Old Pacer Source Looking at Mark Jackson

by Tom Lewis on Apr 27, 2007 6:29 AM EDT in News Comment 0 comments

I find myself in lock step with Peter Vecsey's column today where he makes a strong case for Mark Jackson as the best choice for to coach the Pacers followed by Sam Mitchell.

For instance, did any of the decision makers ever see Mark Jackson play? Clearly, he's one of the league's all-time greatest floor leaders. Who needs head coaching experience or time on the bench as an assistant when you've orchestrated half a dozen outfits to the playoffs? Bill Russell, Lenny Wilkens and Dave DeBusschere (off the top of my head; there are probably others) were player-coaches, for crying out tears.

Have any of these same people ever listened to what Jackson says as an ABC/YES analyst? In my meek, amateur judgment he's the most informative, entertaining and refreshingly straightforward (in a dignified manner) courtside observer in the history of NBA TV. There's no one in the same sanctified sentence.

If my team has an opening, I already would have made a strong recruiting pitch.

If my team doesn't have an opening and I'm looking for a no-nonsense man whose knowledge and instincts command respect, someone who'll hold players accountable for their actions as well as maintain the same standard for every player, I'd be seriously thinking about creating one before some other team does itself a favor and scoops up Jackson.

If I'm the Pacers, I'd go out of my way to sign Jackson. Mitchell would be second choice. If I'm the Bobcats, Mitchell's my man...

Earlier in the piece he mentioned that the job is Sam Mitchell's to turn down. In the past, Vecsey has been a reliable source for mostly accurate leaked information. New York's own, Donnie Walsh has always been the assumed peddler of information he'd like revealed. If so, it's hard to say whether Pacer news filtered through Vecsey will still have the same speculation-to-accuracy ratio as it has in the past. Right now, any nuggets of Pacer information are fun to consume and consider, so keep feeding us Peter.

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