If Troy had all the attributes we would like to see in a power forward, the Pacers
never would have been able to acquire him.

If Troy is a fraud, then what’s Al Harrington? the Pacers at least broke even on
this portion of the trade—and probably came out ahead.

. . .I agree with both of you. I always thought Jackson (as a basketball player) was
under-appreciated here. I also agree that the trade must be judged in toto and
not broken into components.

I just don’t think calling Troy a fraud is appropriate. He’s not. He is what he is. If
anything, he has pleasantly surprised this year.

So—I won’t argue with criticisms of Donny for making this trade, but don’t take it out
on Troy by smearing him with the use of a term that doesn’t apply.

By the way—Pacer attendance this year is up significantly—in a year when the
attendance of many of the other teams is dropping like a stone.

I have immense respect for the stewardship of this franchise by Donny over the
years. A great amount of the credit goes to him for making the Pacers as vibrant
and successful as they were.

But I think, during the last three or four years, that he slipped a little bit. I don’t think
he was a decisive and proactive as he needed to be in the months following
the Brawl. I felt queasy when we brought Harrington back. I thought he was too
much of an enabler with respect to Jermaine and Jamaal. And I think he allowed
himself to get backed into a corner vis-a-vis Jackson because he had not been
decisive in dealing with Artest, O’Neal, and Tinsley. It was the total product—both
on and off the court—that caused the fans to bolt. Not just Jackson.

Of course, we never were quite sure just who was in charge then. But the contrast
in management style has become quite apparent since Donny left. The things
Bird has done and the way he has done them have provided a better feeling among
fans. There’s not much doubt in my mind now that Donny was calling a lot of the
shots.

Troy Murphy is a leftover from the previous regime. There is both good and bad
connected with that. But my view is that the total reconstruction of this team is
going to take some time. We have to be patient. In the mean time, I think Troy
can play a valuable role—particularly if we can add a couple of pieces before too
long.

Troy’s contract isn’t tradable—so I’m trying to make the best of it.

Troy is a fraud. His numbers are gaudy, but he shoots alot, so he’s bound to hit a few. And his D is horrible. What I’m concerned with is why Jack is getting so many late game minutes. Believe, I live in Portland, and watched Jarret struggle out here. He’s a serviceable backup, but shouldn’t be in the game late in the fourth. Just look at the most recent loss to Boston. Larry got jobbed on that trade, period.