After the NBA draft lottery proceedings, Larry Bird commented on the expected outcome for the Pacers.
"When you've got less than half a percent of a chance to win something, you're probably not going to win the thing. But at least we didn't move back. Obviously, we would've liked to move up but you can't complain about where we're at. We think we can get the type of player that is going to help us. We're building this thing for the future. We've got a lot of good young players, we're getting a core of guys to move forward with and we'll continue to do that."
I'm not sure, but I think that's the exact same quote Bird had after last year's lottery. Well, maybe the part about the good young players is new. In fact, there's plenty to chew on from the statements about "building for the future" and "getting a core of guys to more forward with."
Now that we know that the Pacers are drafting 13th, I wonder what the initial reaction is for others. I'd love to see Bird trade down again considering the available talent from 10-20 in this draft seems comparable, especially if the Pacers are looking to draft a point guard.
I like hearing Bird say that the team is building instead of trying to tweak. They're actually in position to build and tweak at the same time. The Pacers have a solid team right now and could tweak to make the playoffs next year while still building for a stronger future. But building for the future takes precedence.
Who do you think the core players are for the future? Right now, I'd say Danny Granger, Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert. If Jarrett Jack re-signs, you may put him in the core. But that leaves Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford and Jeff Foster as good current players who won't be around for the future Bird is building toward.
So with this draft, filling a current need isn't as important as accruing assets in the form of picks and/or talent. Why pick a guy who fits well for Ford, Murph and Foster when the long range vision doesn't include those players? There should be plenty of playing time for any position the Pacers draft. If a logjam eventually develops at a position, then the Pacers will have the assets to deal for a position of need in the future.
Personally, I don't see a logjam of talent developing at any position for some time, so I'd prefer the team draft for talent over immediate need. What do you think?