoosiers lose than players from else where. Let’s stop bashing Hayward and wait and see what he does. How many of you laughed when the Mavs traded Michigan star Robert Tractor Trailer for Dirk? Where is Robert? Let’s draft players not potential players.

[Tha King2121Participant]

The Pacers draft white players?? just kidding i know

[knicksfan7Participant]

I don’t see Larry Bird drafting Hayward with the 10th pick, I could see Larry Bird trading down to draft Hayward lower though.

[sc0rebuckets11Participant]

I think they’ll draft Hayward, but do they need to?

Isn’t he basically the same type of player they already have, Mike Dunleavy jr?

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

IF Bird drafts Hayward, it’s only because he’s trying to sell tickets and excite the fan base.

Hayward isn’t who we need. Everybody knows that.

[knicksfan7Participant]

tezo, are ticket sales that bad in Indiana right now where they would have to make a move like that??

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Not only are ticket sales down… Overall fan support is down.

[13kavak]

the finals? hmm im just taking a guess here but im thinking the difference between dunleavy, hayward, and bird is that two of those players can practically WILL there team to win. one thing bird can spot more then anything else is the will to win since he had it.

[festar35Participant]

The thing is we are projected to take Henry or a PF like Davis two positions that we already have depth in. The Pacers are waiting for the 2011 FA to see what type of team they can create, if Hayward sells tickets in the mean-time i say go for it.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Um… Did Mike Dunleavy’s team make it to the Finals? YES. Duke won the championship during Dunleavy’s junior year.

Hayward is NOT going to will any team to victory in the NBA. He’s not that kind of player.

[M-DYMESParticipant]

I can only imagine Danny Granger’s reaction reading this thread. OJJ mind putting up a solid facepalm pic for me. 😉

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

“The thing is we are projected to take Henry or a PF like Davis two positions that we already have depth in.”

What depth do we have at power forward? Murphy is on the last year of his deal and Hansbrough was injured for majority of the season with a mysterious injury. Foster is old and just had back surgery. Solomon Jones isn’t good. We do NOT have a lot of dept in the post.

Our priorities are point guard and a post player… Not a wing player.

[13kavak]

sorry. pretty easy to win the finals when its duke though not so easy when its butler no offense, between dunleavy and hayward I would be anything hayward has the stronger will.

[BasketballGuru24Participant]

Last year we kind of joked around with the white man team, but now im kind of thinking the pacers trying to build a white man team. Pacers are in risk of moving the team from indianapolis. The city produces $55 million every year from the pacers. I think this is more of financial move that would attract more people as well as keep the team in indianapolis while keeping $55 million dollars.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@13kavak

Hayward was Butler’s best player, BUT… He didn’t “will” them through the tournament. It was literally a total team effort. They won games on the defensive end and by controlling the pace of the game. Hayward made some key plays here and there, but overall… He was solid, not spectactular.

[sheltwon3Participant]

This is stupid, Larry Bird should be fired for reaching for white players when there are more talented players or player that fit needs that are not white. I dont understand the Henry pick. They need to take a power forward or point guard. Danny Granger is their best player and he is a small forward. Why would Indiana take another small forward. Also if they take a power forward they are saying that Harbrough and that Duke guy who are both white are not good enough. They need to take Bledsoe and solify their point guard position. With all the big men in the draft they can take someone late first early second because i am sure some team will be giving away picks.

[llperez]

this is not a deep pg draft, and im not sure bledsoe is a top 10 caliber player. They might just address that position some other how or in the future. A pg would be ideal, but you dont use a top 10 on need if the player is not that good. Basically, best available. Murphy and dunleavy are both coming up on free agnecy. No reason they cant draft at really any position.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Wing isn’t a real need (We just signed Jones and we already Rush, Dunleavy, Granger), but I’d have no problem drafting a wing if he’s the best player available.

However… IF we draft Bledsoe with the 10th pick… Bird should be fired immediately.

[ZeroParticipant]

Why don’t they just draft best available, then trade for a decent point guard ?

[sheltwon3Participant]

What is wrong with drafting Bledsoe at 10. There are point guards that he is better than that went higher in a draft filled with point guards. Would you take Flynn over Bledsoe. If they can trade and draft Bledsoe later fine but his stock is rising and that is a risk because Memphis may take him at 12.

[JNixonParticipant]

Eric Bledsoe is not at all worthy of being a top 10 pick. What has be shown to be picked that high? I’d take Cole Aldrich if I were them

[sheltwon3Participant]

is Aldrich falling like that. Also if Larry Bird needs a talented white player, the Knicks will gladly trade Lee and a late first rounder to draft Haywood for the 10th pick. Lee is actually a good player and would give them more athleticism at the 4 postion. He will also improve their rebounding numbers. We would take Dunleavy for year to make it work.

[ajthejuicemanParticipant]

trade granger for monta ellis and randolph

[lolyouthParticipant]

The Pacers should not draft Hayward. He is a good player and could be a solid player in the NBA in the Future. I repeat future. He’s not NBA ready and they already have Danny Granger there. A solid All-star. Also, they would need to trade down to get him because their pick would be too much of reach too get him early.

Pacers need a point guard, but there is no one worth picking up here at their pick because Wall is gone and anybody else would be a reach. They could get a good shooting guard here like Xavier Henry who still has potential.

Also, Hayward would sell tickets. However so would have Steve Alford who led the local Indiana Hoosiers to a national title. Fans were wanting him and booed so loudly for the guy the Pacers picked over him. The Pacers chose a little scrub player… what’s his name again… I’m trying to remember…. oh, yeah REGGIE MILLER. (The “scrub” reference was a complete joke.) So you did well before Pacers, so do it again. Draft someone with potential and a great player, don’t draft Hayward (a solid player in his own right.)

[marcusfizer21Participant]

I’m sorry tez but if Hayward is drafted by the Pacers at number 10, I am calling for Larry Bird’s head…

[McWinningParticipant]

Birds not an idiot. He realizes he can always trade down, hes not gonna waste a top ten pick on someone he might be able to take with the 25th pick.

[llperez]

just thought i would point out to all the people saying bird drafts white players, Hansbrough is the only white player larry bird has ever used a first rounder on. Ill say it again, people need to drop the race thing when talking about bird all the time. It’s way overblown.

[festar35Participant]

Well i posted it and i’m white so you can get the hell out of here with your racism. It’s obvious that Larry Bird is looking for the next him and Hayward is the closest thing in this draft.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Larry Bird has admitted to trying to get White players because he believe it is good for the NBA. Look it up. This is not speculating. Some of you guys who want to throw stuff out need to do research. He has admitted to having a bias to white players. Some you guys are here are making his point too. He said that most of the fans who are white would like to see a white player do well in the NBA. He would appear that is why even though Hayward lacks a lot of things that would make him NBA ready you guys push him like he is elite or something. Solid guys should go late 1st round or early to mid second round and in a deep draft like this if Hayward was early second round that would fit.

[The8thDeadlySinParticipant]

KNIGHTSTOWN, Ind. — Larry Bird says he wants to see more white superstars in the NBA, but the legendary former Celtic has also revealed that nothing in basketball bothered him more than being guarded by another white player.

Bird made the comments during an ESPN special that will air Thursday at 7 p.m. ET featuring Bird’s longtime rival, Magic Johnson, and rookies LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. The one-hour discussion is called “Two on Two.”

ESPN host Jim Gray asked Bird whether the NBA lacks enough white superstars.

“Well, I think so,” said Bird, the Indiana Pacers’ president of basketball operations. “You know, when I played, you had me and Kevin [McHale] and some others throughout the league. I think it’s good for a fan base because, as we all know, the majority of the fans are white America. And if you just had a couple of white guys in there, you might get them a little excited. But it is a black man’s game, and it will be forever. I mean, the greatest athletes in the world are African-American.”

Johnson, a Lakers part owner, quickly added: “We need some more LBs — Larry Birds. … Larry Bird, you see, can go into any neighborhood. When you say ‘Larry Bird,’ black people know who he is, Hispanics, whites, and they give him the respect.”

Cleveland’s James and Denver’s Anthony, both 19, were also asked about race during the sitdown, which took place in the tiny gym used as Hickory High’s homecourt in the movie “Hoosiers.”

Asked by Gray if race is an issue in the NBA, James said: “I don’t think so. I think the fans look at the game, [they’re] not looking at the race. [They’re] looking who can play basketball. Or who’s athletic. … When you [were] a kid and you used to go outside, it didn’t matter who was the best player in the league. If Bird was my favorite player, I’m out shooting threes. … If Magic was my [favorite] player, I’m out there throwing my best passes. It’s not the race issue. If you can play the game of basketball, you know fans are gonna love you.”

Said Anthony: “Race is not an issue. Where I’m from, people love the Yao Mings, the Dirks, the Pejas. They love them guys. I don’t think race is an issue right now.”

Yet later in the discussion, Bird described being guarded by another white in his prime as “disrespect.”

“The one thing that always bothered me when I played in the NBA was I really got irritated when they put a white guy on me,” Bird said. “I still don’t understand why. A white guy would come out (and) I would always ask him: ‘What, do you have a problem with your coach? Did your coach do this to you?’ And he’d go, ‘No,’ and I’d say, ‘Come on, you got a white guy coming out here to guard me; you got no chance.’ … For some reason, that always bothered me when I was playing against a white guy.

“As far as playing, I didn’t care who guarded me — red, yellow, black,” Bird added. “I just didn’t want a white guy guarding me. Because it’s disrespect to my game.”

Said Magic: “His game, you see, Larry Bird was the only [white] guy that was mentioned in the barbershop. …’Cause that’s where all the talking in our community is, the barbershop or on the playground.”

Bird has declined to comment further, according to a Pacers spokesman, and NBA commissioner David Stern said he would reserve comment until seeing the entire interview.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

I think Indiana needs to look into that Minnesota offer of Jefferson for Granger…Indiana is 2 deep at every position..But they don’t have any chemistry at all…A few years ago they were 1 of the best defensive teams in the league..

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