Jim O'Brien Can't Rely on Jamaal Tinsley

Mike Wells talked to JOB  about the Pacers' point guard situation, in particular his thoughts on Jamaal Tinsley. No surprise that JOB is looking at other options to lead his team since Tinsley's injury history doesn't make him a reliable option.

"To say as a coach we're going to go with him as our point guard despite the injuries, you can't do that," O'Brien said during a phone interview Wednesday. "I would love to see him healthy, but that has not been the track record. It's very, very difficult to depend on him when, physically, he's been undependable. When he's on the court, we know what we're going to get. He's a great assist guy, he runs the fast break great. But based on the track record of physical ailments, how much can you depend on him?"

 JOB maintains that his thoughts on Tinsley are strictly due to the injuries making Tins less than dependable. He claims they were both on the same page and the perceived rift that developed between the two in December hasn't been a factor in their relationship. If healthy, he'd like to have Tins running the team.

It all sounds good, but if Larry Bird has any intentions of trying to move JT, these type of comments can't help. If the JOB doesn't think Tins can be relied on to play a big role on the team, why should any other team. Maybe this is setting the stage for some type of buyout. Either way it doesn't sound like Tins will be in the mix again for the Pacers.