I’ve been reading a lot of posts about the Pacers recently. There are bright spots (Roy), and there are dark spots (TJ, JOB, BRush). Of all the bad stuff that is there, I believe things are getting better. I believe we are one to two years away and a few personnel moves from becoming a force to be reckoned with in the East.  The issue is the moves. There’s an unsilent majority calling to move “Turnover Juice” Ford. I think it’s safe to say that we would have a sizable party if we could move our Detlef Schrempf imitators in Troy and Mike along with their extremely high salaries. I’m convinced that Coach O’Brien will never get us a Larry O’Brien.

As far as solutions go, I’m on the fence. I don’t get the insider information that some of you might. But I am almost certain of the types of personnel changes we need. And a big word comes to mind: Personality.

I’m in the US Army, and I’ve seen what great mentors and leaders can do to bring out the best in their subordinates. I’ve seen how people respond to different styles of leadership and how effective each style can be. The Drill Sergeants were the best examples. The basics are force, example, and trust. Lead by example, earn your subordinates trust, and show force with a command presence (let em’ know who’s boss). A good leader can balance all of these qualities. If you have a major imbalance in any of them, you lose your guys. I believe that has happened in the halls of Conseco Fieldhouse.

Everybody knows we have talent. We displayed it last year taking down some very potent teams like the Celtics, the Cavs, East champs Magic and the NBA champion Lakers. The talent is there, but the direction is something left to be desired. Word on the the street is Obie doesn’t get the job done. My gut tells me he does not get the most out of the talent. I believe the Pacers need to go a new direction with their coaching. They need to get someone who can lead by example with great basketball knowledge, but also be that teacher and mentor that some of the young players need.

I also believe it shouldn’t stop at just a great coach. You need a great floor leader that leads by example and keeps the players sharp. Danny has that capability on the floor. However, his potential for floor leadership is still raw and a coach can only mentor from the sideslines. I feel the final piece to Danny’s development comes from somebody who is on the ‘front lines’ with him. A prime example would be Byron Scott in the ‘93-‘94 season. He was a great mentor to Reggie Miller and the entire Pacer team. He had rings. He knew how to win. He showed the Pacers how to win. I’d say it worked out pretty well.

The question: who would be good candidates for these positions? The only name that comes to mind would be Mark Jackson for the coach. A veteran is up in the air. I would love to hear input on this matter from everyone.