The Herald Bulletin

Morning Update

Sports

Discussion

July 4, 2008

MIKE BEAS: Pacers look to build the old-fashioned way

If a positive can be extracted from Boston celebrating another professional sports championship (barf!), it’s that it demonstrates 180-degree turnarounds are possible.

Even so, Indiana Pacers fans would be wise to tread cautiously with their enthusiasm for the 2008-09 season.

“Yeah, but the Celtics ...”

Stop with the “yeah, buts.” The Celtics, a bottom-feeding winner of 24 games the previous season, caught lightning in a thimble straying from the traditional blueprint of building through the draft.

Sometimes impatience has its rewards. This was one of those times.

Bringing in Kevin Garnett, 32, and Ray Allen, 33, meant Boston’s window of opportunity was incredibly small, but the franchise took full advantage and should be applauded.

“Yeah, but the Celtics ...”

Quit it. No matter how many roster moves the Pacers make during the offseason, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer like Garnett isn’t going to be part of the equation.

Therefore, the Pacers’ progression chart the next few seasons needs to read as such: better, good, very good.

Oh, and in case you didn’t receive the memo, the Pacers are now Danny Granger’s team, with oft-injured Jermaine O’Neal traded to Toronto.

Not Mike Dunleavy’s team or Jeff Foster’s team. Certainly not Jamaal Tinsley’s team.

Danny Granger’s.

This would seem like a lot of weight to lower onto the slender shoulders of a 25-year-old about to enter his fourth year in the NBA, but Granger possesses All-Star-caliber game, demeanor and professionalism.

Really, when was the last time we said that about anyone associated with the (black-and) blue-and-gold?

Barring any more moves by team president Larry Bird — and we hear some could be in the works — Indiana is in a position to start T.J. Ford at the point, Granger at small forward, Dunleavy at the ‘3’, 7-foot Rasho Nesterovic in the post and one of the brothers Rush, Kareem or 6-6 rookie Brandon, at the ‘2’.

Not bad. Not the 1980 Los Angeles Lakers, mind you, but not bad.

Now consider the wave of bench players would consist of Foster, Troy Murphy, Marquis Daniels, Shawne Williams, Jarrett Jack, 7-2 rookie center Roy Hibbert, Maceo Baston and whatever Rush doesn’t start.

To me, this is where it gets exciting. I’m no season-ticket holder or anything, but that comes off as one pretty impressive list of backups.

Should this group remain intact from now until the start of the season, Indiana’s overall depth could mean the difference between making and not making the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Is there a bona fide superstar in the group? Hardly. But if you’re second-year Pacers coach Jim O’Brien there is no shortage of workable parts. Indiana should — again, that’s SHOULD — be able to hit the hardwood with a variety of looks offensively and defensively.

Last year’s club finished 10 games under .500 and still almost qualified for the postseason. I’ll be interested to see if Indiana can climb to 40 victories next time around. Or maybe 45.

Bird is building for the long haul, and it’s going to be a step-by-step process. Standing on deck: improvement. Then and only then can we start thinking larger thoughts.



Mike Beas is a sportswriter / columnist for The Herald Bulletin. He can be reached at mike.beas@heraldbulletin.com.

Text Only
Sports
  • 0211 sports ahs vs new castle 029.jpg Tribe triumphs

    The Anderson Lady Tribe brought their best defense in Friday night’s semifinal battle against New Castle and rolled to a 56-31 victory to advance to the final of Class 4A Sectional 9 against Pendleton Heights.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

  • 0211 sports phhs vs richmond 110.jpg Wertz rallies Arabians to final

    Pendleton Heights junior guard Tiffany Wertz sparked a fourth-quarter rally in girls sectional basketball play Friday and lifted the Arabians into tonight’s title game. PH scored 29 points in the fourth quarter and erased a six-point deficit with five minutes to play in a 63-51 win over Richmond.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

  • Broncos advance to finals

    Daleville’s girls basketball team pounded Wes-Del for a third time this season, defeating the Warriors 39-11 to earn a berth in the sectional championship tonight against Southern Wells.

    February 10, 2012

  • 0211 spts elwood 3181.JPG Elwood better but can't best Tipton

    While the final score of 80-46 may not indicate it, there were some improvements for the Elwood girls basketball team in its rematch against the Tipton Blue Devils on Friday night in the semifinals of the Class 2A Sectional 39 at Madison-Grant.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

  • 0211 spts mg 3066.JPG Argylls' season runs out of gas in semis

    It would not be too hard to pinpoint exactly when things went wrong for the Madison-Grant girls basketball team Friday night in its sectional semifinal game against Eastern. However, identifying the cause of the team’s struggles would be more difficult. The Argylls’ hung tough for three quarters of the game, but fell apart in the fourth with a perfect storm of problems, resulting to a 56-38 loss to end their season.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

  • 0203 sports frankton vs tri 106.jpg Winchester's final run fells Frankton

    Girls basketball season came to an end Friday for the Frankton Eagles, but it didn’t end quietly. Frankton fell to the Winchester Golden Falcons 60-51 in the Class 2A Sectional 40 semifinals at Shenandoah High School.

    February 10, 2012 1 Photo

  • 0211 sports ahs vs new castle 001.jpg Indians advance to finals Photos from the sectional semifinal at Greenfield-Central on Friday.

    February 10, 2012

  • 0211 sports phhs vs richmond 110.jpg Arabians come from behind to beat Red Devils Photos from the sectional semifinal at Greenfield-Central on Friday.

    February 10, 2012

  • 0210 sports ahs vs muncie 004.jpg Bearcats upend AHS

    Often basketball is a simple game, and it was certainly true for the Anderson boys basketball team here Thursday night. “We had too many turnovers — that’s the game,” said AHS coach Joe Nadaline after the Indians lost to Muncie Central 54-46 for their eighth straight defeat.

    February 9, 2012 1 Photo

  • Lapel vs Doah mock up.jpg Bulldogs topple Raiders, win 9th in a row

    The Bulldogs keep on rolling. Lapel (16-3) led from start to finish as it beat visiting Shenandoah 69-47 Thursday night to push its winning streak to nine games.

    February 9, 2012 1 Photo