Pacers Need To Move Wisely With Brandon Rush
by Tom Lewis on Aug 31, 2010 10:50 PM EDT
in Indiana Pacers News
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PrintI've been pretty quiet regarding the announcement of Brandon Rush's suspension for failing three marijuana drug tests last season. This is mainly due to an illogical amount of family activities this past weekend combined with a brace on my right arm that takes the fun out of working on a computer.
Logistics aside, though, I've also been trying to figure out why I feel so indifferent to the news. Are my senses dulled to any bad news from the Fieldhouse? Did the news about Lance Stephenson's assault allegations completely recalibrate my outrage meter?
Kind of, although I think my reaction to both players is tied to my personal thoughts on each player and what they did. I'd like to think I'm so fair that I treat every player (or person in general for that matter) with equal objectivity, weighing both the good and bad of their body of work on and off the court against the same set of standards.
But the bias of human nature and experience aren't easy to mask and in the cases of Rush and Stephenson my feelings are fueled by my expectations.
The visceral reaction I expressed over the gruesome allegations levied against Stephenson, was driven by my personal disappointment in a great story gone bad. Stephenson the player, was already exceeding expectations at just 19 years of age. I wanted the story of redemption to play out over the course of his career. The kid can play and his game could eventually help revive the good times for the Pacers. Continue to mature, take care of business -- the Hollywood script was there to be written.
We were due. Everyone who follows the Pacers had to be thinking, "You know, maybe our fortunes are changing." Young talented players with plenty of promise arrived in the draft. A morale-boosting trade landed a coveted young point guard. Momentum is a wonderful thing and Big Mo' was rolling down the tracks for the Pacers.
Then, POOF!
Just like that, Stephenson de-railed a promising summer, slapping everyone in the face with the cold reality that there is still a long way to go for the Pacers and he won't be a short cut to the promised land. We'll see how the case plays out, but until the story is refuted the trust is gone and the expectations along with them. That was tough to take, lowering the expectations that were flying high.
That's the difference with Rush's case, the expectations.
My expectations for Rush had already dwindled to the bottom floor, so there was nowhere left for them to fall when this news hit. In fact, in a strange way the news that he's among the league leaders in torching herb makes sense. (Tons of NBA players smoke you say? Sorry, the numbers don't lie. If you fail three tests during the season, you're among the elite dope-heads.)
Prior to the suspension, Rush had done little to inspire any confidence that he would develop his considerable talent into a lead role with the Pacers. His quiet and aloof personality shows up on the court in the times he floats through games. Off the court, his goal with any interview is to finish his answer, forget the content. Following his Twitter feed often raises the eyebrows especially in the late night/early morning hours. I'm still not convinced Rush is aware that anyone can read his Twitter feed. Either that or he has zero public relations awareness regarding the image he projects to the public.
This is not a guy the Pacers can rely on for the future, but that was obvious before the suspension was announced. The front office will never say it but they've known it too. Recall last spring when Larry Bird and David Morway were separately trumpeting the young core players on the roster but both seemed to leave out Rush. Of course, the "Tarmac Trade That Didn't Go Down" when T.J. Ford and Rush were minutes away from being dealt to Charlotte showed the team's willingness to part with Rush. No doubt, he's remained on the trading block since that deal fell through.
So, Rush is not part of the future and now he's sullied his reputation and put more heat on the front office. What should the team do?
I was surprised to read Bob Kravitz call for swift and decisive action with Rush. While I agreed with the bulk of what Kravitz had to say about Rush, I completely disagree with his suggested course of action.
Once again, team president Larry Bird will have to trade a player with a gun pointed at his temple -- but it's got to be done.
Why does he have to trade Rush now? The fans aren't coming out as it is. I can't imagine a big boycott due to Rush's five game suspension. The team was starting to build up some good will with a roster of solid citizens. Certainly they can weather this suspension to avoid making a lopsided deal. Winning a few games in November will bring fans to the Fieldhouse, not dumping Rush in a bad deal.
This isn't a situation like Jamaal Tinsley and Stephen Jackson. Not only did those guys have high-profile incidents around town but they also involved the general public. More importantly, they were supposed to be two of the leaders of that team. Drastic moves were warranted.
Rush does not fall into that category. Plus, he's still on a cheap rookie contract. Make him earn his playing time off the bench and in the meantime if a team offers a 2nd round pick ala Shawne Williams to Dallas, then take it. Otherwise, don't pick up his option and let him go after the season.
We know what we have here with Brandon Rush and it isn't real pretty. I think the paying public would rather see the Pacers make prudent decisions in this case that take into account the impact to the team in the future. No sense compounding the problem by taking on someone else's issues just to get rid of Rush.
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Why are we so adamant on ruining players values and consistently selling low?
Why don’t we, for once, attempt rehabilitation? Rush was smoking weed. Reprimand him, when he takes care of the punishment, give him a shot to redeem himself. If we continue to sell off our first rounders for second rounders, as you suggest, then we will always be losers.
Sometimes, in fact almost always, it takes some risk to get a reward. The simple fact is if our fans are that easily offended by such minor infractions, then basketball is just not the type of entertainment for them. I know our team’s problems and their exploits have been well documented by the media, but the Pacers have not been the only NBA team plagued with such issues, in fact they are pretty much the norm.
What side are you on the Lance thing?
by infinityzero.systemerror on Sep 1, 2010 1:46 AM EDT up reply actions
I got to know Lance personally during his time at UC
So I assume that I feel differently than others.
He was only a 2nd rounder, so he is not that valuable, so cutting him would not hurt my feelings, as a Pacers fan.
But, knowing Lance, he is a 19 year old kid that did something dumb that was inexcusable and should be punished accordingly. However, to not give a 19 year old a second chance would be unimaginable. I am just as bullish as anyone else on Lance’s potential as a 2 guard (he ain’t a point) but he does need some sort of wake up call. Possibly cutting him would do him some good.
I'm for rehab and the whole idea of keeping him and forcing him into becoming a good story....
Basically, I’m saying that his freedom is, for now until the end of his Pacers career (honestly hoping for a long one), is void ( not seriously… well, sort of). Rehab (anger management), tons of community service, and a healthy plate of good on-court play could make a fan-base forget quickly. By the way everyone, Tyreke Evans would seem to have been part of an attempted murder (drive-by means that to me), haven’t heard much about them wanting to dump him. Different skill levels, but still.
by infinityzero.systemerror on Sep 1, 2010 6:07 AM EDT up reply actions
I have been very low on Rush
However, if we allow him to come back from suspension and start immediately, he could show some value. Josh Howard, Lamar Odom, Sheed, and many others are all known pot-heads, but have had value to contenders, lets give him a chance to show he is worth more than a 2nd rounder, which he is.
I'm in favor of rehab too...
Just set up a kind of ‘one-strike and your out’ kind of thing, where if they fck up again it’s the boot. Depending on the gravity of a situation at least.
by infinityzero.systemerror on Sep 1, 2010 1:50 AM EDT up reply actions
I've argued with people all summer about Rush's value
To say he has no value is a bit of an overstatement, don’t you think?
I think
That the Pacers have known about his preference for weed. Considering that he’s probably been smoking in the hotels all the other players on the team would have known, and I think it very likely the coaches and Bird did too. My guess is if it doesn’t effect his play, they probably don’t really care that much, but when (or if) it started to effect his play the Pacers started shopping him at every opportunity and leaving him out of discussions when they talked about their core young players.
Plenty of first round picks leave the league and get their teams nothing in return. Rush isn’t really needed on this team, probably doesn’t make the team better, doesn’t seem to get along with the other players that well, and wouldn’t be awfully missed if we managed to trade him.
I don’t really care about what he did, and if the Pacers keep him and he plays well this season I’ll be the first to stand up and say it’s a good thing we didn’t trade him. But this isn’t news to the Pacers and I’m sure they’ve been trying to deal with it for awhile.
As for Lance, it’d be nice to think that he could undergo rehabilitation and anger management and under the careful guidance of Clark Kellogg turn into a productive human and productive basketball player. As this is an active case I guess we’ll hear more about it as the court date approaches.
Sunk cost. You can’t think about him like that.
He’s expendable.
by P J on Sep 2, 2010 1:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Hey...
I’m awake at the late night/early morning hours. Does that make me an eyebrow raiser? Granted I work at those times now, but I’ve always stayed up this late (always is indeed an exaggeration). Damn, I’m just so pissed about Rush ruining our late night/early morning hours for us average ppl. Geez… where are my Lucky Charms….
Just keep Rush for the time being, a guy I ‘hate’. Unless he could become a quality big man.
by infinityzero.systemerror on Sep 1, 2010 1:45 AM EDT reply actions
I had a comment "discussion" earlier this week with Brad Wells on a post of his at Indiana SB Nation calling for the Pacers to get rid of Rush ASAP.
I posted that I agreed with a lot of what he was saying, but disagreed about Brandon’s value as a defender, citing my Hickory High post.
Brad asked me if I thought Rush should be kept on the team next year. My response was as complete a thought as I have had on the matter so I thought I would bring it over here to possibly spark some more discussion. Here’s what I said:
To be completely honest, I don’t know. I guess I am just really glad I don’t have the responsibility of making that decision. I don’t think it will keep me from rooting for him if he stays in a Pacers uniform. I am also less offended by the personal decision to smoke marijuana, than the lack of respect it showed for the organization and fans; especially as a repeat offender. On a side note, I haven’t heard any mention in the coverage on whether Brandon gets notified after each failed test. I know the team doesn’t hear about it until the 3rd, but it’s incredibly infuriating if he knew he had already failed two tests and it didn’t change his behavior.
One thing that I have found frustrating about the discussion is the argument that getting rid of him kills two birds with one stone. I don’t like the idea that he stinks on the court and is a knucklehead off it, so getting rid of him is a win-win. A knucklehead he may be, but I think he is a solid contributor.
As I alluded to in that post, I think his defense is much better than he gets credit for and has the potential to be great. In addition, he was one of only 26 players in the league last season who made better than 40% of his 3PTs. He was also 6th out of those 26 in terms of 3PTA, so it’s not like he put that number up on just a handful of shots. Teams kill themselves to find solid wing role players who can defend and hit the 3PT. I am bothered by the fact that so much of the opinion on Brandon seems to be about what he doesn’t do well, and ignores the things he does do well.
He joined the Pacers with very high expectations, ones which may be a little unrealistic. Maybe he is not an all-star, but he has two above average NBA skills, and the potential to be a great role player. I honestly don’t know how I feel about him being a part of the team next year, I feel differently almost everyday. (I know that’s a huge cop-out.) I just think the argument that this is an easy decision because of his performance ON and OFF the court is not true.
I disagree
I don’t understand the appeal of Brandon’s game to some people. Yes he shoots a decent percentage from 3-point land, but that doesn’t make up for the lack of consistency in his game. His defense is overrated as well, he doesn’t come up with a lot of steals or blocks the two things that show up in the box score. His stat outputs are crazy low for someone who gets as many minutes as he does. Look at his per 36 stats and compare them to other players, in fact look at his per 36 and just compare them to his brother Kareem in the one season he played for the Pacers,
Brandon Pts. 11.2, Rb 5.0, Ast 1.6, Stl .8, Blk .9
Kareem Pts. 14.1, Rb 4.0, Ast 2.1, Stl 1 , Blk .5
And remember Kareem was just a random free agent pick up. Replacing the production Brandon has given us is as difficult as just picking up a free agent shooting guard that no one else wants. Honestly, I think the Pacers front office has figured out the deal with Brandon at this point, if he stays around don’t look for him to get anywhere near the 30 minutes per game he got last year. He’s a bust, plain and simple.
I agree the numbers look very similar
Kareem put up those numbers in his 5th season in the league, having already played 243 games and 4,195 NBA minutes before he joined the Pacers. Brandon put up those same numbers in his 2nd season in the league having played only 75 games and a total 1803 minutes before putting up those numbers. We may disagree on Brandon’s ceiling, but surely you can admit there is room to grow. Given the same minutes I would wager his numbers might look quite a bit better after 2 more years of experience. In addition, Rush shot much better from the field than his brother did (.522 TS% to .490 TS%). He also averaged slightly more FT’s per 36, and fewer turnovers and fouls. Those stats aren’t as sexy as points or steals, but they matter big time.
Even if they don’t improve that much, who cares? I’m not arguing that Rush is or should be an All-Star. I am saying he can be a very productive and effective role player, and I think those numbers are very respectable for the role player I think he can be.
I also disagree wholeheartedly about his defense. You are absolutely right that he doesn’t get a lot of steals or blocks, but that is only a piece of good defense:
1. Let’s look at Bruce Bowen. I think we can agree that he was one of the best individual wing defenders over the past decade or so. His career high for Steals per 36? 2.4. That came in his second NBA season, while he was playing in Boston. Other than that season, and during his entire time in San Antonio, he never averaged more than 1.3. His career high for blocks was 0.6.
2. How about Raja Bell? Although he declined quickly because of injuries, he’s another recent/current NBA player with a reputation as a very strong wing defender. His career high for steals per 36? 1.0 in his first season in Phoenix. Career high for blocks? 0.4.
3. How about Thabo Sefolosha? Career best Stl. per 36 – 1.9, Blk per 39 – 1.1
Rush’s numbers are not that far off some other great defensive players. But again, there is more to defense than steals and blocks. He was the only player I could find among top wing defenders who held his man under 40% shooting in every type of offensive category tracked by Synergy Sports. No one else accomplished that. Not LeBron, Not Kobe, Not Wade.
Less than 20% of NBA possessions end in a turnover, regardless of the team or offensive and defensive players involved. Since most possessions end in a shot attempt, I would argue that the most important thing is making those shots as difficult as possible. Brandon appears to be one of the better players in the league at that.
Kareem was a free agent pick up with low expectations. Brandon does not have the benefit of low expectations, and I think that is part of the problem. If you went into last season expecting Brandon to take over as an assertive #2 to Granger you were really disappointed. I would argue that we need to adjust our expectations. If you expect him to play tough defense, swing the ball and knock down the open three you will be pleased with his play. He is still on his rookie contract, so it’s not like we are paying through the nose for someone we thought would be the team savior. The Pacers still need a #2 and it’s probably not him. Maybe it’s Hibbert, maybe it’s George or Hansbrough. But every good team also needs the things that Rush provides, defense and outside shooting.
Very good argument.
I agree with a lot of what you said. Defense is about more than steals and blocks. From what I witnessed watching him play ball Rush is not anything spectacular defensively. And at this point I don’t feel that defensive statistics are a proven commodity. Can they recognize when a player is forced to leave his own man to help a teammate out, or can they take into account when players force bad shots versus when they are taking good shots against a defender? Sometime guys force shots they have no business taking because of time or score in a game, this doesn’t mean the person guarding them is any kind of great defensive genius.
My problem is, and always has been, that we made a terrible selection with Brandon and that Larry did not do his due diligence. Rush is what he is, and to assume any kind of growth is silly. He’s not going to get better primarily because he never has. He never got better in college and he really didn’t show me anything more from his first to his second year in the pros.
My ultimate point is that we should not over value Brandon’s role on this team. His level of production is such that we can easily replace him from year to year with a free agent who won’t cost us much more if any than Brandon’s current deal.
I agree that many defensive stats are not a proven commodity
but these Synergy stats are very specific. They have human video coders who literally watch every possession of Brandon Rush’s man to man defense and code it according to what happened. There were 160 possessions last season were he defended a player one on one in an isolation situation. One those 160 possessions his opponent scored 0.83 Points per Possession and shot 39.3% from the field. These Synergy defensive stats are not some new complex formula. They are simply new in that they have the resources to use brute force human observation, Having someone watch every single play and track what happened.
I agree that Larry Bird may have dropped the ball in not knowing more about Brandon’s drug use when he drafted him. I also agree that there has not been much of a pattern of growth in Brandon. I disagree that you can replace his value with year to year free agents. Of the 26 players who shot over 40% on 3’s last season only James Jones was a free agent. Even if you are suspicious of Brandon’s defense, I think we can agree that his defense is much better than Jones’ after having watched him play for the Pacers.
The team owes Brandon about 2 million this year, than has a team option at 2.9 the next year, before he becomes a restriced free agent. I don’t mean this to sound confrontational, but can you find any free agents signed this summer who play even reasonable defense and provided consistent outside shooting, that were signed to a yearly salary less than 3 million.
I also want to apologize if any of my responses have seemed aggressive. I just start typing and get a little fired up. I certainly respect that there can be a diversity of opinions on this and many other issues. I don’t expect or even desire to convince anyone I am right, I just hope to be clearly stating the rationale for my own beliefs.
I think your arguments are fine, not condescending or aggressive. I’m sorry though, we’ll never see eye to eye on his defense. Like I’ve said before, I’ve seen him play a ton throughout the years and I’ve never got the idea that his defense is anything special. I’ll be glad to keep a closer eye on it this year and report back.
Levy, did you watch the games and thing “man Brandon is good” ever? All he ever did was frustrate me. And his defense was good, but it wasn’t prime battier/bowen style.
And if teams “kills themselves to find a solid wing role player….” ect then Brandon would have been gone a long time ago. Or Charlotte would have taken him when they had the chance.
And I don’t think he has the potential to be anything, especially a great role player. He simply doesn’t improve. Your so into stats… go look at his college years. He was the same player as a freshmen as he was during his senior year. He didn’t improve diddly piddly his first year to his second in the NBA.
And honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if his 3pt shot goes down this year. This isn’t someone who works on his game. I mean honestly, his FG% stayed identical. But his free throw percentage dropped 5% but his 3pt percentage went up 4%?? Something to me is screaming FLUKE when it comes to his 3pt percentage. I doubt he worked harder during to summer to raise his 3pt shot and then totally fail with his ft%. How does a shooting guard shoot that low ofa free throw percentage anyway. Christ
I never was wowed by watching Rush
but there are plenty of good effective players who don’t knock your socks off when you are watching them. LeBron James is amazing to watch. By any measure Varajeo was the second most productive player on their team, but I can’t remember a single play I’ve ever watched him make. Having the wow factor is a great way account for a player’s marketability and star potential, but it’s a poor way to account for the production they provide their team. DeMar Derozan wowed me frequently last season, but Rush was MUCH more productive than him.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of Rush’s shooting percentages decline somewhat next season. Even with his 3PT% dropping slightly he would still be in the Top 10% of shooters in the league. He obviously has some struggles with confidence and assertiveness which make him struggle at times. However, I feel much better about the chances of fixing that. I would rather have a player like Rush with the skills and confidence problems than a player like Von Wafer, with loads of confidence and without the skills to back it up.
I did say anything about wow factor Levy, you added that in. I said “man Brandon is good.”
And what evidence do you have that he will suddenly fix his confidence problems? He had them for 6 years now. Why all of a sudden when playing in the toughest basketball league in the world with people in his own organization that have given up on him and tried to trade him would he find this elusive confidence?
Eh, there are like 2 distinct camps on Rush. The “hes a good defender and 3pt shooter and he will find his confidence” and the “hes a tenth man at best and is who he is.”
At least Tyler I have some hope for… I have none for Rush these days.
My bad.
I took your "man Brandon is good" to be alluding to the wow factor. I apologize if I went a little further than you intended with it. I guess I am saying that even if he never improves much beyond where he is know, and even if he never solves his confidence problems I would still be totally happy to have him on the team from a production standpoint.
I liked you description of the two camps on Rush. I am hearby staking out a 3rd camp, and anyone who is interested is welcome to join me. My camp is called “hes a good defender and 3pt shooter and even if he never finds his confidence he would still be a great 6th or 7th man on a good team.”
I also want to apologize if any of my responses have seemed aggressive. I just start typing and get a little fired up. I certainly respect that there can be a diversity of opinions on this and many other issues. I don’t expect or even desire to convince anyone I am right, I just hope to be clearly stating the rationale for my own beliefs.
You are not being aggressive.
And come on levy. You can talk a guy up without exaggerating. great 6th man on a good team? So you are saying he is a 6th man of the year candidate? If this were true people would be beating down our doors right now trying to get him. Instead, our own management doesn’t consider him part of the future and columnists/experts/analysts left and right are saying he isn’t worth the trouble. Even Dwyer, who watches a lot of basketball, thinks he is worthless.
I mean shit, all these stats you bring up make him seem usable, yet he is constantly failing the eye ball test over and over with lots of different eyeballs.
I think he s asying he can be and this year his third year will be the one that tells the tale, peoplpe have to give him that before calling him a bust. raggie averaged 13 ppg and was not very appealing to the "eyeball test" his first two years,
good thing we didnt listen to his haters after only two years, because he finally broke out in his third
by Justin Arnold on Sep 1, 2010 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Stop comparing the two
Reggie showed improvement from his first to second year. Both traditional stats and advanced stats.
Traditional stats:
PPG went up 6 points
Steals went up
Assists went up 2+
Rebounds went up 2+
Free Throw % went up over 4%
3 Point % went up nearly 5%
Advanced stats:
Per 36 ppg went up
Per 36 TOV stayed the same
Per 36 steals went up
Per 36 assists went up
Per 36 total rebounds went up
PER went up 1.7
EFG% went up 2%
TRB% went up
AST% went up
ORTG went up
He showed improvement. Huge improvement in some areas. And he showed NO regression in any area. Don’t say fg% because his true fg% actually went up. All while moving into the starting rotation. And he showed improvement from his freshmen year to his junior year (senior regeressed slightly) of college. Huge improvement. Were talking +20ppg improvement from freshmen to junior year.
Now go look at Rush’s stats.
Traditional:
PPG went up (1)
Assists went up (.5)
Rebounds went up (1)
Free Throw % went down (-5%)
3 point % went up (4%)
Advanced:
Per 36 ppg went down (-1)
Blocks, steals, assists, rebounds essentially the same
PER went up .6
TS% went up (+1.7)
AST% went up
ORT went up
DRT improved
everything else is pretty much the same
Rush showed no improvement in college. None. His scoring stayed the same. Rebounds stayed the same. Assists stayed the same. 3pt% and fg% went DOWN a good deal
Reggie showed MUCH more improvement. And he started off at a much higher place. Reggies WORST PER is still is nearly 5 points above Rushes last year.
DO NOT COMPARE THESE TWO. They are not the same at all. Find some other player who sucked for two years and then blew up his third. Reggie didn’t. He was never THAT shitty and improved year to year rapidly.
I'll stand by it.
He won’t win 6th man of the year, because that award goes to whatever 6th man scores the most points off the bench. But I believe he could be the 6th man on a championship team. He would be a TERRIFIC fit for Miami, LA, Boston or San Antonio. For him to be the 6th man on a great team, he would have to actually be on a great team. Indiana is on the road, but has a way to go.
I can’t explain why he isn’t more sought after, and it is entirely possible there are some things about Rush that neither of us know that are keeping him from being sought after.
As far as the eyeball test, statistics are kept and analyzed precisely because of all the things the eyeball misses. I would argue that the entire “new statistical” movement is because of people being dissatisfied with the value of eyeball observations and looking for a more complete and effective way of analyzing players and production.
we shall agree to disagree. Defensive ratings are so… odd. I mean his DRtg is worse than grangers last year. Not to mention I think his 3pt shot comes down to earth next year.
If you are right, sam presti or morway will be calling his number in 2 years I suppose and you can come back and say HAHA!!
But I think there is a better chance he is at the end of the bench somewhere smokin pot. But that is just me (and thirtyone).
Glad to have a civil conversation involving him though…
Interesting
Thanks for the statistical analysis, seems to back up that Rush is a better player than I would think.
However he completely fails the eye test. I often forget he is playing, he doesn’t seem to hit the “big” shots, doesn’t seem capable of elevating the game of those around him, and never seems to hustle.
You mention Varajeo above, and I always notice him making “hustle” plays when I watch Cleveland and he seems like a good glue guy who helps his team mates. Not saying he’s better than Rush, just that I did notice him contribute to his team, and I don’t notice that with Rush.
You're Right about Brandon
That Twitter stream of his is ignorant. It’s like he has no idea that people other than his homies can read that. I think the Pacers would probably counsel him on it if they thought he was actually part of the future here. I wonder what’s on Jerryd Bayless’s twitter……
I'm just glad we used a lotto pick on a Mature player like Rush
Tired of all these high upside guys like Bayless taking up room on the Pacers roster.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
Has anyone seen Bayless play?
He’s not that good. If Toronto hadn’t given Jack a crazy contract and we’d been able to keep him at a reasonable price people be putting that trade clearly in the W column for Larry.
٩(͡๏̯͡๏)۶ The sky is falling!
Possible that a different system and an oppurtunity to play may have let him be more...
But who cares about hypothetical situations.
by infinityzero.systemerror on Sep 2, 2010 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions
Or he's forced into a major minute starting role
because his team stinks and it exposes his clear weaknesses. I know Rush is going to a end up going to a solid team after we don’t give a qualifying offer and asked to be a good defensive role player (which is exactly what he is) and do nothing but keep his man honest on offense hitting open 3s. I don’t think Rush has much potential, if any, but the people that act like he doesn’t even belong in the NBA flummox me.
٩(͡๏̯͡๏)۶ The sky is falling!
Rush does belong in the NBA
He just had no business being our lotto pick.
Bayless is 22, has tons more upside. And has been effective when given the PT.
In the future we need to err on the side of talent. Low upside guys bust just like high upside guys. Might as well roll the dice for the higher upside.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
I agree with some of that.
But I have to think Rush is still an NBA player. I mean Bruce Bowen made a career out of being nothing but a defensive guy. Still believe Rush is mind-bogglingly infuriating to watch because he actually CAN score.
by infinityzero.systemerror on Sep 2, 2010 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Rush is an NBA player as well
Just thought it was stupid to pick him so high.
On a side note, It’s funny that Bird was so stung by the Shawne Williams and James White picks that he used his next 2 lotto picks on “Safe” guys who could at worst be role players. As opposed to rolling the dice on higher upside guys.
Yet both Hansboro and Rush are viewed by varying degrees as busts also.
Proves my earlier point that when in doubt, you need to err on the side of talent.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
Oakley once made controversy by saying that 60% of the NBA smoked marijuana. ...
Rush’s actions should not surprise anyone. The fact he got caught should.
Remember Shawne Williams? He consumed more weed than any pacer ever, but wasn’t dumb enough to get caught. Nuff said.
The Indy Media sucks ass! Mike Wells and Kravitz have it in for the Pacers. The NBA is a beat writers dream job, With Guarenteed contracts you can turn the coach the gm or even one player into a scapegoat for an entire year.
Weed is an herb that grows on the earth naturally saying it is bad is like saying God made a mistake, at least he wasn’t chasing people from a strip club DRUNK at 3 am and shooting up the only 4 star hotel in the city …..
Keep supporting Rush we cant cut him or trade him so get behind the guy if he has a problem then the team should help him seek treatment, If he keeps playing good D and can find 15ppg …. I will show him how to communicate on twitter and smoke at the same time
The court will decide Lance’s future. I hope she is found to be a gold digger though
Hey Che, Did you really just write this…
Remember Shawne Williams? He consumed more weed than any pacer ever, but wasn’t dumb enough to get caught. Nuff said.???
You do realize that Shawne Williams has been arrested 3 times for drug related issues yes? Oh, and his NBA career is basically in shambles, but you’re right, he never “got caught” by an NBA delivered drug test.
Just like Che, Man of Pace credibility = zero. “Nuff said”
hey Punkerdown and listen
“but you’re right, he never "got caught" by an NBA delivered drug test”
is the point I’m making because we are talking about Brandon Rush
I’m not credible because I’m not a writter only a fan that pays attention
Seriously you did not address any of the valid points I made ….. so thanks so much for contributing
Che is dead are you really talking about a dead man’s credibillity who had zero to do with your life ? come on stick to the issue
the point
This is a business, so deviant behavior cannot be tolerated. This has nothing to do with subjective views of what deviant behavior is. Consistently break the rules, you are a deviant, and you make the business look bad. It simply hurts the bottom line (winning and making money), and not only that but chances are really good and historically proven that you will fail in that profession if continuing on that track.
This is slightly important to realize, yet soo many people do not.
Tyreke Evans got caught too
Is Tyreke Evans’ head on the chopping block now is Sac-town ….. HELL NO
Its not weed people in Indiana hate the Pacers and will untill we win something
It isn’t about weed Pace. It is the fact he is dumb enough to get caught and pull the Pacers through the mud again for his own selfish reasons.
I don’t think anyone gives a shit that he smokes weed. Don’t make this into a “weed is awesome and should be legal!” thing because it has nothing to do with that. The pacers these days expect their players to be model citizens due to the idiots of the past and this dumbass, no talent, player decided he didn’t care. I mean, you have to almost try to get caught to fail a drug test 3 times.
I don't hate the Pacers
I’m just offended by players who can’t follow the rules during the season long enough to get their game straightened out. If Brandon didn’t play like he was stoned most of the time and wasn’t getting suspended for being too dumb not to get caught I’d be a fan of his. Brandon needs to stay sober for his teammates who count on him to help them win games and further their own professional career. How would you feel if your performance at work was directly impacted by a co-worker who put more priority into getting high than doing a good job.
Tom, good article. The Pacers should let the guy prove himself and worthy of further consideration as a long term teammate. He is truly quite inexpensive especially compared to past head-cases. Everybody does like a good redemption story, so why not root for that! That should reflect positively on the Pacer organization. At the same time though, too often second chances are squandered. If and when that happens, be done with ’em! The overall tolerance for these thankless athletes should be very minimal in this day in age.
Rush's Twitter's active again
Says he’s listening to some rap song about having swag. Implied facepalm goes here.
٩(͡๏̯͡๏)۶ The sky is falling!
I kind of echo Tom and Levy on this one for the most part
Rushing to dump Brandon doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, and I’ve mentioned a few times that I believe he’s probably the best defender on our team, by a very good margin, apologies to Dahntay. I don’t work in the business of advanced statistics, but I know what my eyes tell me, and while I’ve never watched Brandon and said, “This guy is goood,” I have watched him and thought, “This guy can play defense.” I think moving forward, with or without Brandon, his defense should be what we start to focus on as fans.
In fact, one of the first memories that pops into my head from the 09-10 season was Brandon dominating James on the defensive end with James in dagger mode at the end of one of the games. It was really something to me to see Brandon put that effort into forcing James into a bad (missed) shot when he was looking for blood in the water.
Honestly, he has every tool to be a poor man’s Ron Artest in my opinion, but he’ll never put the statistical skills together, I’m sure. I’m going to say I’m fine with him on the team next year. Him embarrassing the franchise off the court is no surprise considering he’s been a pretty decent embarrassment on the court as well. Why separate the two? Not many Pacers fans are too big on Brandon as is, I just don’t see how this offense is a tragedy, a “get out of town” sort of deal when I think most of us were fine with seeing him go before this. I just don’t feel any differently towards him now than I did a week ago, so it doesn’t matter to me if he goes or stays. I’d simply prefer we come out ahead if we see him go.
Ultimately, I feel the five game suspension won’t mean a thing to us, the team, or Brandon. Let’s see what he brings from game six onwards. If it’s what we have gotten the past two years, oh well. Continue to shop him, take a pick back if we can, or just let him walk after this year. I really just don’t see this as a franchise altering thing. Brandon has been apathetic towards the team on and off the court, I’m feeling like the team should be pretty apathetic in their damage control. Dumping Rush doesn’t sell tickets anymore than having Rush on the team loses tickets.
But he is a good defensive player. That I will stand up for.
I remember commentating on that game with you last year
His foot speed kept him in front of James and frustrated him towards the end of that game. I remember being impressed that Rush could have a hand in James’ face almost every possession down the stretch. Is Rush the future? No. Is he a cheap defensive stopper who can hit the 3? Yes. We all need to rearrange our thoughts about him and simply be happy with what we can get, production-wise. After all, Bayless (our other draft option) is showing arguably less than Rush has shown.
Exacty
It’s the difference in star upside and role player upside. It was a trade you make if you were a wing defender away from title contention. Not a trade to make when you are one of the worst talent collection in the NBA.
" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "
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