IC Cold Links: Herb Simon Considers Reuniting Donnie Walsh And Reggie Miller In Pacers Front Office

by Tom Lewis on Aug 18, 2011 6:00 AM EDT in Indiana Pacers News

BOSTON MA - FEBRUARY 10: Former Indiana Pacer and former NBA 3-point all time record holder Reggie Miller reacts after Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics tied his record in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 10 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that by downloading and/or using this Photograph User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Adrian Wojnarowski catches our rapt attention again, reporting today that Indiana Pacers owner Herb Simon is seriously considering bringing back Donnie Walsh to run the basketball side of things at the Fieldhouse while mentoring Reggie Miller to take the reins of the Pacers' front office (thanks for the FanPost, PMfan).

If Bird does leave, there's momentum growing for Walsh to return to the Pacers with Miller. Strong ties still bind Walsh, Simon and Miller. Within weeks of his departure from the New York Knicks, Walsh had been telling confidants he was refreshed and eager to work again. He didn't leave New York because he was tired of the job, but weary of the Garden culture. He's 70 years old, but Walsh isn't done with the NBA. He doesn't want to leave Indianapolis again, and this could be perfect for him.

Larry Bird has strongly indicated that this will be his last season, so it makes sense for Simon to begin considering the team's next leader. At first blush, it seems dicey to repeat the process that put Larry Bird in charge as team president. Bird also learned the ropes under Walsh and things went haywire along the way.

The big difference here, though, is that the team is in far better shape, not only with cap space but also the core players on the roster. While the Walsh/Bird era started with more talent, the players they had to rely on were far more volatile to put it politely and eventually all exploded in their face at some point.

If Reggie Miller has any thoughts of being a general manager or team president, he couldn't possibly pass up this opportunity. The situation is great and the Pacers are likely the only team in the league willing to hire Miller in an influential role without any other front office experience.

Meanwhile, David Morway and Kevin Pritchard are still on the job preparing the Pacers for a critical period of time following the lockout when they will have to strike quickly to improve the roster. Hopefully they'll be working to earn Simon's trust and a shot at the GM job as opposed to considering a future elsewhere knowing they won't be around.

So what do you think?

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Comments

Out of prison, Rose no longer Jailin'

I Jest!
thesportjester.wordpress.com

by The Sport Jester on Aug 18, 2011 9:55 AM EDT reply actions

One definite way to view this is...

That hiring Larry Bird as GM was a mistake, because after all it’d be:

   Walsh
   Walsh & Bird w/ Training Wheels
   Bird w/o Training Wheels
   oh shit, better to have Walsh afterall!!!

by FortWayneKarl on Aug 18, 2011 11:03 AM EDT reply actions

I think...

Walsh mentoring Reggie will work out much better than it did for Walsh mentoring Bird. Reggie’s a lot sharper than Bird!

by FortWayneKarl on Aug 18, 2011 11:19 AM EDT up reply actions

Let's all save some time here

From now on after any article about Pacers management, we as Cornrows faithful, will automatically assume that you A.) Think Larry is a “Bird brain” and possibly not the right fit for the Pacers and B.) Should be replaced by (insert one) opposing team front office guy, former player, or my 6 year old nephew.

Boom! You don’t even have to post about the topic anymore!

by jantz101 on Aug 18, 2011 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions

No body wants Walsh back even if it is to mentor Reggie Miller

Bird would be a much better mentor to Reggie.

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 18, 2011 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions

What do you mean "nobody"???

This isn’t a democracy. Simon is the owner. He’s the only one that matters. Unless of course, the Pacers’ owner has dinner and drinks with you on a regular basis to gain your tremendous insights into life, basketball, the universe, and the great beyond! :)

by FortWayneKarl on Aug 18, 2011 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Walsh won't be hired by Herb

And even if Herb was interested in Walsh do we even know if he is willing to leave the Knicks for the Pacers? You know Walsh is a New York native.

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 18, 2011 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Guess you're on a first name basis w/ the Pacers' owner...

Does he call you “Patsy”?

by FortWayneKarl on Aug 18, 2011 3:58 PM EDT up reply actions

He already left the Knicks

by donnyfher on Aug 18, 2011 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Dude, you are not up to speed... At all.

Donnie Walsh left new york because of all the pressure he was put on by new york and Dolan. You sir, have lost credibility in your arguments. And ft. Wayne, do you see what’s happening in Indy? I really don’t think you have the slightest clue. We are here now because of Larry bird.

by hoosier3060 on Aug 19, 2011 5:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Walsh still has a house here

And I’m pretty sure his wife lives in it.

by IndyPacers on Aug 19, 2011 5:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Donnie Walsh back in the front office REALLY?

OK, first off I will give credit where credit Donnie Walsh did wonders for the Pacers from 1987-2003 bringing in guys like Reggie Miller and Rik Smits and made some great moves with trades like Travis Best and Jalen Rose for Ron “Rappin Ron” Artest, Brad Miller, and Ron Mercer and Pooh Richardson for Mark Jackson. But 2004 was when he started to make his mistakes ruining his tenure with Indiana by trading Al Harrington for Stephen “Just Shoot Me” Jackson (quite possibly the most hated and worst Pacer ever) then giving the Gun Jack AKA Stephen “Just Shoot Me” Jackson a long term contract, then inking Jamaal Tinsley long term so through David Sterns stupid rules he could get lazy and still have his pay day, and drafting David Harrison right before Anderson Verejao was drafted. And again giving credit where credit is due, although Donnie Walsh may have made up for allot of his mistakes in 05 by drafting Danny Granger, but after Granger his mistakes just got worst when he traded a first round pick to get Al Harrington back that ended up being the 11th pick in the draft and drafted Shawne “The Walking Arrest” Williams with the 17th pick in 2006.

All in all I’m not by any means saying Donnie Walsh is a bad GM, I’m just saying he has well over stayed his welcome in Indianapolis Indiana and should never be welcome back to the Pacers organization. And I also doubt he wants to leave the Knicks, he is a New York native.

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 18, 2011 12:18 PM EDT reply actions

I'd nominate Artest then Tinsley for the most hated Pacers ahead of Stephen Jackson! :)

by FortWayneKarl on Aug 18, 2011 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

No way

Artest was good as a Pacer until the stolen Pistons convict fans decided to be dicks and steal someone else’s seat just like their city stole our Pistons team from Ft. Wayne and turned all their fans into convicts, it’s their own fault he never did anything after the brawl for the Pacers.
Tinsley did make the Pacers worst, but not near as bad as the Gun Jack AKA Stephen “Just Shoot Me” Jackson did. Gun Jack was a ball hog who couldn’t shoot anything straight and took a bunch of shots he couldn’t even come close to hitting if that isn’t as bad as you can get I dunno what is. Tinsley was just plain lazy once he got his big contract and didn’t care.

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 18, 2011 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions

You're rewriting history with Artest and for awhile Jackson was the only Pacer with a pair of balls!

by FortWayneKarl on Aug 18, 2011 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions

It's still the Stolen Pistons Convict fans fault Artest was hated here

Before the Brawl next to Reggie Miller and JO, Ron “Rappin Ron” Artest was the most beloved Pacer then Detroit’s ASSHOLE convict fans provoked him to go into the stands and ruined his tenure as a Pacer. It’s all their fault he was hated here in Indiana and we didn’t get a championship that season.

And if you don’t agree with me that it’s the stolen Pistons convict fans fault Artest was hated as a Pacer. Let me give you a little scenario, you in the Amazon and you provoke a Piranha to attack you and if it does is it the Piranha’s fault it attacked you NO! The stolen Pistons convict fans and Rappin Ron had the same scenario, Artest was provoked by a bunch of felons to jump into the stands and because of the felon stolen Pistons fans he got suspended and was let go from the Pacers who should have won an NBA championship that season.

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 18, 2011 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions

It was Ron's fault

The Pacers stood behind him and Larry went on a publicity campaign for him to try to fix his image and then he rewarded the loyalty by demanding a trade.

by donnyfher on Aug 18, 2011 4:04 PM EDT up reply actions

Ron 'metta world peace" Artest has admitted his biggest NBA regret

is his behavior on and off the court during his tenure with the Pacers. He felt he was responsible for the team not meeting it’s full potential and he disappointed his teammates, fans and the organization.

"I do the usual. I bowl, I drive, I have the ocassional acid flashback"
"Dude" from the Big Lebowski

by PV Mike on Aug 18, 2011 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Wasn't that after he won a World Championship with the Lakers?

"A champion is someone who gets up when he can't."
- Jack Dempsey

by infinityzero.systemerror on Aug 18, 2011 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions

yes it was

"I do the usual. I bowl, I drive, I have the ocassional acid flashback"
"Dude" from the Big Lebowski

by PV Mike on Aug 18, 2011 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions

It's still Detroit's convict fans of a certain STOLEN team's fault

They provoked Ron “Rappin Ron” Artest to go into the stage blaming Rappin Ron for the brawl is absolutely no different then you or I blaming a Moray Eel or Piranha for attacking us when we provoked them both to attack us. Now was it Ron “Rappin’ Ron” Artest’s own fault all those other times he was tossed from a game for his behavior ABSOLUTELY. And was it wrong for Rappin Ron to flip the camera the bird in the 2004 Eastern Conference finals YES. But the Brawl wasn’t his fault it was the stolen Pistons convict fans fault entirely they were the ones who started it and they were the ones who provoked Ron “Rappin Ron” Artest to go into the stands. And BTW I hate the stolen Pistons all their convict fans can all burn in hell for stealing the Pistons from Ft. Wayne Indiana and stealing the Pacers last shot at a title.

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 19, 2011 11:45 PM EDT up reply actions

OK

If you provoked a Piranha or Moray eel to bite you is it their fault one question one answer NO! It was the exact SAME CASE WITH RON ARTEST!

Ron was provoked by Detroit’s asshole convict fans to go into the stands their for it is the convict’s fault and not Rappin Rons.

PS.
Even though it’s off topic, I think I speak for the whole Pacers fan base when I say the Pacers would rather have Ron “Rappin Ron” Artest back next season then Mike Doneleavy. And believe me NO ONE WANTS ARTEST BACK!
And BTW Ron “Rappin Ron” Artest demanded to be traded the year after the Brawl courtesy of Detroit’s convict fans who stole the Pistons from us.

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 19, 2011 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Ben Wallace is a convict?

I Jest!
thesportjester.wordpress.com

by The Sport Jester on Aug 18, 2011 10:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I never said anyone who plays for the Stolen Pistons is or was a convict

I just said their FANS ARE CONVICTS.

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 19, 2011 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I say neither is Donnie Walsh

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 18, 2011 3:54 PM EDT up reply actions

about Jackson and Tinsley

to be fair to Walsh, at the time he traded for Jackson, Jackson seemed like a pretty decent young wing player who had helped win a title in San Antonio. Nobody could have predicted how that would turn out. I think the really stupid GM was the one who signed Jackson to a lucrative extension AFTER Jacko became famous for pummeling Pistons fans and getting run over in strip club parking lots.
When Tinsley was given his extension, he seemed like a pretty good young point guard. I doubt anybody could have predicted that he would sputter out the way he did. Tinsley’s extension was basically the same thing that Bird did for Granger, only Tinsley made less money, and Granger’s contract has worked out well for the Pacers. Tinsley fell to the penultimate pick in the 1st round because of questions about his attitude. Those questions proved to be well founded. Granger fell to #17 because of fears about a knee injury from college. If Granger blows out his knee on opening night (whenever that is) and becomes a shell of his former self, does Bird suddenly become an idiot for inking Granger to that contract?

Hindsight is 20/20

by full sail on Aug 19, 2011 2:03 AM EDT up reply actions

In the interest of fairness

The worries about Danny’s knees weren’t exactly BS. He’s missed plenty of time with it. It’s the caveat people should keep in mind when they talk about how his game should translate well into his post-prime years. That’s true, he obviously doesn’t play above the rim and all that, but I’ll never not be worried about his knees.

by IndyPacers on Aug 19, 2011 4:43 AM EDT up reply actions

Agreed some what

1.Donnie Walsh should have known better then to give the Gun Jack AKA Stephen “Just Shoot Me” Jackson a long-term contract. He was never the starter in San Antonio and although he looked a bit promising his first couple of season’s in Indiana he still didn’t look worthy of a long-term deal. Now as for the Gun Jack being a bad apple, I think allot of that goes on the fans If the Pacers haddn’t traded Gun Jack, Al Harrington, Sherunas Jessicavises and one other no name guy for a bunch of high priced trash like Mike Doneleavy (MARK MY WORDS HE WILL NOT BE A PACER NEXT SEASON) and Troy Murphy. Stephen “Just Shoot Me” Jackson may be dead by now, allot of people in Indiana really didn’t like him because he kept doing what he does best losing games for the Pacers and when he fired his gun he claimed he did it because someone was trying to run over him.

2.Jamaal Tinsely showed he was worthy of a long term deal, at the time it did seem like the right decision for Donnie Walsh to make (that was one of those things David Stern’s stupid rules get some of the blame for). But either way Donnie Walsh was the one who gave Tinsley the contract and in my opinion he deserves most of the blame.

3.Giving Granger a long-term deal was a good idea, he didn’t demand real big money and the Pacers were lucky to sign him at the time because of big over priced long term fat ass contracts like the one Mike Doneleavy (now Doneleaving) had.

by PatsR18andDONEwithoutCHEATING on Aug 19, 2011 11:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Larry Bird did an amazing job. Dont care what anybody else says. He had some learning to do which anyone would and he’s been masterful through he last few years. But Reggie is a really smart guy and hes got balls. I think he’d be great

by B-Huse on Aug 18, 2011 1:30 PM EDT reply actions

I think Larry’s done a pretty good job. His ability to pull off trades seems pretty limited, but at the same time, the trades that he has been able to do have been pretty good. He’s done a good job of drafting considering where we draft (though I still say Jrue Holiday would have been much better than Hans), but drafting is still a bit of a crapshoot that we have come out on the positive side of.

And I thought Pritchard was more than likely going to get the job after Bird left.

And it's now my sig
by Bronn on May 17, 2011 4:56 PM EDT

by Sparhawk on Aug 18, 2011 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Player relations mabye...

Basketball operations? I don’t see it.

by darrint on Aug 18, 2011 1:47 PM EDT reply actions

Sports Illustrated weighs in on Reggie as Pacers GM

Here’s what SI said. Not favorable at all.

by FortWayneKarl on Aug 18, 2011 2:26 PM EDT reply actions

Oops sorry...

I thought it was a different article, but it was already posted.

Anyway, I think they’re a little tough on Reggie – opposing teams hated him, and part of the reason he’s on as a TV announcer is they still “love to hate” Reggie. But to say that he’d not be a great GM because he’s not a great TV analyst, I think is comparing apples to oranges.

by FortWayneKarl on Aug 18, 2011 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

he really seems hung up about Reggie dissing Boston's rebounding

But he does make the same point you do in the last sentence, saying that Miller might be a halfway decent GM if he’s surrounded by staff that will compensate for his weaknesses and trained well.

by full sail on Aug 19, 2011 1:37 AM EDT up reply actions

This is perfect for Reggie and the Pacers

He has remained loyal to the Pacers and Indy since the day he was drafted and still so after he retired. Plus, I don’t think his mansion in Indy has ever sold. Just move right back in. Geist area is kind of like Malibu, right Reg?

"I do the usual. I bowl, I drive, I have the ocassional acid flashback"
"Dude" from the Big Lebowski

by PV Mike on Aug 18, 2011 3:23 PM EDT reply actions

I LOVE how people find one mistake a GM makes and call them idiots. It’s as impossible to hit on 100% of your decisions like it’s impossible to make every shot you take. Some people are sad.

by B-Huse on Aug 18, 2011 3:52 PM EDT reply actions