FW_Hoosier

49 minutes ago, NotIThatLives said:

I don't get the hype.  He'll most likely be half the player he was by January???

He’s probably a top 20 player when healthy.  They won’t even need him during the regular season, but by the time the playoffs roll around, he’ll be at least close to full health.  Warriors won’t be challenged.

Warriors have totally ruined the NBA.

Bryant to the Wizards.

35 minutes ago, PoHoosier said:

I thought much the same, with only one counterpoint.  How does Juwan's development change with Bryant in the lineup?  With that comes the next question, does DD get hurt with a deeper front court?

My opinion is that things have or will work themselves out to be favorable in the end making the questions needing no answer.  It might be lazy of me, as speculation can be so much fun with this sort of topic.

I was really only talking about Bryant staying as it would have related to his personal prospects for success in the NBA.

As it would have related to IU as a team last season, I actually think Bryant staying would have been good for the team overall, including Juwan. Bryant really would have been the perfect frontcourt pairing with Juwan.  Having Bryant at the 5 would have allowed Juwan to slide back to his more natural position at the 4.  And at the same time, with Bryant’s ability to get up and down the court and play on the perimeter, Juwan would still have had plenty of room to operate in the paint.  I guess in that scenario, Juwan might not have developed quite as much because he wouldn’t have been counted on to basically carry the entire team, but he still would have been a key player for us.  And the team likely would have been a lot better, and probably makes the tournament.

Now Davis would have been the odd man out in that scenario, but like you said, he might have also avoided injury.  Smith would also have played a lot fewer minutes, but I don’t think bringing him along more slowly would have been a bad thing necessarily.  Overall, Bryant staying would have been a good thing for all involved IMO.

6 minutes ago, Indykev said:

Clearing cap space for LeBron and P.George. Thomas will be fine, he had a good year in the G league.

Agree, definitely unusual for a team to cut a guy coming off a rookie season in which he made the G League first team.  I’m sure it does have to do with the Lakers clearing cap for Lebron/PG/Kawhi.  

But at the same time, whatever the reasoning behind it, this was why I thought Bryant would have been well served to come back.  First round picks are much less likely to be cut (not to mention they make much more money).  Out of all the players that left early under Crean, Bryant is really the only one that I think made a mistake.  He could’ve played his way into the first round last season and been set up much better.

Welp... This was the problem with Bryant leaving before he could play his way into the first round.  Lakers didn’t have much invested in him, and now they’ve cut him loose.

2 hours ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

Yeah I was thinking similarly, but based on how well he's played for Dallas and how much they like him it could be a situation where patience is good. That they made him restricted has to show they have a role for him.

Wonder what they’ll do with Seth Curry.  That backcourt is awfully crowded right now.

Good call by whoever said the Pacers should go after Gordon.

12 hours ago, KoB2011 said:

I would take the Pacers backcourt last year over every other East playoff team, sans Toronto and Washington. I understand Boston was missing Kyrie though.

I don't think it is a stretch to think that Vic can be the best guard in the East for a few years going forward. I think Collison is a very solid player now and Holiday projects to be the same or slightly better. Our backcourt is set.

That does not mean that it couldn't be better, but that's true for almost every team in the league. It just doesn't seem that is our best path towards improvement when you look at what moves we can reasonably make. The low hanging fruit for the Pacers at this point is getting a wing. All the PG talk prior to the draft was about long-term options, which we seem to have filled by getting a steal in the draft. 

If improving the backcourt is the better path as you say, how do you go about doing that? Bogey is more likely to get you beat than Collison IMO and there are a lot more wings out there we can get than there are PGs. 

Speaking of the Celtics... Scary Terry would be a great fit for the Pacers.

16 minutes ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

You could say that I guess, though I don’t think he really is - but then i’d say if the P’s want to really contend they need another high level starting guard. Collison is not at that level, he’ll he was formerly a Pacers backup and was traded, he’s an interim guy in my book. These replies strike me as some kind of loyalty thing. If we were talking about a team other than the P’s, but with the same players, I doubt people would be so reactionary to the idea that Collison is not the long term starting guard if the team wants to get to the next level 

Yeah, it’s an interesting issue, as Vic admittedly isn’t a PG in the traditional sense.  You don’t really want a traditional 2 guard playing alongside him, and at the same time, you also don’t want a traditional PG that needs the ball to be effective.  

But you’re definitely right that the Pacers aren’t likely to make the Finals with Collison as the other starting guard.  Ideally, they find a PG that can play off the ball some, play defense, and hit the open three.  Hypothetically, who do you think would be the perfect fit alongside Oladipo?  Doesn’t have to be someone who’s available.

5 minutes ago, FKIM01 said:

...but all he has to do to match Hardin defensively is stand on the floor and wave his arms in the general direction of the opposing player closest to him.

Most definitely.  I was just anticipating push-back based on the difference in assist numbers between Harden and Vic, as the focus on “true point guards” tends to emphasize distributing the ball.  Regardless of the fact that Vic is more of a score-first than pass-first guard, I think he still qualifies as the Pacers point guard considering how much he has the ball in his hands.

2 hours ago, Hoosierhoopster said:

I don't think Collison is bad, but he is a second string pg, he's not a quality starting point. He was a fill in for the Pacers. If the P's want to get to the "next level" they need a top flight pg. Naming better point guards than Collison? That's a long list. 

But really, isn’t Vic the point guard?  I know he’s nominally a “shooting guard,” but he had the ball in his hands a lot (30.0 usage %, just behind Kyrie and ahead of Steph), and averaged more than 4 assists per game.  Kind of similar to how Harden is nominally a “shooting guard,” but always has the ball in his hands and is the primary initiator of the offense (I realize Vic has a ways to go to match Harden as a distributor).

I don’t think the Pacers have a big need for a top flight PG, as they already basically have one in Vic.  Collison, Joseph, and Holiday are decent options alongside him.

59 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

I think he will be solid. I don't think he will be the best European player ever. 

Yeah, I’m not too high on him.  I get that it’s impressive what he did in the Euroleague at 19, and he probably has a pretty high floor, but he has bottom tier athleticism for the NBA.  All the footage I’ve watched of him looks like it’s in slow motion.  

Luka Doncic... bust or the best Euro prospect of all time?

2 hours ago, BobSaccamanno said:

It’s going to be interesting to see how the offseason goes.  The Pacers have money.  It’d be interesting to see if they make a play for a guy like Aron Gordon.   He might mesh well with Turner and Victor.  You’d be looking at an athletic team for sure in the modern NBA.

Another free agent who looks interesting is Marcus Smart.  I don’t think the Celtics can afford to let him go, but if he gets $15 M, maybe they let him bolt.  He could take Collison’s salary spot.  

A lot of mobile big guys coming into the draft.  It will be interesting to see how that dynamic changes the league.  It looks like an interesting draft.  

The offseason can be really fun.  

If the Pacers get Aaron Gordon and make a run in the playoffs next season, the Magic should be forced to disband the franchise.

So is there any way Steph can salvage his Finals MVP bid after his awful Game 3, or does KD have it locked up?  Only intrigue left in this series, unfortunately.

56 minutes ago, 5fouls said:

LeBron goaltended on Vic's shot.

Muggsy Bogues never once goaltended a shot.  Definitive proof basketball was better back when he played.

33 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

THEY DO SMOKE WEED THOUGH

YOU SURE ABOUT THAT

30 minutes ago, PoHoosier said:

Is the hall of fame watered down because 80s players are no longer elected? 

Yes.  It’s also watered down because the players currently being selected for the Hall of Fame didn’t smoke cigarettes and do coke in the locker room at halftime.

28 minutes ago, KoB2011 said:

This is an absolutely absurd take. Klay Thompson is one of the best shooters to ever play basketball and a great defender. He's already made 4 ASG's and is about to win his third title. Klay Thompson will without question be a HOFer. 

Lol at the claim that Klay isn’t a surefire hall of famer.  He’s probably the second best shooter of all time.

37 minutes ago, IU Scott said:

Sure, whatever

That is just my opinion, you can’t say it is wrong,,

1 hour ago, IU Scott said:

80's Celtics

80's Lakers

Warriors would run the plumbers and accountants on the 80s Celtics off the court.  Magic would have to learn to dribble with his left hand before the 80s Lakers had a chance.

NBA refusing to smooth the cap when it spiked in the summer of 2016 was a big mistake.  KD on the Warriors is unfair.

Lebron’s teammates this season are maybe the worst group of players I’ve ever seen in the Finals.

JR Smith has been playing in the NBA for 15 years and makes a play like that at the end of the game.  What a dumbass. 

And yet none of that would’ve happened if George Hill (11 year vet, career 80% FT shooter) made one free throw.

These bums just wasted a 50 point Finals game from Lebron.  Wild.