Luther Head A Low-Risk Option For Pacers

by Tom Lewis on Sep 18, 2009 6:35 AM EDT in Indiana Pacers News

Luther Headis a pretty well-known hoop name in these parts thanks to his net splashing ways during a successful college career at Illinois. Just don't let those college impressions impact your expectations for what type of player the Indiana Pacers added yesterday.

There's this really hip saying these days that you may have heard before which applies to the Head signing: It is what it is.

So what is this signing?

It is a 15th roster spot filled up by an undersized combo guard who struggles to defend either guard position unless matched up with a small shooting guard. The deal is a partially guaranteed, one-year contract, so the Pacers are risking very little while hoping Head finds his 2006-07 form. Head is known as a sharpshooting, 3-ball specialist, but his NBA career numbers don't exactly back up that reputation. For the 2006-07 season, Head shot a solid 44.1% from behind the arc, but for the other three seasons of his career he only shot 35.8% from distance. Plus, he's not a guy who will create his own shot.

From a positive perspective, Head should arrive at the Fieldhouse plenty motivated to keep his NBA career alive since last season was a disaster. After playing sporadically for the Rockets, a right foot injury shelved Head in early January. By late February, the Rockets had given up and waived Head to give him a chance to play somewhere else. The Miami Heat picked up Head in March but a broken hand ended his season early after seeing decent minutes in just ten games with Miami.

So now Head joins a crowed backcourt with the Pacers as an emergency utility guard who may or may not remain on the roster at the start of the season. Head is trying to hit the reset button, so while trying to stabilize his career he should give Jim O'Brien every ounce of effort he has to offer. I expect Head to be on the roster, but with a partially guaranteed contract, the team could cut bait on Head with little pain if he doesn't work out or another free agent camper explodes on the scene.

One thing I love about this signing is that it should add a little more edginess to the start of camp. There was already plenty of playing time up for grabs without Head in the picture, but this signing lets players like Earl Watson, Travis Diener, A.J. Price, Dahntay Jones and Brandon Rush know that the organization isn't satisfied and is continually looking at other options, so if these players want to be the option the team turns to, they're going to have to earn it every day.

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Comments

This has been the summer..

of signings that uninterest me beyond belief. I mean I actually like Dahntay Jones, but is he more than a role player at best? Head, Dahntay Jones, Solomon Jones, and Earl Watson? Really, this was the big help we are going to get for the 2nd legit star the Pacers have had in the last 20 years? I have said it before and I’ll say it again, Dannys P-R-I-M-E will not last forever, and if the big plans are filling the roster with guys like the 4 I just mentioned, an aging foster, a hurt dunleavy, Travis Diener and the out-of-position Murphy, I am sorry it just doesn’t cut it for me. TJ showed last year his inconsistincies, Brandon showed signs of major improvement, and I understand the mold of letting Hibbert and Hansbrough mature and gain a few years. I am usually an optimistic guy, but this roster isnt giving me the greatest of feelings. Do me a favor, actually sit, and open the Pacers roster and look at it….does it even look like a .500 team? A 35 win team?? Man I would hate to see Danny waste another year like this.

by captain flitzy on Sep 18, 2009 10:57 AM EDT reply actions

+1

Totally agree! Another wasted year as we toward the lottery. But I think once we get that good draft pick (and maybe another one as well) we’ll finally be headed in the right direction. I just hope we don’t waste Danny’s entire career like a lot of other franchise’s have done with their best players.

by smits4ever on Sep 20, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Flitzy? Ditzy!

Hey Flitz, I think that post was Ditzy!

Here’s why…

Danny probably wouldn’t have “emerged” while on a good team!

I think Bird is putting together pieces and that this next year (barring major injuries), the Pacers should be in the running for at least the 7th or 8th playoff seed.

by FortWayneKarl on Sep 18, 2009 2:16 PM EDT reply actions

Huh?

For the life of me I can’t understand why so many people are willing to blast the new signings without watching them play one game for the Pacers. Look, it’s very possible some of these guys continue to be marginal players and make little impact. However it’s also possible on a different team, in a new system and with more opportunities to perform (minutes), that some of these guys thrive. To already pencil them into one or the other category is grossly premature.

by Hinrich10 on Sep 18, 2009 6:05 PM EDT reply actions

It is what it is

Is a hip saying? Dangit. Here I thought my constant use of it in everyday life was somewhat original. Oh well.

Regarding the Summer of Signings that Uninterest Me Beyond Belief., I don’t think these moves are bad at all. They’re not exciting, and they’re not going to make us a threatening team. But I don’t think they’re bad at all for where we are and what we can actually do.

I still don’t think our losses offset our additions. These moves are largely parallel moves to kind of hold on right now. But if we can count on Danny, Brandon, and Roy improving and getting Duns back healthy, we should be able to field a playoff team in the East. We clearly didn’t get a lot better, but who in our range of the East truly did? The Raptors and Pistons made big moves, but did it make them better? I remain a bit skeptical.

As for wasting Granger’s prime? He shouldn’t truly hit his prime for another couple of years. He’ll be about 27 or 28 when we finally free up the cap room needed to get him the help he needs, which was about the time we broke out with Reggie Miller. We’re going to be all right. We just don’t have the room to really speed this up. It sucks to waste good years of Granger’s career meddling, but unfortunately there aren’t a lot of choices right now.

I am disappointed however that the Timberwolves offer to Ramon Sessions was such a paltry offer. I wanted this kid and in all honesty, we could’ve had him if that was his going price (around 4y/$14m I believe). Unless there’s serious doubt on his long term abilities, I would rather have had him over Watson.

by Nathan S. on Sep 18, 2009 9:38 PM EDT reply actions

bitter sweet

the one reason this acquisition excites me: perhaps we can put diener on ir. for better or worse i dont know, but i dont think you can expect to be a playoff team if a guy like diener is getting considerable minutes

by ottoprice13 on Sep 21, 2009 2:13 AM EDT reply actions