Hindsight 20/20

It’s fun to look back but you never know what would’ve happened if this scenario had played out. You know the story of the guy that goes back in time and kills a fly and he come back and the whole world is different? This is the same sorta thing. At the end of the day you never know what could’ve happened…. but never signing Obie sounds like it woulda been smart.

When JOB was hired the locker room was a mess. Too many years of coddling egos and varying the accountability left a sour culture among the team. Of which, Jack contributed plenty by the way. JOB’s main task when hired was to be a new sherrif, hold everyone to the same standard, establish an expected work ethic and change the culture surrounding the team. In my opinion, he did an excellent job in turning around the attitude and expectations of the players. A tough coach’s words run out of steam, though (especially in the NBA) and we’ve past that point. Plus, JOB was willing to take over the mess. Besides what choice did Van Gundy have? Of course you take the Orlando job with Dwight Howard and a great situation.

The Pacers HAD to trade Jackson. Regardless of his talent, he was, and will always be, linked to The Brawl. Though I think he was just looking out for his boy Ron Ron when he when crazy in the stands, he made a poor decision that had too many negative implications on a franchise.

Jackson is the person he is today because the Pacers traded him. He was removed from the situation and could move on with his life. He never would have been able to do that here in Indy. Because the Pacers HAD to trade Captain Jack, they HAD to include Big Al. He is a fun player to watch and would probably fit better on this current team than T-Murder. Indy was forced into that move.

As far as coaches go, I’ll continue to preach that this team needs a motivational leader. Like Cornrows mentioned, O’Brien has done a masterful job of changing the environment in the locker room. But he lacks a very important skill that all NBA coaches should have: motivation. The top coaches can get the best talent in the world to improve their game and to execute offensively & defensively for a season that spans nearly 6 months.

I listened to an Avery Johnson interview on Pardon the Interruption this past week. The majority of his interview centered upon the work he did as a motivational speaker with the New Orleans Saints during their preseason preparations. He got me excited about being a Saint, even after they just defeated our beloved Indianapolis Colts! Before his interview concluded, they asked him if he wanted to get back into coaching. His response was, “I’ve always wanted to get back into coaching. It’s what I love to do.” He later went on to say, “I’m just waiting for the phone to ring!”

O’Brien did what Bird and the rest of this city asked him to do. Now, this team is ready to take the next step to getting back to greatness. However, I don’t believe O’Brien is the right guy for the job. If it’s not Avery Johnson, then it needs to be someone who’s able to push the Pacers back to being a yearly staple in the Eastern Conference Playoff conversation.