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.
