So far this season - especially after the recent CHI, BOS, CLE, and CHA games - I find this team maddening and frustrating to watch. I think it just comes down to a fundamental disagreement I have with the coaching staff and, by extension, the front office. Seeing Buddy Hield get 25-30 minutes a night over critical pieces like Mathurin and Walker makes no damn sense. I like Buddy, but he has no future with this franchise unless the FO is rudderless. Seeing McConnell getting critical minutes is also maddening. Again, the present and future of this franchise is the development of young players, not playing vets so the Pacers can win maybe 40 games and get rocked by a team like BOS in the playoffs.
The scheme they are running on defense simply isn’t working. They also need to just go ahead and trade Theis and Hield. The development of the Pacers rests with players like Mathurin, Walker, Sheppard, and Jalen Smith. Having Hield and Theis disrupts that development, or it creates distractions. Move them already.
I'm baffled by their non use of Theis. As good as he looked winning the world championship it's unfathomable to me that he's glued to the bench behind even Jackson. WTF Rick.
The defense was awful. Toppin is a non factor non defender of great magnitude. I have hopes for Walker and his D but he's awfully raw. Still think he'll be ahead of Toppin before long unless the light clicks on for Obi.
So far this season - especially after the recent CHI, BOS, CLE, and CHA games - I find this team maddening and frustrating to watch. I think it just comes down to a fundamental disagreement I have with the coaching staff and, by extension, the front office. Seeing Buddy Hield get 25-30 minutes a night over critical pieces like Mathurin and Walker makes no damn sense. I like Buddy, but he has no future with this franchise unless the FO is rudderless. Seeing McConnell getting critical minutes is also maddening. Again, the present and future of this franchise is the development of young players, not playing vets so the Pacers can win maybe 40 games and get rocked by a team like BOS in the playoffs.
The scheme they are running on defense simply isn’t working. They also need to just go ahead and trade Theis and Hield. The development of the Pacers rests with players like Mathurin, Walker, Sheppard, and Jalen Smith. Having Hield and Theis disrupts that development, or it creates distractions. Move them already.
I'm baffled by their non use of Theis. As good as he looked winning the world championship it's unfathomable to me that he's glued to the bench behind even Jackson. WTF Rick.
The defense was awful. Toppin is a non factor non defender of great magnitude. I have hopes for Walker and his D but he's awfully raw. Still think he'll be ahead of Toppin before long unless the light clicks on for Obi.