dwtaylor1055

Garza will not succeed in the NBA unless he develops some sort of jump shot and or 3pt shot at a min and improving his mobility. In todays game, you need to be able to step away from the rim or near the rim to be relative

It was leaked about him being upset in the very beginning, but IMO the pacers will always be Leary about handing out multiple big time contracts(nature of the business for small markets) so they don't set the franchise back should something go wrong. Pacers upped their offer and both were happy with it. If you are going to have a "BIG 3" in indy, IMO you need three different positional players(Brogdon/Victor/Sabonis). If Brogdon can stay healthy and that's a big IF then I am fine giving those top three annual contracts between $17 mil and $27 mil. Now Myles Turner comes into play right at the same amount as Sabonis is making, he's a play away from the basket type of guy in a centers body that can block shots consistently. In todays game, its critical that a center can shoot the 3pt respectively(35% or so?). If Sabonis and Myles cannot coexist then one has to go. Sabonis needs to become faster to guard smaller PFs and Myles needs to be more physical when guarding other centers.

Agree, life blood is the draft and hitting a home run for the Pacers(aka DG and PG13). With Brogdon I'd like to see some "rest management" here. Not a big fan of it, but if he misses half the season every year due to injuries it certainly isn't helping us. If this current lineup doesn't work, you must move one of Turner and Sabonis. You have another big(Raw but will be good) in Goga behind them that will be ready come time to play backup C when the time comes to flip one of Turner or Sabonis.

Guess Sumner needs more time to see what he truly has. Kid seems to have potential but buried on current depth chart and injuries keep occuring

Sumner?

Vic and Pacers started contact negotiations to get a feel for what it'll take to keep Vic. It'll be hard to keep all four Oladipo($25 mil or max), Brogdon($20 mil per yr), Turner($18 mil per yr) and Sabonis($17 mil per yr) and spread the rest of the money($80 mil given to these four if Victor takes only $25 mi, that only leaves $45 mil for the rest of a team) and have solid depth. Add in TJ Warren at $12.6 mil, Jeremy Lamb at $10.5 mil, Goga at $3.1 mil, McConnell at $4 mil per yr Aaron Holiday at $4 mil and that brings your total to $110.2 mil, leaving approx. $11 mil left to spend. That total is for only 9 players. Seems fine right? BUT look at a depth chart for only those 9 players: PG - Brogdon/McConnell SG - Victor/Holiday SF - Warren/Lamb PF - Sabonis C - Turner/Goga With $11 mil left to spend, your 1st rd draft pick for the 2022 season will take around $3 mil(picking around low 20s) so now you are left with approx. $8 mil to find a solid backup PF(This will be very hard to find IMO). The 1st rd draft pick will not make an immediate impact in 2020 IMO. All of this isn't considering what is happening with COVID-19 and how it'll affect the salary cap in the years to come(Has to lower for the next few years to help offset losses right?). I say everything above to say this, IMO you do not let your best player leave for nothing and the likelihood of trading Victor for two future all stars and getting lucky(ala PG-13 trade) is very slim. You do not let your best player leave in Oladipo. Aaron Holiday can play the PG or SG position, Lamb can play the SG or SF position, Warren can play the SF or PF position. Resign Vic and flip Myles for a starting stretch 4 PF and backup SF(Warren can play PF for small ball and Lamb can play some SG). This allows Sabonis to slide to his natural position at Center and Goga is his primary backup(Goga will get better and will be a potential all star one day IMO). Your depth chart looks something like this post Turner trade which I think would be very solid: PG - Brogdon/McConnell SG - Victor/Holiday SF - Warren/Lamb/2022 1st rd pick PF - Player trade for Myles/2022 1st rd pick C - Sabonis/Goga

If the NBA would have called goaltending like they should have on Lebron two years ago against Vic in the playoffs, we may be talking upset.

DT - Buckner(top 5 DT in the league) DE - Houston and Turay(Houston still effective given age and Turay was coming on strong before getting injured last yr) LB - Leonard (top 5 LB easily) and Walker(improving as a solid MLB) CB - Rhodes, Moore(Rhodes only 1 yr removed from being an all pro plus is reunited with his coaches from Minny where he was an all pro for two or three years and Moore is a top 5 a lot CB) S - Hooker is special pending his health and Willis has the tools to be a Antoine Bethea type player overall the defense looks solid, top 15 easily IMO.

QB - Rivers(still two good years left IMO) RB - Mack, Taylor, Hines and Wilkins WR - Hilton, Pittman, Paris, Pascal, Fountain TE - Doyle, Burton You have two playmakers at RB, two playmakers at WR(maybe 3 if Paris stays healthy). We wanted playmakers and Ballard did just that on offense with Taylor and Pittman. Both have plenty of college experience which should/will help transition to NFL easier We still have all our picks in 2021 draft, should we need to move higher up in first rd 1 for a QB, we have the ability to do just that should Rivers not work out this upcoming season.

Ballard has done a great job thus far. Buckner was/is much better than what they could have drafted at pick 13, Pittman will be a starter opposite Hilton almost on day one(ceiling is Brandon Marshall or Kenny Golladay which I’m drooling over cause I love Golladay game). Interesting to trade up for Jonathan Taylor, however, he’s a playmaker and the colts love to run the ball. Him and Mack will be a force at 30 carries per game. If Mack decides to not resign after this year, enter Taylor as the lead back. Blackman pick is solid, recovering from knee surgery, however, can stretch the field and is a ball hawk. Potential starter if Malik Hookers 5th yr option isn’t picked up next year. So far this draft is 🔥🔥🔥. I think they address an OT, CB and DL with there next three picks.

I think if Love IS there at 34 Colts will take him. If Love is not easily a WR and CB with their two 2nd rd picks. Hilton is aging, Campbell needs to stay healthy and if so can turn heads as he gets older, Pascal is solid but not a every down starter, Fountain was turning heads in training camp and preseason last year before a season ending injury and Marcus Johnson(some may say who?, is a spot fill to give breaks to others). You add someone like Pittman Jr, Tee Higgins or Denzel Mims, watch out. Comparisons and ceilings similar to Brandon Marshall and Kenny Golladay for those mentioned. I'd gladly take that for the future! Now onto CBs. Rhodes(1 yr prove it deal, could turn into more or not a wild card), Moore(slot CB for foreseeable future and one of the top slot corners IMO), Ya-Sin(IMO will improve and be similar to a Rhodes type player by the end of 2020), Tell(2nd yr back, wild card) and Quincy Wilson(oozing talent but has not shown in games or practice). Should Rhodes experiment fail, you are left with an opening starting cornerback spot opposite of Ya-Sin. My vote would be Bryce Hall from UVA or if somehow one of Kristian Fulton from LSU or Trevon Diggs Alabama falls. If Fulton or Diggs is at 34, you take one of them and then WR with the 44th pick(depth is really well so drop off won't be too bad waiting 10 more picks for a WR like Claypool from ND, Reagor from TCU or Brandon Aiyuck from Arizona St.

Trey is a good signing both value wise and scheme wise. Plugging him into a Eric Ebron role will do him wonders. FOund a stat, the top Tight End run blockers last year were..... 1.) Burton and 3.) Jack Doyle. So we now have two of the top three TE run blockers according to PFF. Burton gives Rivers a vertical threat(Hunter Henry in LA) and a tall guy to lob some short touchdown passes to. I do not see us taking a TE in the draft unless a top TE falls. I am excited for tonight. I doubt the Colts move up, however, I am excited to see who doesn't go in the first round since we have the 2nd pick on day two. My guess for our pick will be a big body WR or CB/IDL with our first two picks.

hmmmmm

Trayce needs to develop an outside shot to be a top 10 pick IMO. If he doesn't develop this during the 2020-2021 season, I would think there is a legit shot he returns for one more year

Neutral site, no fans, may give the Pacers a better chance at winning a title or advancing past the first or second rd lol

Per Rabby, Juwan is fine, results were negative

My top 5 under 21: 1.) Luka Doncic(This kid is a walking triple double almost, plus has his team firmly in the playoff race. Add another scorer and this team is very scary) 2.) Zion Williamson(Small sample size this season BUT has the looks to be the NEXT guy if he can develop a more consistent outside shot besides lobs and dunks, similar to Giannis) 3.) Jayson Tatum(Well rounded kid that gets it done across the board for pts, boards and assists. He's just starting to come around to what is potential could be) 4.) Ja Morant(A go get er, can help others around him. A walking double double, especially when the Grizz are fully healthy.) 5.) Trae Young(Can shoot lights out and can average double figure assists nightly, however, he's not moving the needle in terms of his team winning games IMO, needs more help, will Capela help move the needle?)

Or sign autographs, rather fist bump instead

Lamb slides to the 2 guard spot, Aaron gets first crack at primary backup PG. McConnell will come in if Holiday struggles or we need a boost of energy. Doug stays at SF and Justin plays at PF. Sabonis and Turner will rotate at the 5 with the bench with Goga getting 3 or 4 mins per game. Depth Chart: PG - Brogdon/Aaron/TJ SG - Home Depot/Lamb SF - TJ Cash Considerations Warren/McDerrmott PF - Sabonis/Justin Holiday C - Turner/Goga Vic will probably play off the bench until early March. Then that'll give the starters a month to mesh and bench to mesh before playoffs start. Out of the depth chart above and knowing the playoff rotation that Nate likes to use(9-man) Goga will not play and McConnell will not play unless Aaron struggles or we need a boost of energy.

Hearing a return against the Bulls on Jan 29th for Victor Oladipo is very likely

Pacers nearing full health. Brogdon is doing some shooting so hopefully he returns at some point during the 4 home games upcoming, Lamb and McConnell are both due back tomorrow, Victor is practicing more and more and Sumner is nearing a return(shooting with a soft cast). Pacers about to be fully healthy barring any other injures(knock on every piece of wood in a million mile radius).

I agree, I think he's got the ability to be the next GUY like Lebron is or has been over the years

Luka is straight killing it, can he maintain over the course of a full season who knows but when comparing his season stats to year two of other guys like Lebron his stats are significantly better

The GOAT for the regular season. jokes aside, I still like PG. Keep balling

Mad Ants are in town for the Pacers game tonight. Pacers have assigned Victor to the Mad Ants to practice live. After practice, they will recall him. A great step in the road to recovery. Word is recovery is going very well and Vic plans to meet with his doc for a new update in the coming weeks.