IC Cold Links: Digesting The Daggers

by Tom Lewis on Dec 8, 2008 6:45 AM EST in Indiana Pacers News

Here are some items of interest after watching Boston's Big Three shoot down the Pacers:

Here's Bruno's LIVE! blog final along with the rest of the Postgame Report.
Mike Wells found the Celtics happy to mess up Larry Bird's birthday but still offering plenty of praise for the Pacers. KG was one Celt offering praise, if not throwing me off the scent with the term, superficial.
"One of the things that's superficial here is when you come into the arena and you look up and see their slogan this year about dedicating themselves to hard work and passion," Celtics forward Kevin Garnett said. "The way they go out and play, it's true. They make mistakes, but they are playing hard, really hard."
So the slogan is superficial because it is just words on a sign, but the Pacers are real because they're backing up the words with their actions. I get it...I think.
Pacers Notebook has items on JOB using Stephen Graham for what was Brandon Rush's minutes in the rotation. Rush didn't play last night. JOB also considered starting Roy Hibbert for Rasho Nesterovic but Rasho's been too valuable lately early in the games.
Frank Dell'Apa tries to figure out how the Celtics won this one and finds Ray Allen's seven 3-balls a good place to start.
Steve Bullpet has a similar take with Doc Rivers making sense of the late game heroics for the Celtics.
We stole the game tonight and we felt fortunate to do it,” coach Doc Rivers said after the team’s 12th straight win. “I felt that us being together longer showed, and our execution in overtime was phenomenal. The calm of that when you have veterans was huge for us.
Pacers Insider has Mike's initial post-game thoughts while his formal game report is prepped for the Indy Star. I'm going to have to check for this now because I find it more interesting than the game report because Mike sprinkles in more opinion as opposed to strictly reporting the facts of the game. Good stuff.

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Being 7-13

Hello, pacer fan from Europe here.
So, it’s 7-13 finally, the tough schedule made itself shown in a rather weak record. While I agree that things in the East are very tight behind the few top teams, and thus the Pacers still have a good chance of possibly making the playoffs, I have to say that I think that it would be preferable for them to not make them.
Why? In brief, the pacers are simply not talented enough to compete for a championship and the draft is their only way to become more talented.
Last season, they had a new coach, a new style of play and their 2 most talented players (JO and JT) were hurt more than half of the season. By the way, this is the chance for me to rant a bit about some fellow Pacers fans: Tinsley, who has been made responsible for pretty much everything that has gone wrong the past few years, is gone and the P’s are …loosing! Oh, how soon do we forget that it was Tinsely, and not anybody else, who was the team’s MVP early last season when the team was .500 and he was outdueling the likes of Chris Paul. (Yes, the P’s almost climbed back to .5 at the end of the season, but they made use of a very easy schedule at that time). But I will stop here.
Back to talent: With the team less talented than a few years ago and stuck in a lot of long-term contracts, the ONLY way to add a considerable player (one which can put the team to another level) is via the draft. This team reminds me of the 76ers last season, a team that can overachieve (having a relatively modest talent level) due to their team play and possibly make the playoffs. However, in contrast to the sixers, the pacers don’t have any significant cap room (in contrast to what some fans say) to add an Elton Brand during the offseason, although it would be in need of one player exaclty at that position. That’s the Pacers position: They may surprise against top teams occasionally, but can’t compete against them constanly.
The talent in a draft class is often very top-heavy, i.e. if you are not very lucky, the people who can really change the team’s talent level are among the top 3 picks or so… In order for the Pacers to really become a team better than the Bobcats, Heat or Bulls (all teams they have lost to) and a team close to the Celtics or Cavs (which should be their goal) they simply have to add one or two VERY talented players. Their only chance is the draft, which is why I think it would be better for them to lose out on making the playoffs and have the ping-pong balls bounce their way. For making the playoffs as a 6th-8th seed, ths wouldn’t be necessary. However, I fear that by doing so (being a 6th-8th seed), this would be their limit for some time to come.

by bodi on Dec 8, 2008 2:31 PM EST reply actions

Love the love from Europe...

But i have to disagree. Danny Granger was not a lottery pick in 2005, and look how that turned out. If we had a low lottery pick that year we may have had Fran Vasquez or Yuroslav Kurolev or something of that nature. You have to trust your scouts and your team management to make the right pick at the right time, not hope there is a college stud out there that will slip through the cracks. The way the Sixers got Brand was like you said, playing very hard, showing they were close. I do not believe in rebuilding completely through the lottery, look where it got the clippers, knicks, and other perennial losers. A good tough playoff series is what this team needs to show they can compete at the highest level, and make them hungry for when there is a legit shot at the title say 2 or 3 years from now. The worst that can happen, they get swept by the 1 seed, and move on. The best? Golden State did it to Dallas a few years back, 8 seed beating the one seed. (as long as we dont do what golden state did afterwards and blow up the team haha) At best this team could be a top 5 team in the East, but more likely a 7-9, I would love to see Danny in the playoffs, get that notch under his belt, and actually watch a meaningful game come playoff time.

by captain flitzy on Dec 8, 2008 5:31 PM EST reply actions

Awesome points for discussion, bodi

My issues with not making the playoffs are far more personal, bordering on selfish. I just can’t follow the current players so closely and not want them to do well. But if playing well and coming up short enough to miss the playoffs is what you’re looking for, this is your team so far.

Considering the unsettled rotation, I don’t know that “easier” opponents will solve the search for W’s completely.

Indy Cornrows

by Tom Lewis on Dec 8, 2008 6:05 PM EST reply actions