The Pacers Select Tyler Hansbrough: Initial Brain Dump

by Tom Lewis on Jun 25, 2009 10:55 PM EDT Comment 11 comments

Tyler Hansbrough to the Indiana Pacers. It really happened.

Unless the Pacers traded down, I remained in complete denial about Hansbrough being picked right up until it was announced and the Fieldhouse crowd erupted. So now it's time to make some sense of the pick, which actually isn't that hard to do, it just doesn't include starry-eyed dreams of All-Star games and Hall of Fame inductions.

It seems funny to think that one of the most successful and accomplished players in NCAA hoops history has to prove his worth, but in the NBA that's just what Hansbrough has to do. He seems excited by that challenge, but I have to admit I'll hold back my excitement until he shows what he can bring to the Pacers.

It appears that the Pacers missed out on a chance to move back in the draft when Charlotte snagged Gerald Henderson with the 12th pick. Indications are that Chicago would've jumped up and given the Pacers their first rounders for Henderson. So in the end, the Pacers still would've ended up with Hansbrough at 16.

When Jrue Holiday fell from his projected loft closer to the top of the draft, I had hopes the Pacers would take a chance on him. He had solid workouts and at least has a good defensive base to build a game around. But the Pacers appear done with risky investments, preferring to have a better grasp of what their getting in a draft pick and Holiday would've been a risk.

The Pacers obviously have a plan for Hansbrough as judged by their excitement over the pick. The Pacers needed to upgrade their defensive effort and intensity, especially in the front court. Hansbrough will help in that area, but he'll have to prove he can give his trademark effort without drawing fouls rapidly.

One thing that is unfair and lazy is to say that Hansbrough has NO upside and is done developing as a player. That's simply ridiculous. Players who stop developing in the NBA don't work on their game. I have a feeling Hansbrough will drop a lilttle sweat when he runs into the barriers his game can't initially overcome.

I've seen him knock down 18 foot jumpers in college, so there's no reason to think that part of his game won't continue to develop. The one thing he needs to leave in Chapel Hill is the off-balance, hip chucks that somehow knocked down regularly. Those babies will be knocked back in his face, but again, that's an area for development. Seems like a relatively easy area to mend, as well.

So the expectations for this star-starved draft have to be considered, as well. The Pacers wanted a player they feel can play right away and that's who they took.

One thing is for sure: Larry Bird's tenure at the helm of the Pacers will depend on this off season and the pick of Hansbrough suddenly shines a bright light on every other move.

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It’s a safe pick. You know what you’re getting. There won’t be any character issues at all, which is a shadow I assume still looms large in the back of Larry’s mind. And while there may not be much upside, you have to consider that there really isn’t any downside, either. Whatever anyone thinks of how well Tyler’s skill will translate, at least we know he’s going to get the very most out of what he’s got.

by Maedhros on Jun 25, 2009 11:01 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Agreed.

Not as useful as Rated-R Superstar, but, hey!, I stick my Grease watching to once a weekend.

by rollonubears on Jun 26, 2009 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You know,

my gut reaction is that this is another example of the Pacers being short-sighted in the lottery. Drafting the guy who they think will be a solid player in the NBA instead of the guy who might be an All-Star. They are misguided in their analysis that this team can compete right now. We have one great player and in the NBA you need three to win a championship. Taking a chance on a guy with upside is the only way we can get those other pieces to the puzzle. Right now it is apparent that the philosophy of the front office is not what I would like it to be. I guess we’ll just have to look back in three years and see if we would have been better with Bayless, Holiday or Blair instead of Rush and Hansbrough. Personally I think we have gone the wrong way, we’ll have to see.

by ThirtyOne on Jun 25, 2009 11:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Gotta hope for some moves after July 1st

Indy Cornrows

by Tom Lewis on Jun 26, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Safe does not equal Titles

Safe passes over Kobe for Eric Dampier. Safe gets you into the playoffs and bounced early every year. I personally am sick of safe. At the point we are currently at, we can go two directions: 1) safe, get Tyler way too early, he does what everyone expects (contributes but nothing special) and we make the playoffs. Then we see the Cavs, Magic, Celts, or improved Hawks or Wiz in the first round. Those teams have talent, we have grinders. Grinders make the playoffs, talent wins titles.

OR we could go with option 2) not safe. We take a risk this draft, keeping in mind this is a weak draft anyhow. If said risk takes off and achieves his upside, we’ve done a great job of finding a diamond in the rough and a possible piece of a championship puzzle. If he fails, then yeah, maybe we fail to reach the playoffs. Then we might get lucky in the lottery and land a true game changer (like the Bulls with Rose). So we just think of this as a part of the story in getting that game changer and chalk it up to taking a risk in a shitty draft year.

I personally would have gone risk here, but I am not a Legend. I just hope that we aren’t going towards to goal of getting into the playoffs, but rather, hoisting a trophy (not the MIP trophy either). If I’m wrong, I’ll admit it. Hell, I’ll probably be overly optimistic the first time Tyler does anything good in the preseason. I just have this feeling that I’m not wrong. Hansbrough, Foster, and McRoberts. Christ, can we get Montross out of retirement?

by TheHawk5 on Jun 25, 2009 11:58 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I almost feel bad predicting this at the trade deadline

Larry Bird wouldn’t trade Jeff Foster because “He is a big part of what we do”.

I said he would waste his lottery pick on Hansboro specifically. People thought I was crazy.

Larry just showed us all “What we build here”. The answer is a perpetual 32-42 win team. Thanks Larry!

" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "

by aaronb on Jun 26, 2009 12:07 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

As a Carolina Fan

and a Pacer fan, i honestly have no clue what to think right now. I have said forever that Hansbrough was phenomenal IN COLLEGE, but i am the first one in line saying I have on idea what he’l do in the pros, and i was hoping for either Holliday or Blair. Alll i know is that I was at the draft, somehow got backstage, and got official NBA pics taken with steph curry and Hansbrough. I need to go to sleep, I cant even come up with a coherent thought right now about getting Hansbrough, but I did love reading the reaction. Goodnite.

by captain flitzy on Jun 26, 2009 12:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs