Larry Bird Talks About NBA Draft While Trying Not To Say Anything
by Tom Lewis on Jun 22, 2009 5:13 PM EDT
in Indiana Pacers News
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PrintLarry Bird discussed the Indiana Pacers' options for the 13th pick in the NBA Draft today. A couple of weeks ago, Jim O'Brien mentioned that the team was down to a pool of six players they figured to pick from. Today Bird mentioned that the list is down to four and includes options for a point, big and wing player, so the pick remains up for grabs.
Bruno broke it down and SPECULATES that the Pacers will focus on Eric Maynor, Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough and Gerald Henderson. All are mature players, ready to contribute next year. Of course, history tells us that Bird doesn't tip his hand so dig into his comments at your own peril. Check out the video after the jump.
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A few things....
1. They’d like to trade up to #5 but it’s not financially viable. This seems odd to me. I know the team is not in the best financial situation, but if they traded up and got a guy like Rubio or Curry I would think they’d make back much of the investment just in merchandising. And as previously mentioned, why not look at the draft as part of free agency? I’d rather have cash spent on a pick than overpaying a mid-level free agent who’ll provide a far smaller impact.
2. He opened the door to possibly getting another first round pick. I REALLY want that top happen (provided, of course they pick one of the many guys I think could be steals late 1st).
3. I’m always nervous because I remember a few years ago when Bird said he had his guy targeted. That guy was Shane Williams.
Trading up to 5
I still would love to somehow acquire Tyreke Evans. I think if they do trade up he would be the one they would get. I would love to see him and he is honestly the one person in the draft I think could be a star other than Blake and Harden. I would not be happy with Curry at 5. Rubio would be interesting because of his financial obligations overseas so I think the Pacers would stay away from him (plus I think he will already be off the board). As you said though, getting this pick would be tough because our assets are very limited as far as trade bait. I think trading down and getting more picks would be a better option. Most likely with either Minny or Portland.
"My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer."
by bleedinblueandgold on Jun 22, 2009 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Evans is a risk pick
He wasn’t a true point guard. He was just physically dominating against the smaller guards. He wasn’t a great passer and decision making wasn’t great either. He is risky, if he plays in te right system i think he’s a great pick, but he doesn’t seem to be a true guard and if he gets thrown into Sacramento or something or in our offense for that matter i doubt he helps either club. Not bad, but not too good either. Just a thought. Too much for #5 and plus i would rather have 2 picks in the teens than a top 5 and a teen pick. With Tinsley sucking up the moolah god knows if we can even affford that. I don’t like that idea for us, Ty Lawson would be incredible for us. But to get 2 picks i would personally trade our buddy Troy Murphy for someone in the teens. Fun to see what they do…..
GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am going to
be (expletive) off if we end up with Hansbrough. Sounds like Bird is already in love with him..
I think he is a very good pick… if its a pick in the 20s. As a Pac-10 fan I am hoping we get Jon Brockman or Taj Gibson in the 2nd round. My Cal team didn’t really have an inside presence last year, and those 2 are absolute beasts.
Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.
by rollonubears on Jun 22, 2009 8:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Gibson/Brockman
Jon Brockman is insane. He is BIG. I saw him too as a California native. Taj Gibson has incredible shot blocking ability but will that transfer over to the NBA? I would like to see us get both or even Jeff Adrien if anything. These 3 are interior monsters.
I’ll put it this way. IF WE TAKE A GUARD IN ROUND 1, I SWEAR TO GOD LARRY BETTER DRAFT A BIG MAN IN THE 2ND. AND IT BETTER BE ONE OF THESE 3.
GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The four listed as probable
I would not really be very happy with any of these options. Of the four i tend to like Lawson the best but I think he could be had lower in the draft. If we could get him by trading down and getting another pick then I would be happy. I’m not sold on Maynor. He is a good player but I don’t really see his jump shot translating very well into the NBA. He is a bit of a goofy shot and that worries me. Hansbrough i think too could be had by trading down, but his stock does seem to be rising. He just isn’t what the Pacers need. And finally, Henderson. An athletic wing that can defend. He could be a good pick but I just wouldn’t be very excited about it. With all of this being said, I truly think they Pacers will make a move one way or another. Either moving up to get the 5 pick or move down and get another first rounder. I think there is almost no way they stand pat with only the 13 pick.
"My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer."
by bleedinblueandgold on Jun 22, 2009 8:42 PM EDT reply actions
Wait...how does a jump shot not translate?
I would think if anything is a lock to translate it’s a shot, especially when a player (like Maynor) is going from a clear #1 option to more of a role player who’ll get more open shots.
Shot
The time I watched him last year it looked to me like he had a bit of a pause at the top of his shot and he is very slight of frame which will cause him to bump off balance. He is not a great shooter to begin with from the outside and he gets most of his shots around the 12-15 foot range. I just think taking shots in traffic in a mid major vs. the NBA is a big difference. I personally think he needs to put on a lot of weight to be effective at the next level.
"My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer."
by bleedinblueandgold on Jun 22, 2009 10:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Please no
No Hansbrough or Henderson. Those would be franchise-ruining picks. Henderson is a shooting guard. Didn’t we just draft a shooting guard at 11 last year? Hansbrough will flame out in the pros quickly. I still want DeJuan Blair, but a trade up to 5 would be great. I want Jordan Hill, but what would we have to trade to get up there? The #11 pick and next year’s pick would work with me because I do not believe we will see the Pacers in the lottery next year anyways.
"I saw a commercial on late night TV, it said,'Forget everything you know about slipcovers.' So I did. And it was a load off my mind. Then the commercial tried to sell me slipcovers, and I didn't know what the hell they were."
-Mitch Hedberg
I think franchise-ruining is a bit too strong.
Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.
by rollonubears on Jun 22, 2009 9:01 PM EDT up reply actions
agreed
Franchise ruining is a bit strong, they just wouldn’t be the impact players the Pacers need.
"My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer."
by bleedinblueandgold on Jun 22, 2009 9:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Jordan Hill
You can’t be serious. He’s a bust. Mark my words. JORDAN HILL IS A BUST. Too Finesse for the NBA has no real dominating presence. Taj Gibson might end up being better than him. Jordan Hill disappeared when he played bigger guys. He is soft in my mind and left a year too early.
NO WAY I WANT TO TRADE UP TO GET HIM!!!!!! Top 5 pick and all that money for this guy is too big a risk and he doesn’t fit our needs for a true big man. No one would be afraid of driving the lane on us.
GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, Larry.
I cried hatred last summer when you traded away Bayless and then drafted Roy. I wouldn’t know what to think if we drafted freaking Hansbrough.
I could settle with Maynor, and at a far far reach Lawson, but no on Hansbrough or Henderson.
I was angry at the Bayless deal too. But, as it stands right now, who is winning that trade? The Pacers by a lot.
Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.
by rollonubears on Jun 22, 2009 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions
That's what's difficult
I hated the Bayless trade. I hated the Hibbert pick, but I like what Brandon and Roy both did this past year, and I like them a lot as future pieces for us and I hope they’re around and productive for a long time.
That’s why I may cry myself to sleep on June 25th, but maybe Hansbrough ends up being a really solid player for us? I’d rather not take that chance, and I’m not usually a big fan of the guys Larry is a big fan of, but both of his picks last year look to be good picks, so I don’t know if I can fully discount the type of guys Larry is a fan of.
Really though, I’d still rather not take the chance on Hansbrough.
If we traded down to the 20 range and then picked him I would like it. But definitely not at 13.
Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.
by rollonubears on Jun 22, 2009 11:49 PM EDT up reply actions
I think location location location is the biggest problem. Thirteen for Hansbrough just sucks. I’d rather see what could be done about getting a second first rounder and taking Hansbrough as a second pick, but ehhhh, we’ll see. I’m just ready for Thursday. I want to see if we can’t get some good moves made, even if one of those moves is Hansbrough or Henderson.
Personally I want Blair. Who does everyone else want?
Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.
by rollonubears on Jun 23, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
rollonubears, Blair for me also
He makes the most sense. Why do we need a guard? WHY? TJ Ford is proven and next year will be even better. Blair will make an immediate post presence for us. Larry better not take Hansbrough at 13. In fact unless i see Blair with our first pick and then trade Troy Murphy for another late 1st rounder, THEN i would take Tyler Hansbrough.
BLAIR IS A MUST!!!!!
GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who would we trade Murphy for? We would need to take on another bad contract.
Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.
by rollonubears on Jun 24, 2009 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
Murphy has more value than a teens pick and is making a lot more money so as rollonubears said we would need to get a bad contract with it. Doesn’t make sense. Murphy is the one trade piece we have to get some sort of legitimate player in return.
"My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer." - Shaq
by bleedinblueandgold on Jun 24, 2009 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Rush and Big Roy
I was irate draft night when we made the trade too but it looks like it may turn out to be a great move. Bayless doesn’t seem to be getting his chance yet in Portland but we will see how he turns out. I think Rush has the potential to be a very good player. When he got his consistent minutes he was very effective. He for sure has the athletic talent to be a very good player and he seems to have the work ethic (please don’t turn into Kareem!). Bird seems to value different aspects of the game than most and we will have to see in the next few years how his draft strategies work. He understands the game and I think until we have more of a sample the verdict will be out on him.
"My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer."
by bleedinblueandgold on Jun 23, 2009 12:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Don't Forget,
Bayless is 4 years younger than Rush. It will take him a couple of years to mature, however when that happens I think he will be the better player. Rush has already reached his ceiling as far as I’m concerned. If he ever averages over 15 points for a season I’ll be amazed.
As far as this draft is concerned I’ll be supremely ticked off if Bird reaches for Hansbrough or drafts another shooting guard like Henderson. Those are two guys he better stay away from unless we get an extra pick at the end of round 1.
Rush
Rush has plenty of ceiling..I think he will be an all-star player in a couple of years…He reminds me of Andre Iguadola. Indre was’nt great, now he’s the 76ers main man..I think rush has that potential..from Mar 20 – Apr 15, he scored a double digit in each game but one..Indiana Pacers have the pieces to be a very good ball club, but need compliments and a couple of tough big guys like the twin towers back in the day…The Davis Boys…
by RMiller4Life on Jun 23, 2009 8:30 AM EDT up reply actions
Rush
Why do you think Rush has reached his ceiling? JaRon was hardly a bust in the NBA, he was never drafted and I believe had problems off the court with partying. He never made it out of a training camp. Kareem slid on draft night because teams thought he was pretty worthless other than shooting the basketball which turned out to be right on cue. He can still flat out shoot he is just a liability on defense and handling the ball. Brandon is a much different player. His work ethic from what has been reported is off the charts and he has a strong desire to be a good player. He has the athletic tools to develop into a player that scored 15 + points per game easy. Plus he is an athletic defender and is getting better at attacking the basket. I agree with you, Bayless as a player is still way to early to tell and he very well may turn out to be a good player. Only time will tell. I’m just not sure why you think Rush can’t improve any more.
"My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer."
by bleedinblueandgold on Jun 23, 2009 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ve posted repeatedly about Brandon Rush and his motivational problems with basketball. The guy does not have a killer instinct in his body and repeatedly over his time with Kansas and the Pacers been called out in the media by his coaches for being passive and timid on the basketball court. These are personality traits with Rush that will not change. He will never be a starter on a contending team, his upside is as a second string two guard. I happen to think the ceiling on Bayless is higher, I could be wrong.
And don’t go believing what you hear about his work ethic. Lets just say from what I know he doesn’t exactly spend all of his time studying basketball or working out. He has other hobbies that he enjoys more.
No way the Pacers are winning that Bayless trade
Rush is 4 years older and couldn’t get off the bench for 75% of the year. Bayless will be an up and coming borderline All-Star in 2 years.
If the Pacers were close to being competative, then maybe you can justify making that trade. However the Pacers were in a spot where they really needed to take the best available player going forward. They obviously didn’t do that.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
Bayless couldn’t get off the bench 100% of the year. You are acting like Bayless is a sure thing. I said as of right now the Pacers are winning. They got Jarrett Jack too, and he was a key piece of last year’s team.
Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.
by rollonubears on Jun 23, 2009 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions
You can't really compare the talent level on Portland to Us
Bayless is sitting behind Brandon Roy on a supremely talented Portland team. He was also 19 years old.
Rush was sitting behind Maquis F’N Daniels and Stevie Graham most of last year. Plus he is 23 and already has blown out an ACL. Add in that both of his brothers were huge NBA busts and I would go out on the limb and say that Bayless is the better NBA prospect.
Jarret Jack might have been a “key” to a 36 win team. Awesome!
Now we are looking at drafting Tyler Hansboro or BJ Mullins again this year instead of Tyreke Evans or Ricky Rubio.
Being in the middle dregs is the absolute worst place to be in the NBA. The draft won’t help much and the cap room isn’t there to sign high end vets. This is year 4 of middle dregdom.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
by aaronb on Jun 23, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rush is a more polished offensive player
and is already worlds better as a defender than Bayless.
Jack isn’t a star player, but he certainly is a key role player as a spot-starter/6th man. he set career-highs in nearly every offensive category this past season. also, don’t forget to throw in McRoberts too. he adds minimal value (but still value) off the bench as a 12th man.
if the question is who has gotten the better end of the trade thus far, then there isn’t even an argument:
Rush – 24 mpg, 8.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 42% FG (37% 3-PT)
Jack – 33 mpg, 13.1 ppg, 4.1 apg, 3.4 rpg, 45% FG (35% 3-PT)
McRoberts – 8.5 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.5 bpg
Bayless – 12.5 mpg, 4.3 ppg, 1.5 apg, 1.1 rpg, 36% FG (25% 3-PT)
i still think that Bayless has a lot of potential, but really, what’s his ceiling? Monta Ellis? it’s not like they traded Dirk for Tractor Traylor or anything. i think it was the right move for both teams.
Ewing with the step...YES! and the foul!
by Anthony Masons Haircut on Jun 23, 2009 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, McRoberts is a project but he has potential. Remember he was being talked about as a top 10 pick at one point.
Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.
by rollonubears on Jun 23, 2009 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Very good post
You hit the nail in the head with this comment. To me Rush is a better player now and has the potential that may be higher than Bayless’. After assessing his game, what is his ceiling? I agree Monta Ellis is the only person I can think of. Not that he is a bad player or anything but I don’t ever see him being an all star or Bayless. I think people overhype him because he was supposed to get drafted higher. There is a reason he fell as far as he did. I think the deal benefitted the Pacers for sure short term and we will have to wait and see long term.
"My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer." - Shaq
by bleedinblueandgold on Jun 23, 2009 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions
I like
how the Pacers made out in that deal both ways. Portland has not been happy with Rodriguez at all I believe, and Bayless showed some flashes, but if he was THAT good, he woulda found more minutes. And I lost a bet in which I said mcRoberts would go in the lottery. So yea, there goes all my credibilty =(
by captain flitzy on Jun 23, 2009 5:12 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t understand how we made out better in the short term at all. What did we do last year? Did we go to the playoffs and no one told me? Anything short of the playoffs is failure, I don’t care if we won 10 games or 40. So great job getting a couple of guys that helped us win a few extra games that still didn’t get us over the hump. In the end if Bayless is better than Rush in two years this trade was an epic failure for Indiana.
And believe me if Bayless had been on our roster last year he would have ended up getting just as many minutes as Rush. We had no guard as good as Brandon Roy or Rudy Fernandez so of course Rush plays.
4 Players Mentioned
The 4 players who could possibly be drafted at the 13th spot are all good players, who could contribute to the pacers..Just because you did’nt like them in college should’nt be reason to dislike them in their NBA career..Ty Lawson in my opinion could stabalize the point position, with his court awareness..I feel he is a sleeper, just like rajon rondo was’nt great in college..Ty has that drive to be the best..Good coaching from a good coach at UNC. Out of the 4 players I’d like less see with the pacers is G.Henderson…sorry G. As for Tyler Hansbrough…I feel he is capable of becoming a strong PF, with a little work and time..He already has the hands and can take contact, just needs to bang with the big boys a bit..Should of went to I.U., but that’s another story.. Eric Maynor..What can I say..Hard worker..His whole life has been about making it in the NBA..Work ethic is there…and with a guy like Jarrett Jack to help him along..He should flourish..I hope the Pacers re-sign J.Jack..Good post up PG and can play D… Thanks..And GO Pacers
I think the problem people see is with picking one of these guys with the 13th pick, the general feeling is that they can all be had later on in Round 1. I hate Tyler Hansbrough at 13 but I don’t mind him at 25. And I love him in the second round. To me it is all relative to the position we take the player at.
Lawson not good in college????
Whoah there. He might have been the reason UNC even won the title. Look at his stats.
16.6 pts/gm
6.6 asts/gm
2.1 stls/gm
47.2 % 3-pt shooter
53.2 % fg’s
79.8 % ft shooter
Rondo averaged more turnovers while averaging more than 1 1/2 less assists as well as (slightly) less assists. 5 less points, 3 more rebounds. 5% less fg’s, 20+ % 3’s and 20+ ft’s.
Lawson was one of the best guards if not the best guard in the nation last year. How could you possibly say that he didn’t have a good college career???? HE even led his team to a title. He played on a f’d up toe in the tourney……..
GO PACERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
tough year to pick 13
There really just are a ton of guys who have been moving up and down the mock drafts for a month now in the 10-20 range. Being at the top of the range sucks because there aren’t many guys worth that pick. What’s worse, any of the top 5-10 guys might slip some but probably not all the way to us. So we really have no shot at any of the best players and by the time we pick we’ll have our choices amongst a bunch of guys that might be a reach.
I think what we really need to hope for is someone random to drop to us. Whether or not we take them or trade our pick to someone who wants them doesn’t matter. But if the top 10 guys go before our pick, we’re going to end up reaching for someone. That reach may turn into a solid player but it’s going to feel like a shitty night for us.
As for the 4 mentioned above, I like Maynor but I’m not sure he’ll translate to the NBA. He did play well against UCLA in the tourney but I’m just not sure about him. I left my thoughts on Hansbrough in the Hansbrough post (I’d be disappointed but I do think he has a chance to be a mix between Foster and Murphy). Nothing about Henderson strikes me as interesting, maybe he’ll be good, maybe he’ll be another disappointing Dukie. Lawson is probably my favorite of the 4. He really seems like he can run a team well. He’s quick as hell and while not a great shooter he can definitely hit open 3’s. His height is obviously a concern but he’s quick enough to stay in front of guys and has a bit of muscle too.
Let’s just hope Hill drops to us, alright?
"If you don't [draft me], I promise you I'll come back and kick your ass for the next 15 years."
Hill
Hill would be a dream of he somehow fell to 13. I agree with you on Maynor. There is just something about him when I was watching that gives me an uneasy feeling about his game translating to the NBA. I also think Lawson could be a very good player. He is lightning quick and really improved his jump shot. He is undersized but we already know he is great in a system that runs which would be a nice fit. I wouldn’t mind seeing Jrue fall to us either.
"My game’s like the Pythagorean Theorem. It ain’t got no answer."
by bleedinblueandgold on Jun 23, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe we could hope that he gets a small but not serious injury that makes him slip. Like what happened with Michael Crabtree. I was excited when they discovered the stress fracture because I knew my 49ers were dying for a big time WR with the #10 pick. As he started to fall I was getting more and more excited. When the Raiders drafted Heyward-Bey I started giggling with delight. When the Packers passed I literally jumped for joy. I hope the same can happen with Hill :]. Somebody find a stress fracture in him over the next few days.
Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.
by rollonubears on Jun 23, 2009 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
This is the time of year I love...
As Pacers fans, this has become our postseason….The message boards heat up, picks are going to ruin or franchise, we are going to draft our savior…I love it. I think collectively I will be EXTREMELY HAPPY with Evans, Jennings, and Blair….EXTREMELY DISSAPOINTED with Maynor, Henderson (and coming from a Carolina fan all the way) Hansbrough with the 13th. I was all over this board last year on draft nite and we were ALL going nuts with the Bayless/Rush swap, and while it looked pretty bad all year, Rush REALLY came on the last 15 games or so and impressed the hell out of me ,and mostly everyone else. I think there are some fireworks in the mix, lets hope we land our PG or PF (or both) of the future.
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