[dylanhouParticipant]

The pacers have alot of great potential and young talent. It seems like they are on the brink of breaking out of that 6-9 range in the eastern conference maybe as soon as next season. With Danny Granger, Darren Collison, Paul George, and Lance Stephenson- just added george hill, and roy hibbert and hansborough both contributing nicely, I could see them as having easily one of the deepest and most balanced teams in the league with some of these guys ready to explode…. theyre a team with an arsenal of weapons.

What do you guys think?

[providencefriars1Participant]

Dont group Lance Stepheson in a class above Hibbert and Hansbrough. He has proven nothing to no one.

[providencefriars1Participant]

Dont group Lance Stepheson in a class above Hibbert and Hansbrough. He has proven nothing to no one.

[dylanhouParticipant]

I didn’t mean to do that, he was the one i mainly was saying who could explode next year…

Larry Bird says he is the best player on the team so im ready to see him burst into relevance and make a huge impact compared to last years

[dylanhouParticipant]

I didn’t mean to do that, he was the one i mainly was saying who could explode next year…

Larry Bird says he is the best player on the team so im ready to see him burst into relevance and make a huge impact compared to last years

[HitsterParticipant]

The Pacers have been stuck in a rut since the Brawl in the Hall team was disbanded and perhaps more significantly JO started to lose effectiveness due to injuries.

Despite struggling they didn’t have one really bad season or come up in the lottery so they ended up with numerous late lottery picks without getting one major top pick. Luckily Danny Grainger stepped up and put up a couple of really prolific seasons in 2008/09 and 2009/10. Although he scoring was down last season the team as a whole improved and he did not have to shoulder so much of the scoring burden.

Roy Hibbert has developed into an effective starting C and I always remember the quote by Larry Bird when they drafted him "He’ll still be 7ft 2ins at the end of the game" or similar words. Whilst Hibbert can be found out against fast break teams and on occasion has been left out when they are say playing GSW, the still gives them a solid defensive presence and an excellent anchor.

In Darren Collinson they have their long term PG now and hyaving acquired George Hill from the Spurs in a package for the 15th pick, it will be interesting to see how they look to fit both him and Paul George in. I’d guess that perhaps they may Hill at 2 with George as the 6th man unless they could move Grainger to 4 with Paul George at 3.

Importantly the Pacers cleared all their bad contacts this year so could surely add a decent FA or two. Nene or David West as PF’s could be targets or maybe they try to add a complimentary player or two at MLE and save cap space for another year or to take account of when the rookies need to be renewed knowing that the team is losing money so keeping a tight reign on spending.

With James Posey’s expiring deal and cap space they could have a few pieces to make a trade and with a deep 2012 draft wherever they pick they can probably add a decent piece.

 

 

[HitsterParticipant]

The Pacers have been stuck in a rut since the Brawl in the Hall team was disbanded and perhaps more significantly JO started to lose effectiveness due to injuries.

Despite struggling they didn’t have one really bad season or come up in the lottery so they ended up with numerous late lottery picks without getting one major top pick. Luckily Danny Grainger stepped up and put up a couple of really prolific seasons in 2008/09 and 2009/10. Although he scoring was down last season the team as a whole improved and he did not have to shoulder so much of the scoring burden.

Roy Hibbert has developed into an effective starting C and I always remember the quote by Larry Bird when they drafted him "He’ll still be 7ft 2ins at the end of the game" or similar words. Whilst Hibbert can be found out against fast break teams and on occasion has been left out when they are say playing GSW, the still gives them a solid defensive presence and an excellent anchor.

In Darren Collinson they have their long term PG now and hyaving acquired George Hill from the Spurs in a package for the 15th pick, it will be interesting to see how they look to fit both him and Paul George in. I’d guess that perhaps they may Hill at 2 with George as the 6th man unless they could move Grainger to 4 with Paul George at 3.

Importantly the Pacers cleared all their bad contacts this year so could surely add a decent FA or two. Nene or David West as PF’s could be targets or maybe they try to add a complimentary player or two at MLE and save cap space for another year or to take account of when the rookies need to be renewed knowing that the team is losing money so keeping a tight reign on spending.

With James Posey’s expiring deal and cap space they could have a few pieces to make a trade and with a deep 2012 draft wherever they pick they can probably add a decent piece.

 

 

[franfranParticipant]

 Indiana Pacers future passes through the hands of Paul George

[franfranParticipant]

 Indiana Pacers future passes through the hands of Paul George

[raybeasParticipant]

start on having a good team. They need a star to lead them, as Granger is not enough of a leader. I think Hansborough would be better off the bench as an energy guy to lead the second unit, and Collison did not wow me as a starter last year. I think their best bet to improve right now would be to trade Granger for a stud point guard or all-star level power forward. They have a lot of cap room for this year, but may not get to use it (lockout), and as there are no real stud free agents, maybe better served to save some for next year.They dont really have any depth at any position except small forward, and glaring depth problems at center and power forward. The best sign for the future is that they got Kevin Pritchard to back up Bird in the personnel department.

[raybeasParticipant]

start on having a good team. They need a star to lead them, as Granger is not enough of a leader. I think Hansborough would be better off the bench as an energy guy to lead the second unit, and Collison did not wow me as a starter last year. I think their best bet to improve right now would be to trade Granger for a stud point guard or all-star level power forward. They have a lot of cap room for this year, but may not get to use it (lockout), and as there are no real stud free agents, maybe better served to save some for next year.They dont really have any depth at any position except small forward, and glaring depth problems at center and power forward. The best sign for the future is that they got Kevin Pritchard to back up Bird in the personnel department.

[orangeshadow83Participant]

I think they need to decide who there sf of the future is going to be. Their best player and their most promising play the same position so i think they should trade Granger to make more minutes for george in his natural position. Trading granger would bring in some nice pieces to thelp build around the core of collison george and hibbert. While this team would be very young and might not win immediately, they have not been able to become a top tier team with granger as their leader for a few years now and they would have a very bright future. what do you all think?

[orangeshadow83Participant]

I think they need to decide who there sf of the future is going to be. Their best player and their most promising play the same position so i think they should trade Granger to make more minutes for george in his natural position. Trading granger would bring in some nice pieces to thelp build around the core of collison george and hibbert. While this team would be very young and might not win immediately, they have not been able to become a top tier team with granger as their leader for a few years now and they would have a very bright future. what do you all think?

[iguapops420Participant]

It’d be a long shot but the idea of gettin Martin and Scola for young pieces and cap space would be worth a look. Perhaps even take a bad contract on if need be. Otherwise you’re going to end up having too much young talent to go around.

Paul George 

Brandon Rush

Tyler Hansbrough

Josh McRoberts

Lance Stephenson 

George Hill 

Capspace.

IMO, Figure out who your keeping and try for a big time talent with the rest. Perhaps Paul George, Hansbrough,Stephenson for Monta or a player of the like.

Either way, I don’t think they need to put all of their chips into the Paul George basket just yet. At least not unless it’s using him for a proven player.

[iguapops420Participant]

It’d be a long shot but the idea of gettin Martin and Scola for young pieces and cap space would be worth a look. Perhaps even take a bad contract on if need be. Otherwise you’re going to end up having too much young talent to go around.

Paul George 

Brandon Rush

Tyler Hansbrough

Josh McRoberts

Lance Stephenson 

George Hill 

Capspace.

IMO, Figure out who your keeping and try for a big time talent with the rest. Perhaps Paul George, Hansbrough,Stephenson for Monta or a player of the like.

Either way, I don’t think they need to put all of their chips into the Paul George basket just yet. At least not unless it’s using him for a proven player.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

I like that idea of trying to get Scola or try to get Patterson…I think Patterson has alot of upside and might be capable of starting next year…

I think they should wait until they see how much George have improved before making any moves…

Hansbrough is 1 hard player to pin point..He’s tough,a team player,rebounds well,puts up decent stats..But there’s something about his game that keeps saying he’ll never be a nba starting power foward on a consistent basis…

 

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

I like that idea of trying to get Scola or try to get Patterson…I think Patterson has alot of upside and might be capable of starting next year…

I think they should wait until they see how much George have improved before making any moves…

Hansbrough is 1 hard player to pin point..He’s tough,a team player,rebounds well,puts up decent stats..But there’s something about his game that keeps saying he’ll never be a nba starting power foward on a consistent basis…

 

[HitsterParticipant]

Scola and or Martin would be interesting for the Pacers but what would Daryl Morey want in return I wonder? Grainger would surely have to go and Houston would perhaps want Hibbert to fill their Yao void so doing a straight swap that way would not make sense.

But Grainger at SF for the Rockets and say Scola at PF for the Pacers does look like two great fits. Both teams are trying to get better so maybe something around Grainger for Scola and some Houston assets from Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, the pick from the Knicks or Houston’s own 2012 draft pick could be interesting.

Also Daryl Morey against Kevin Pritchard in a trade could be fun to watch. The thing about Pritch was that he always loved to try and generate deals so if Larry Bird lets him get involved there then he will surely bring so interesting options to the Pacers.

[HitsterParticipant]

Scola and or Martin would be interesting for the Pacers but what would Daryl Morey want in return I wonder? Grainger would surely have to go and Houston would perhaps want Hibbert to fill their Yao void so doing a straight swap that way would not make sense.

But Grainger at SF for the Rockets and say Scola at PF for the Pacers does look like two great fits. Both teams are trying to get better so maybe something around Grainger for Scola and some Houston assets from Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, the pick from the Knicks or Houston’s own 2012 draft pick could be interesting.

Also Daryl Morey against Kevin Pritchard in a trade could be fun to watch. The thing about Pritch was that he always loved to try and generate deals so if Larry Bird lets him get involved there then he will surely bring so interesting options to the Pacers.

[omphalosParticipant]

This team doesn’t need any more late lottery picks, I’d much rather they get more playoff experience for their young players, which would mean keeping Granger around. Then, when George is ready to take the reins, trade Grange to fill any holes they might have in the roster and they’ll be set.

I can see them being Memphis East to be honest; they have a solid C, a great young SF, capable SG, above average PG and enviable depth with Hansborough, Rush/Stephenson, Hill, McRoberts among others all coming off the bench. What they lack that Memphis has is that PF who can get them buckets and form a tandem with Hibbert, who will continue to improve.

Nene would be a great temporary solution, as would David West/ but they need a young understudy for him to mentor. If they are looking for someone raw with potential I’d target Jordan Hill or Patterson or Motie as has been mentioned, Houston has plenty of PFs who won’t get enough playing time but are talented.

If they want a low-post presence though, Al Jefferson is the ideal fit; like Z-Bo he’s always been able to put up numbers on bad teams, but hopefully another trade will help mature him and Vogel can bring him around to the team concept. He’d be expected to be a leader on a young team and the Pacers would have one of the better post-up players in the NBA.

Pacers don’t have to be a middling team if they play their cards right, but this lock-out could hurt their chances, building on the momentum they gained in the playoffs is crucial.

[omphalosParticipant]

This team doesn’t need any more late lottery picks, I’d much rather they get more playoff experience for their young players, which would mean keeping Granger around. Then, when George is ready to take the reins, trade Grange to fill any holes they might have in the roster and they’ll be set.

I can see them being Memphis East to be honest; they have a solid C, a great young SF, capable SG, above average PG and enviable depth with Hansborough, Rush/Stephenson, Hill, McRoberts among others all coming off the bench. What they lack that Memphis has is that PF who can get them buckets and form a tandem with Hibbert, who will continue to improve.

Nene would be a great temporary solution, as would David West/ but they need a young understudy for him to mentor. If they are looking for someone raw with potential I’d target Jordan Hill or Patterson or Motie as has been mentioned, Houston has plenty of PFs who won’t get enough playing time but are talented.

If they want a low-post presence though, Al Jefferson is the ideal fit; like Z-Bo he’s always been able to put up numbers on bad teams, but hopefully another trade will help mature him and Vogel can bring him around to the team concept. He’d be expected to be a leader on a young team and the Pacers would have one of the better post-up players in the NBA.

Pacers don’t have to be a middling team if they play their cards right, but this lock-out could hurt their chances, building on the momentum they gained in the playoffs is crucial.

[iguapops420Participant]

 Big Al was a thought for me as well and probably would come a lot cheaper than say 2 years ago. Since Utah is ready for a move to the future with Kanter at 5 and Favors at 4, probably wouldn’t take much more than George and a pick or so.

[iguapops420Participant]

 Big Al was a thought for me as well and probably would come a lot cheaper than say 2 years ago. Since Utah is ready for a move to the future with Kanter at 5 and Favors at 4, probably wouldn’t take much more than George and a pick or so.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

IF the Pacers trade Granger right now, they’d be going backwards… George isn’t ready to take on that kind of offensive role yet.

George’s natural position is the three, but it’s not like he and Granger get in each other’s way. As we saw at various points during the regular season and versus the Bulls in the playoffs, they can play together for the time being.

I like Hansbrough, but he’s a bench player… An energy guy off of the bench. The Pacers need a legit starting power forward… Then maybe fans will start packing Conseco again.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

IF the Pacers trade Granger right now, they’d be going backwards… George isn’t ready to take on that kind of offensive role yet.

George’s natural position is the three, but it’s not like he and Granger get in each other’s way. As we saw at various points during the regular season and versus the Bulls in the playoffs, they can play together for the time being.

I like Hansbrough, but he’s a bench player… An energy guy off of the bench. The Pacers need a legit starting power forward… Then maybe fans will start packing Conseco again.

[HitsterParticipant]

Good to see Indy ball’s take on the Pacers, I agree that to trade Grainger would make no real sense unless they got a dream package as the team needs to go forward and start trying to get the fans back.

A quality PF is their need but outside of David West and perhaps Nene there is not a lot there via FA, so perhaps a trade could be worked for someone but identifying a suitable candidate at the moment isn’t easy as the other team will want assets and with the Pacers wanting to rebuild around Collinson, George Hill, Paul George, Grainger and Hibbert then it’s hard to see any of them being on the block.

Scola looked a great fit but if Indiana want to keep the above players then I cannot see how they could do a deal as I’d doubt they would want to surrender a 2012 first rounder unless they figured they would be out of the lottery given the depth in that draft.

They do have cap room so could always look to try and get assets via a salary dump and then force a trade with those assets.

 

[HitsterParticipant]

Good to see Indy ball’s take on the Pacers, I agree that to trade Grainger would make no real sense unless they got a dream package as the team needs to go forward and start trying to get the fans back.

A quality PF is their need but outside of David West and perhaps Nene there is not a lot there via FA, so perhaps a trade could be worked for someone but identifying a suitable candidate at the moment isn’t easy as the other team will want assets and with the Pacers wanting to rebuild around Collinson, George Hill, Paul George, Grainger and Hibbert then it’s hard to see any of them being on the block.

Scola looked a great fit but if Indiana want to keep the above players then I cannot see how they could do a deal as I’d doubt they would want to surrender a 2012 first rounder unless they figured they would be out of the lottery given the depth in that draft.

They do have cap room so could always look to try and get assets via a salary dump and then force a trade with those assets.

 

[bdiddy5115Participant]

I proposed this deal during the season:

 

OKC trades Ibaka, N.Collison

Utah trades Jefferson, 1st

Indiana trades Granger, Hansbrough 

–

OKC gets Jefferson

Utah gets Granger, Hansbrough

Indiana gets Ibaka, N.Collison, 1st

 

OKC gets their offensive big-man they need, to place beside Perk. Utah gets their perimeter go-to guy. Indiana goes young/defensive, allowing George to move to his natural 3 spot. I proposed this around the time they almost made the Mayo deal…so hypothetically they’d have:

Hibbert/Ibaka/George/Mayo/Collison

 

[bdiddy5115Participant]

I proposed this deal during the season:

 

OKC trades Ibaka, N.Collison

Utah trades Jefferson, 1st

Indiana trades Granger, Hansbrough 

–

OKC gets Jefferson

Utah gets Granger, Hansbrough

Indiana gets Ibaka, N.Collison, 1st

 

OKC gets their offensive big-man they need, to place beside Perk. Utah gets their perimeter go-to guy. Indiana goes young/defensive, allowing George to move to his natural 3 spot. I proposed this around the time they almost made the Mayo deal…so hypothetically they’d have:

Hibbert/Ibaka/George/Mayo/Collison

 

[iguapops420Participant]

 I don’t really think OKC re looking to get rid of Ibaka or get less athletic. But that’s just me.Plus Granger is a prima dona and if I’m not mistaken they got tired of with Deron, and even greater player. So I personally doubt they’re ready to take on Danny. 

Indy aren’t getting rid of Granger. Once he gets a FULL team around him not just a bunch of young guys, his ability to closewill be greatly needed.

[iguapops420Participant]

 I don’t really think OKC re looking to get rid of Ibaka or get less athletic. But that’s just me.Plus Granger is a prima dona and if I’m not mistaken they got tired of with Deron, and even greater player. So I personally doubt they’re ready to take on Danny. 

Indy aren’t getting rid of Granger. Once he gets a FULL team around him not just a bunch of young guys, his ability to closewill be greatly needed.

[Author]

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