[llperez]

Just curious if this is still gonna be a topic like it was all last season and leading up to the draft. In his history of running the pacers Tyler hansbrough was the only white player he drafted in the first round and people made it seem like he was putting emphasis on white players, even though he has also drafted Danny Granger, Shawne WIlliams, Brandon Rush and Roy Hobbert. Now this year he used his three picks on Paul George, Lance Stephenson and Magnum Rolle. Is this issue over with are is it still gonna be brought up?

[dipt1982Participant]

Larry Bird is racist, LMAO, just kidding…I never thought about him like that…

[wowthisisneatParticipant]

he wont pick a guy cuz of the colour of his skin. thats silly. i think its a coincidence that they have hansborough murphy dunleavy and foster

[JNixonParticipant]

I never bought into that, but it surprised the hell outta me that he picked Lance Stephenson. I don’t think Stephenson is a character concern, but I had no clue they were gonna pick him. Never passed through my mind.

I think Bird likes to pick fundamentally sound guys who think the game and have high basketball IQ’s, rather than simply “white players”

[llperez]

ANd murphy and dunleavy will probably be either traded or sign else where during the next 12 months since they are in the last year of their deals.

[mgreener_34Participant]

The funny thing about this whole Larry Bird thing is that he said white players are good for the game, so people crucify him; Yet right now people are spending money and investigating why black people don’t like to play baseball or hockey as much. I remember they even had a whole special on ESPN about it a few years ago. It’s just ridiculous, and it’s sad that people even notice these things anymore.

[llperez]

yeah, if i remember correctly when bird said that the nba would like to see a white superstar, he was sitting at an interview with like magic and lebron or somebody and he said that the fans would like to see a white american do well and it would help with sales and both magic and lebron (if it were them cant remember for sure) agreed. It really wasnt controversial the way he presented it and people acted like he is somehow personally looking for or personally rooting for the next white star.

[PurpleMonkeyDishwasherParticipant]

Go ahead and check everyones bloodlines. There is no no one left that Hitler was looking for. Were all mixes of some kind. I’m part eskimo.

[thaprodigyParticipant]

I always found this odd since his best players have been black Reggie Miller, O’Neal, and Granger.

[sheltwon3Participant]

lilPerez, i did say that Larry Bird for a while prefered white players and you have to admit this past draft was different than he ever drafted and I have much respect for Larry Bird and the players he took in his draft. I never said Larry Bird was racist.

[sheltwon3Participant]

I also cited the interview that he would appear he was trying to get Indiana to have the next great white player or something. It is not my fault that people read into stuff more than what you say and try to say you imply stuff. I am over the internet why would I not just say it straight out.

[Ahkasi ClayParticipant]

It would be interesting to see which team has drafted the fewest White, Asian, European, and Hispanic Players.

[llperez]

sheltwon, while you were maybe the main one pointing out bird for getting white guys, there was actually a few people on here who were making those claims, so this thread wasnt just directed at you.

[sheltwon3Participant]

I know but being the man guy, I knew people would say my name so instead of having someone call me out I will openly say yeah it was me and my stance has not changed. I even said that if he did take a black dude, that black dude would normally fit a certain profile. This past year, Indiana drafted totally different than they ever drafted.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Utah Jazz might be high on that list if you got 20 years. I remember pack in the early 90’s it was Karl Malone and one other black dude and everyone else was white or looked white.

[rickyD510Participant]

“karl malone is a black redneck”- sir charles

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I had a problem with Larry Bird.

It wasn’t necesarily regarding the players he picked in the draft though, even though I was disappointed in the Tyler Hansbrough pick. It’s not that hard to look at his draft history and see that he’s only drafted one white player.

My problem has been with the players he’s acquired via trade and free-agency post the Detroit Brawl. There was an image problem in Indiana and I think Bird started filling the roster with players he thought the majority of the population (white) in Indiana would relate to. BAD MOVE. The fans here care about winning, not who they can relate to on the court. The result was a losing record, lack of fan support/attendance and a lack of faith/respect from the fan base.

The Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson trade to Golden State for Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy Jr. was awful. It was a move that held us down cap wise *significantly* for 3-4 seasons. I, like many here, believe Bird could’ve gotten better deals, but traded for those two players because he thought the fan base would relate to them. It backfired because nobody cares about Murphy or Dunleavy Jr.

I didn’t like the Hansbrough pick because I thought it was made to fill the seats as well. “Pyscho T”, the hard working four year white player with all of the records from North Carolina was supposed to bring fans back to games lol. Problem was… Nobody, other than Bird, thinks he can be a great player in the NBA. Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Eric Maynor, Darren Collison and Rodrigue Beaubois were ***STILL*** on the board… ALL of whom are going to be better than Hansbrough. I believe had Bird drafted Gordon Hayward, it also would’ve been to fill seats. It also would’ve been a bad move. Thank God the Jazz took Hayward 9th and didn’t give Bird the opportunity to pull the trigger.

Bird isn’t a racist, but he’s a terrible GM. I still have a problem with him to be honest… He needs to go. Him and his “yes man” Jim O’Brien.

[rtbtParticipant]

IndianaBasketball said, “Bird isn’t a racist, but he’s a terrible GM”.

I think it was interesting in the NBADraft.net final assessment of the Summer League’s best players, 3 of the top 5 were Bird’s draft choices.

As for Tyler Hanbrough, nobody in their right mind ever said he was going to be a great NBA player. What most smart basketball people said was this, he’s the kind of guy who will play hard every night, rebound, score, and contribute. He will never have an attitude, he will be a great teammate, and he will represent your organization proudly. He was projected as a possible starter, but more likely, a solid role player.

In sum, in his limited time on the court last season, Hansbrough lived up to the expectations described above. He may never make the All Star Team, but he’s the kind of guy I want on my team.

And finally, Hansbrough wasn’t exactly a top 5 choice. He went at number 13 and there really wasn’t much left at that point in the draft. Check out all of the guys who were selected after him, very few had good seasons.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

“He went at number 13 and there really wasn’t much left at that point in the draft.”

Are you familiar with Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Eric Maynor, Darren Collison and Rodrigue Beaubois? If I’m not mistaken, Bird tried to acquire every one of those players (other than Holiday) through trade THIS summer.

[marcusfizer21Participant]

When the Pacers drafted Hansbrough, I was like "huh?!"… Then I scratched my head… I didn’t underestimate what Tyler can bring to the table but it’s just that the Pacers’ glaring need was a PG and that drafting Tyler at 13 is a bit of a stretch in my eyes… Talk about size, they have Troy Murphy and Roy Hibbert in the line-up… why add Tyler? I just don’t get how can the Pacers add more fan base to a guy who is an 8-8 guy at best… They want to sell tickets? They get a player who can fill up 20ppg just like Reggie did… Not a role player like Tyler. They could have gotten quality PG’s in the 2009 Draft known as the Point Guard Draft because of how deep the class is at the point guard spot…Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Eric Maynor, Darren Collison and Rodrigue Beaubois, wow… Those players had a heck of a rookie season and would’ve been better choices than Hansbrough…

[llperez]

i thnk most people now agree hansbrough was not the bst player available. But how many people on here were calling holiday, lawson, beubois, teague, and collison lottery picks last year? Not many. ANd its still early to write tyler off. But of course a pg would have been much better.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Larry Bird has just been an awful GM and President of Basketball Operations. He’s ran this once proud organization into the ground with his bad roster moves, lack of aggressiveness, poor front office decisions and lack of common sense to surround himself with individuals who won’t always agree with him.

[llperez]

i think some of that was not his fault though. The whole brawl thing, then ron asked to get traded, then steven jackson went shooting his gun outside a club, then harrington asked to be traded, then oneal getting injured. He went from having possibly a championship squad to having to rebuild. He has made some bad moves. Murphy is not a bad player although overpaid. Granger has had injuries as well as dunleavy. I think the team is in a good spot right now with a solid combination of young talent and expiring cap space coming off the books at the end of this year which should allow indiana to become relevant very soon.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

– Artest asking to get traded wasn’t Bird’s fault, BUT… It was Bird’s responsibilty to get the best deal. That was his job. Peja was a good player, BUT… He was injury prone and on the last year of his deal. He never had intentions of returning here. We basically let Artest, still a great player, get away for nothing.

– Jackson shot his gun… Should he have been traded? Yes. BUT once again… It’s Bird’s responsibility to get back something good in return. Murphy and Dunleavy Jr. had contracts that we fans here thought would never end. It’s going on four years that they’ve held down our cap. A rebuilding team doesn’t usually take on large contracts, bigger than the ones it traded, that last that long.

We’ve had to rebuild, BUT I, and many here, think Bird has done it the wrong way. He gets major criticism around here. People are ready for him to get the F out. People are as sick of his front office moves as much as his roster moves. The firing of Mel Daniels was unacceptable.

I think Bird has until next summer to get something done. IF he, O’Brien and Morway don’t, they’ll be ran out.

[rtbtParticipant]

IndianaBasketball said, “Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Eric Maynor, Darren Collison and Rodrigue Beaubois were all better than Hansbrough.

With the benefit of hindsight, the only guys on that list I would take ahead of Hansbrough are Ty Lawson and Darren Collison. But that’s with the benefit of hindsight. I must admit I don’t know much about Beaubois. On the night of the draft, I thought Hansbrough was a very good selection and that’s really the only valid way to judge a GM.

I still believe people haven’t yet seen the real Tyler Hansbrough in the NBA. I think he will be everything I projected above. He’s going to be a solid, but not a spectacular player, who is a great teammate that will produce every night he’s on the court. He’s the kind of guy who has intangibles that cannot be measured by ppg. For example, nobody wants to guard him.

In college he was double teamed every night. I cannot wait to see a healthy Tyler Hansbrough guarded by only one guy. It should be very interesting.

By the way, I agree in terms of both Dunleavy and Troy Murphy, both of them have to go. Mike Dunleavy has to be one of the biggest busts of recent drafts.

[llperez]

indiana basketball, just curious, what would you consider as "bird getting something done by next summer"? What would you (realistically) like to see him do either this year, or next off season?

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

“In college he was double teamed every night.”

This isn’t college anymore.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

IND 2007–08 82 36 46 .439 3rd in Central — — — Missed Playoffs
IND 2008–09 82 36 46 .439 4th in Central — — — Missed Playoffs
IND 2009–10 82 32 50 .390 4th in Central — — — Missed Playoffs

Let’s put a team on the floor that competes consistently. Let’s put a team on the floor that knows it’s identity and one that can grow together. My expectations of Bird are to build a roster and put a team on the floor that the fans can embrace, and be successful. The pieces need to be put in place that say to the fans that this team is on the right track to get back to it’s winning ways of the 90’s. The Pacers never didn’t win a title in the 90’s, but they were a consistent playoff team with tremendous fan support.

[rtbtParticipant]

“In college he was double teamed every night.” This isn’t college anymore.

Thanks for pointing that out to me.

Keep your eyes open this season, if Hansbrough is healthy, you might be singing a different song by next April.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I hope he gets over his mystery ear injury as well lol. He’s an energy role player who’ll give you double figure points every now and then.

He’s a good player to have on the team, but definitely nothing special. There were players with higher upside on the board when Bird picked him… Players that would’ve served a legit need. A need that is hurting us right at this moment… Point guard.

[JoeWolf1]

Couldnt agree more llperez, before Hansbrough the last white player he drafted was a 2nd rounder in 2004 or 2005.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

i don’t think he tries to get only white players. He has made mistakes, such as the Jackson for Murphy+Dunleavy trade, but Indiana just had an excellent draft – Stephenson could play point and I think George will be an excellent player and Rolle was a solid pick, and the Pacers probably weren’t the only team that would have picked Hansbrough 13th.

[rtbtParticipant]

By the way IndianaBasketball, I wanted to make it perfectly clear that I am not saying Bird’s done a good job as GM. As for the Jackson/Harrington trade, that was one he had to make. I could live with Troy Murphy because I love rebounders, but I still find it hard to believe how anyone could possibly think Dunleavy is a good player.

And yes, Indiana obviously needs a PG.

There are some areas where we agree. Obviously Hansbrough isn’t one of them because I think he will prove to be more valuable than you project.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Indiana you basically said a lot of stuff I a have been saying about Indiana for years cept I also say that Larry Bird reaches for white players but that stopped this season or maybe Utah helped them out by taking Hayward. We can only what if. I had to give you a point.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Indiana should play their young guys and let those bad contract run out or they could deal for David West because if Chris Paul is traded, can you say fire sale.

I am a Hornet’s fan but if Paul is gone they will look to rebuild.

[sheltwon3Participant]

Hansbrough will be lucky to be like Nick Collison who played just as well as tyler in college and has been solid in the NBA but nothing special.

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