SB Nation - Josh McRoberts

Duke: Uniting College Sports Fans in Hate

aramnath — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:54:49 -0000

J.J. Redick loved the shocker when he was at Duke.

After watching Wisconsin beat Duke and clinch the Big Ten-ACC Challenge for the Big Ten for the first time in the eleven year history of the challenge I got a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Not because the Big Ten won, though that was part of it, but because Duke's loss sealed the victory.

Is there a more unifying experience in college sports than rooting against Duke's basketball team?? As a Michigan fan I have a steadfast dislike for everything from Ohio State, but there's no denying the amount of quality NFL players they have produced. Duke on the other hand is quite a different story.

I don't think any other team has produced the amount of gritty, emotional players, that just have those "intangibles" quite like Duke does. What's amazing is how well all their players have translated to the NBA. Oh wait, no they haven't.

For such a "powerhouse" college basketball program they have produced a grand total of zero greats and only two pretty good NBA players - Grant Hill and Elton Brand. On the other hand they produced some amazing poets (fast forward to 4:59)

While the Cameron Crazies are wild and do deserve love for camping out and going nuts at every game, we recently took a trip to Durham to see the biggest football game in the last 40 years for the Dukies, as they took on top 10 Ga Tech in what could have been a game where they actually put themselves in control of their own destiny for a BCS win.The video below was shot from the top of the stands and yet you can basically hear the calls on the field - keep in mind that at this point in the game Duke actually had a shocking 10-0 lead.

Of course they went on to get blown out 49-10, en route to losing their last 4 games in a row and yet another season without a bowl game - so maybe those Duke football fans just knew better than to show up.

The real question here is who the most hated Duke player of all time is? In recent history it was definitely J.J. Redick. Anybody that throws up the shocker (fast forward to 7:20) after making a big shot at UNC cements their place as one of the all-time hated Blue Devils. By the way he's going to make a rap album - cant wait for that gem to hit iTunes. More than Redick the Blue Devil I hated most was Greg Paulus.

Here is a guy that started three seasons at point guard for the Blue Devils, during which time we always heard about how much of a leader he was, how much he meant to the team and how he was also the No.1 quarterback recruit in the country. Well after three years of starting Coach K finally realized he sucked and benched him senior year. Then we had to hear about how much of a team player he was for not complaining when he got benched. And, yet somehow as he was the QB of the 'Cuse this year we sort of rooted for him - proving its not the man, its the college.

It gets tricky though as you look back through the years. They've just had so many d-bags grace their program. Christian Laettner was one and then Cherokee Parks came after him. Then there was Dunleavy who became a No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft and Josh McRoberts who at one time was being called a less, athletic version of Chris Webber, which makes all that "Baby Jordan" talk for Harold Minor sound legit - I mean at least he won a dunk contest.

There's so many players to choose from. Which Blue Devil do you hate more than any other?

Poll

Which Duke player do you hate the most?

Pacers 101, Knicks 89: Ford Becomes Unlikely Hero As Pacers Earn First Win

spstevenson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:46:43 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

Al Harrington's game-high 22 points weren't enough to keep the Pacers from picking up their first win of the season as Danny Granger and company nabbed the victory, 101-89.

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Everything is just fine. Order is restored. Let the road to the playoffs begin. Or something like that.

After dropping the first three games of the season in ugly fashion, the Knicks allowed the Indiana Pacers to regroup, recharge and reignite that burning flame that leads to something we like to call...winning. Despite losing Danny Granger to the bench with fouls in the final minutes, it was the team's defense and strong offensive possessions from T.J. Ford (no need to check your eyes, that does read correctly) that sealed the Pacers 101-89 win.

After trailing by six at halftime, the Pacers (1-3) shook off their usual third-quarter blues by clamping down defensively and holding the shot-happy Knicks to only 33 second-half points. The Pacers took charge of the game after Granger fouled out with the team up four points with three minutes to play. Dahntay Jones, who was an offensive and defensive force from the onset Wednesday night, hounded the Knicks post play despite being undersized against the likes of Al Harrington and David Lee. Then an unlikely hero rose from the ashes of the season. Ford, who had struggled mightily in the team's first three losses, made eight of Indiana's final 10 points to put the game out of reach.

The game featured many season "firsts" for the blue and gold. Brandon Rush attempted his first free throw, while also draining his first 3-pointer. Roy Hibbert fouled no one. Granger made big plays. The defense actually put a stop-gap in the middle of the lane. And the Pacers had more free-throw attempts, more rebounds and, most importantly, more points than the Knicks.

Still, these were the Knicks, which along with the Pacers have only one win apiece in the infancy of the 09-10 season. Maybe the Knicks were too distracted by the World Series, but something must be said for seeing, for the first time, some semblance of what the Pacers looked like in games last year. Hey, it's a start. Or something like that.

Other notes:

Another slow start for the blue and gold gang. The offense was stagnant yet again in the first quarter but, luckily, the opponent was the Knicks. The Pacers posted seven turnovers in the first six minutes of the game, along with a staggering amount of misguided passes, blind dribbling into traffic and a blatant disregard for knowing where their teammates were on the court. Then, things immediately shifted for the better when the second unit, consisting of Earl Watson, Solomon Jones and Luther Head, came into the game late into the first quarter. They picked up the game speed and it replaced the lull that shrouded the opening minutes.
Without Troy Murphy available due to injury, coach Jim O'Brien cut the playing rotation down to only eight players. Travis Diener, A.J. Price and Josh McRoberts sat dressed in their uni's on the bench tonight.
Free-throw differential. For the longest time tonight, the Pacers actually dominated in this stat category for the first time since 1971. Midway through the fourth quarter, Indiana had 22 attempts from the charity stripe compared to a paltry four shots by the Knicks. But thanks to a Danny Granger-led fouling spree to finish the game, the Knicks cut that differential pretty quickly, yet the team still compiled a 28-18 advantage at the end of regulation. But hey, at least we know it's possible for the Pacers to dominate the free-throw disparity. Possible.
Roy Hibbert fouled...NOBODY! It's a miracle! Very good night for the big man on offense and defense. I've written a billion times, but the guy needs the ball in the post much more often than he's been getting it. Too many times, Hibbert is being given the ball beyond the perimeter to act as a passing mechanism to further the Pacers' non-existent ball movement skills. He needs the ball in the post people! It may never be pretty what he does in there, but he gets things done.
Granger didn't look right early and often on the offensive end. The heel must still be bothering him pretty badly as his elevation on the jump shot is just not where it needs to be. Still, he came up big in the second half and recovered his box score to garner a team-high 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting. We talking on the boards that this upcoming schedule might be a good time for Granger to sit down and let that heel rest. The Pacers play only game between now and next Wednesday (Friday's contest against the Wizards). Maybe the time off could get him back to Superman status.
Brandon Rush, welcome to the 2009-10 season. He was one of three players to compile double-doubles (Rush had 12 points and 10 rebounds), and his two 3-pointers in the first half kept the Pacers in striking distance for the big second-half run. Jones and Hibbert nabbed double-doubles as well with Jones getting 19 points, 12 rebounds and Hibbert overpowering the small-ball Knicks lineup for 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Lastly, the offense still looked terrible quite often, the shooters still shot a paltry 5-of-21 from beyond-the-arc, the defense allowed David Lee to run wild for 20 points and 19 rebounds, and the Pacers dominated in turnovers again with a healthy 21 total. Still lots of problems. But it sure felt good to get that win. Check out the Knicks point-of-view on the game over at Posting and Toasting.

IC Cold Links: Pacers Downplay Rumors So Far; McRoberts Looking For Playing Time

Tom Lewis — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:25:13 -0000

Mike Wells is working on reactions from the Pacers to the noisy headline out of New York yesterday. So far, Herb Simon has offered a bland, business as usual comment.

Bird didn't return a phone message Sunday, but owner Herb Simon wrote in an email that he's working under the impression that Bird will be here beyond this season because his president hasn't mentioned anything to him about leaving.

So what will we learn today? I figure we'll hear clarifications and denials from players, coaches and most importantly Larry Bird himself or we'll hear absolutely nothing, which won't help stop the speculation but will be a passive-aggressive way for Bird to say (through his silence), "It's just Vecsey."

After the jump, a few more links of interest including a look at Josh McRoberts and the opportunities he's found in the preseason. Plus, we check in on a couple of local legends.

Pacers McRoberts makes progress
Mike Wells reports on Josh McRoberts and his quest for playing time with the Pacers. Aside from his development as a player, a big thing in Mac's favor is that he shows up ready to play every day. Opportunity through attrition is still opportunity. Just ask Wally Pipp.
Can Danny Granger and the young Indiana Pacers make the playoffs?
HoopsVibe previews the Pacers upcoming season and doesn't see the playoffs in the team's immediate future.
Check out 1070 The Fan's podcasts for audio links to interviews with Troy Murphy and Roy Hibbert on Kravitz & Eddie as well as Mark Boyle with Dan Dakich.
Artest getting help to deal with troubles
Jeff Eisenberg reports on Ron Artest seeking help from a psychologist to help him deal with his emotional fluctuations on the court. This is news? I thought everyone in L.A. had a therapist.
Oden has 16 in Blazers' 98-96 victory over Nuggets
Greg Oden finished strong last night for the Blazers continuing a solid preseason for the former Lawrence North star.
Lakers' bench holds off Clippers in 114-108 win
North Central grad, Eric Gordon had that sugar sweet stroke going last night, but his Clippers fell to the Lakers in a preseason Los Angeles battle.

Nuggets 128, Pacers 112: Anthony Steals The Show After Granger Ejected Early

spstevenson — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 14:11:12 -0000

More photos » by Ng Han Guan - AP

Troy Murphy is called for one of the Pacers 41 fouls during their loss to the Nuggets in Beijing, China, on Sunday. Carmelo Anthony unloaded 45 points against the Pacers defense.

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Let the roar about the replacement refs begin.

In an overseas game meant to showcase NBA stars and talent, the replacement referees called a whopping six technical fouls during the Indiana Pacers 128-112 loss against the Nuggets in Beijing, China last night. Two of those technical fouls went against Pacers star Danny Granger, who struggled with foul trouble in the first half before being ejected while arguing a call during the second quarter.

The loss of Granger allowed Carmelo Anthony to run wild in the Pacers' defense. In 24 minutes of play, Anthony unloaded 45 points on 14-of-19 shooting from the field, while also draining the freebies at the line, making 16-of-17 behind the charity stripe.

The refs called technicals on both coaches, Chauncey Billups, Chris Anderson and Dahntay Jones, while also calling 67 fouls on both teams. The Pacers, however, received the short end of the stick as they were whistled for 41 of the 67 calls. The errant and loose whistles kept both teams from finding a smooth tempo, while also drastically slowing down a meeting of two of the faster squads in the league.

Granger picked up two fouls early, forcing him to sit on the bench five minutes into the first half before checking back in during the second quarter. After draining a foot on-the-line 3-pointer, Granger picked up a touch foul on the other end and was immediately handed a technical. When he didn't stop arguing the call while walking toward the bench, the refs cordially gift wrapped a second tech and sent him to the locker room.

The Pacers and Nuggets were even early as Roy Hibbert carried the Pacers' offense in the low and high post as he finished the game with a team-high 21 points and nine rebounds. But after tying the game at 57-57 in the final seconds of the first half, the Nuggets went full throttle and took control.

In another stereotypical third quarter for Indiana, the Pacers allowed Denver to flourish during a 32-11 run to start the third. Denver finished with 39-third quarter points. Without Granger on the court, the Pacers couldn't recover.

Plenty of notes and player observations from this one after the jump.

Granger, T.J. Ford, Brandon Rush, Hibbert and Troy Murphy started for the Pacers last night. Sitting out for the blue and gold were Travis Diener (toe), Jeff Foster (back), Luther Head (back), Tyler Hansbrough (shin) and Mike Dunleavy (everything).
Hibbert stole the show for the Pacers last night. It was obvious that this trip had finally taken a toll on many of the players, on both teams, as defensive assignment's crumbled easily and may players looked about half-asleep as they walked around the court. But Hibbert was all over the place. In an homage to the Rik Smits' days of Pacers history, the team came out early and repeatedly fed the big man down low to help get things going early. It worked. You can really tell that he worked ridiculously hard on picking up some new post moves over the summer. If Hibby can just stay in the game and out of foul trouble, he's going to have a good year. Granted, he did his damage last night against an undersized Denver frontline. But his 21 points, nine boards and four block shots still looked fantastic and his ability to run up-and-down both sides of floor was only matched by Anthony.
The point guard play for the Pacers wasn't the best last night. Ford, Earl Watson and A.J. Price routinely would penetrate into the lane and then whimsically throw the ball back out to the perimeter to a hungry Nuggets defender. Watson, in particular, focused more on making crisp passes around the perimeter rather than forcing bad plays in the Nuggets post defense.
Josh McRoberts had another high-flying dunk off of a fastbreak in the first half. Although it's the same dunk we've seen in each of the other preseason games. Take off from the free-throw line, McBob's! Do a 360! We're expecting more now that you've wet our appetites for your destruction at the rim.
Joining Chris Denari in the booth last night were team general manager David Morway (who should stick to his real job), Mike Dunleavy (dressed in a wonderful mustard jacket), Travis Deiner and Slick Leonard. Dunleavy was mum on any new info about his return from his injury.
Denver shot a solid 46.5 percent from the field. The Pacers' D was a step behind from the get-go. The discrepancy in fouls against the Pacers wasn't all on the fault of the refs. Players were frequently left in the dust by Denver's explosive offense, leaving players reaching, grabbing and swatting at anything they could to keep Denver from getting easy lay-ups. Jim O'Brien talked before the game about the Pacers terrific defensive effort in the first game in Taiwan. Apparently that defense missed the flight to China.
Solomon Jones had a quiet 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting. I honestly can't remember a single play involving Jones. Moving on.
Brandon Rush did a nice job of getting to the free-throw line early to help make up for the loss of Granger's scoring. Rush finished with 14 points.
Unlike in Taiwan, which was 2,000 short of a sell-out crowd, the Chinese arena was filled to the brim and with a lot of Pacers fans. It was also really fun watching an NBA game that didn't include a single sound effect, or in-game music, or any of the "clown" music that sometimes makes it way out of the music machine at Conseco "Reggie Miller" Fieldhouse. It was weird at first hearing it so quiet and empty, but it really grew on me quickly. Like Swine Flu, but in a good way.
Dahntay Jones fouled out for the second straight game after totaling 22 minutes and garnering six points. Pressure defense comes with a price, and it looks like he'll be facing foul trouble a lot this season. Fortunately for Rush, that could be what helps him keep his starting job when the season opens.
Murphy totaled up another double-double. He nabbed 11 points and 10 rebounds. It was a characteristic Murphy game where he sat around the perimeter and always seemed to be in the right place for rebounds.

Well that closes the overseas trip for the Pacers during this preseason. If you're looking to catch the Pacers in action before the season-opener, you'll have to do it in person as no other preseason contests will be televised. The next game is Friday against Houston at 7 p.m. It's the last "home" game of the preseason.

Pacers 126, Nuggets 104: Pacers Come Out Ready To Play In Taipei

Tom Lewis — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:38:22 -0000

More photos » by Wally Santana - AP

Earl Watson applies some pressure on Anthony Carter in the Indiana Pacers win over the Denver Nuggets.

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If you're going to fly 17 hours to play a basketball game you might as well play well.

The Indiana Pacers did just that on Thursday from Taipei, Taiwan when they mixed a fast-paced offense with some strong defensive pressure to put away the Denver Nuggets 126-104.

This effort had to make Jim O'Brien proud since his team backed up the coach's claim that the Pacers can play tough pressure defense while maintaining a high-powered offensive attack.

Pressure and pace were the two keys to success in Taipei. Of course, it helped that the Denver Nuggets are a team that doesn't shy away from running so maintaining a break-neck pace was not a problem. The Pacers were able to make things tough on the Nuggets by pressuring the ball and challenging shots, then chasing down rebounds to fuel the offense going the other way.

This was a great preseason preview of how the Pacers hope to play this year. It was far from error-free (25 turnovers) but continuing to work at both ends of the floor helped the team make more than enough plays to overcome any problems.

Unlike the game against Chicago, the Pacers were able to back up a strong second half with an ever stronger third quarter, which we know has always been a problem. Instead of letting the Nuggets back in the game, the Pacers put the game away in the third making the fourth a comfortable playground for the young and/or bench players on the roster.

Plenty of notes and player observations from this one after the jump.

First of all, if you missed the early morning broadcast, enjoy the replay on Fox Sports Indiana tonight at 7:00PM.
The Pacers jumped out to an early nine point lead thanks to the three-ball. Danny Granger hit two and Brandon Rush hit one in the first three minutes which turned out to be an indicator of more to come. The Pacers would finish the game shooting 16-35 from behind the arc. On the other end, the Nuggets only squeezed off nine threes for the whole game.
If the Pacers can produce offensively like they did in this one while applying the same pressure on defense, they can wear out opposing teams over the course of a regular game. Kenyon Martin was sucking wind at one point early in the game for the Nuggets trying to keep up with the action. The Nuggets only shot 37.8% from the field compared to the Pacers 52.5%.
Danny Granger came out hot and ignited the Pacers and the crowd with 8 quick points including the two threes. From there all of his highlights were on the defensive end where he gave Carmelo Anthonysome fits, forcing him into a couple of turnovers. Melo finished with 17 points but few were in the face of Granger's defense. Granger only played 19 minutes so it will be interesting to see if he can keep that effort up in a normal game.
T.J. Ford played with nearly everyone on the roster and played real well. Go ahead and freak out about the 6 turnovers, but T.J. made far more plays than he gave up. He also held up well defensively against Chauncey Billups. At different times in the game, T.J.'s backcourt running mates included: Brandon Rush, Earl Watson, Dhantay Jones and A.J. Price. Looks like JOB is getting plenty of small-ball looks on tape. Of Ford's six turnovers about half were of the maddening, head-scratching, what-was-he-thinking variety (jumping behind the back toss that missed Murph at the top of the key?), but he also had some sweet dimes among his 10 assists.
Roy Hibbert came off the bench again, but delivered a huge performance. First of all, Hibbert played 32 minutes and only had TWO fouls. That's a win on its own, but Hibbert took advantage of his court time by pumping in 20 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and swatting 8 shots. After the game, Jeff Fostercongratulated Hibbert by telling him to bring this type of game consistently.
Speaking of Foster, he sat out with a sore back along with Tyler Hansbrough, Mike Dunleavy, Travis Diener and Luther Head. Not sure why Luther was in street clothes.
Back to the players. Troy Murphy played his first extended minutes, logging over 23 minutes and knocking down four 3-balls en route to 20 points and 8 rebounds. He also had three assists, doing his part to keep the ball moving on offense.
Brandon Rush had the shooting stroke going, joining Hibbert and Murph in the 20-point club. Six threes pushed up that point total as Rush played a lot of small forward as part of various lineups throughout the game.
JOB kept riding Hibbert so Solomon Jones only played 15 minutes and had 5 fouls while on the floor. He had a few nice plays but never had time to get into the flow of the game.
Earl Watson made a strong debut for the Pacers. I wasn't planning on Watson replacing Jarrett Jack completely, but I may have to reconsider. Watson played a lot with T.J. Ford and he has a much more controlled game than Jack. His long arms help him get his hands in the passing lanes on defense. Watson finished with 10 points and 3 steals, looking real steady on the floor especially for his first appearance with the Pacers.
Dahntay Jones fouled out in 18 minutes thanks to his hyper-aggressive play against his old mates. Still, Jones brought great energy to the floor and made some nice plays to finish with 12 points and 4 rebounds.
Rounding out the Pacers depth were Josh McRobertsand A.J. Price. Both looked plenty comfortable on the floor in Taipei, doing far more good than bad. Price really looked like the second-round steal of the draft JOB thinks he has. After going ofer in his debut at the Fieldhouse, Price shot 6-9 from the field including 4-6 from 3-land. He finished with 16 points and 4 assists.
The atmosphere in the arena was electric which surely helped raised the energy level of the players on the floor. The crowd went crazy for 3-balls and dunks. They also went nuts when Chris "Birdman" Andersen took the court for the first time.
Larry Bird joined Chris Denari on the broadcast in the first quarter. Denari mentioned watching Hansbrough working out prior to the game, but Bird stuck with the same expectation that they hope to have him on the court by the end of camp.
Speaking of Denari, he did a great job working as play-by-play man/talk show host with Bird, Jeff Foster, Fox Sports GM and Sam Perkins joining him throughout the game.

Upcoming Overseas Trip Could Be Big Benefit For Pacers

spstevenson — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 02:14:48 -0000

More photos » by AJ Mast - AP

Danny Granger showed fans that he is the same All-Star from the year before.

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Walking into Conseco "Reggie Miller" Fieldhouse on Friday was eerily familiar. Nothing much has changed. Everything is right where its supposed to be.

The security is the same, ticket checkers go by the familiar names, the Pacemates greet you with those pearly whites at the gate, and the green seats were exactly the same where I watched the Pacers struggle to a 36-46 record last season.

The starting lineup was familiar (missing Troy Murphy due to injury and Roy Hibbert due to the H1F6 virus, a disease that hinders an individual from actually improving his capabilities to not foul with ridiculous abandonment unless it's in a Summer League game). New addition Dahntay Jones, wearing No. 1 on his jersey and sporting a shaved head, looked uncannily like Jarrett Jack from the nosebleeds of the arena. Of course, it was easy to realize the difference once you began to wonder why "Jack" was actually playing some defense.

The only obvious difference in the arena was the overtaking of the Home Court gift shop by the Indiana Fever. And then the game started. The arena was 7,000-strong (the other 6,000 who were "reportedly" in attendance in the box score must have been stuck at Jillian's), meaning the empty balcony made you feel right at home again. You could have told me this game was being played in January during a 10-game losing streak and I wouldn't have known the difference.

We watched Danny Granger dominating like an All-Star, T.J. Ford playing just to his potential and not above it, Josh McRoberts exciting us with a thunderous dunk (which he donned his flowing locks in a Teen Wolf-style homage), Brandon Rush sinking into an invisible shell for the first half, Hibbert falling back into all-to-familiar habits and Mike Dunleavy sitting comfortably on the bench in a handsome-looking suit. The Pacers also allowed those third-quarter blues to continue as they gave up a 34-19 advantage, helping land the L in the record column.

And, yet, although a lot of things seemed the same and the Pacers still lost to a division rival, it also feels differently. It can only get better from here, right? It certainly looked and felt like this team had only played together for five days. Misguided passes bounced off the back of player's jerseys, errant passes sailed out of bounds, and poor shot selection left the clanking sound of the rim ring in my ears throughout the night.

The chemistry just isn't there yet. But when the familiar starters were in the game, things went a little more smoothly. And that's why this trip overseas could be the best thing that happens to this team.

Remember when Boston went over to Europe in 2007? Not comparing the Pacers newbies with the Hall-of-Famers that the Celtics brought in that year, but all the Celts could talk about how amazing that trip bonded them on-the-court, but even more importantly, off of it. The overseas trip, if done correctly, will certainly bring these players closer together than they could ever want. It won't be a cure-all for the troubles on the hardwood, but maybe this is just what the team needs to go from a No. 9 seed to a No. 8 seed, which is a big difference in PacerLand these days.

The Pacers already have a core group with some of the better personalities and chemistry in the league. Maybe this preseason voyage to Taiwan and China in the coming weeks brings the newbies together in a way that couldn't have happened if they were still in Indiana. I mean, when you've got 12 guys puking their guts out after eating the native food, it has a strange way of bringing men together.

This was just one preseason game that happened a mere one week after the season had started. Key players were missing, new players were trying to gel and some old players fell back into old routines. The Pacers have less than a month to right the ship and begin playing a better brand of basketball and defense.

So although things at Conseco look a lot like last year, it actually feels different. It was a rocky first start of the year for both the Bulls and Pacers, but this is the type of team that's going to really benefit from these next two weeks abroad.

Bulls 104, Pacers 95: Plenty Of Preseason Lessons Left To Learn

Tom Lewis — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:55:02 -0000

More photos » by AJ Mast - AP

Solomon Jones shows some of the defense the earned him a preseason start.

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Much like last season, the Indiana Pacers lost their preseason opener by losing the third quarter badly.

After taking a 43-41 lead to the break and showing some of the fruits of their defensive labor, the Pacers offered the Bulls a bundle of turnovers which no defense could prevent turning into a huge run by the visitors. The Bulls held on from their to secure the 104-95 win over the Pacers.

So there was some good defense, some bad defense, some exciting offense, some embarrassing offense. All in all, Jim O'Brien left the game quite pleased to have a lot of positive and negative reinforcement opportunities on tape to teach his players.

Really, there isn't much about the actual game that merits analysis other than the individual work of the players, but there is one story-line that is worth following.

Roy Hibbert did not start tonight, giving way to newcomer Solomon Jones. Officially, Jeff Foster started at center, but this was about the center position. Jones earned the start ahead of Hibbert and then showed why with his play. Solo looked quite comfortable with the starting unit and produced at both ends of the floor.

Considering I had no idea what to expect from Jones, I was surprised to hear he was starting and even more surprised that he showed why early in the game. Jones finished the game with 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in 25 minutes. He was able to get to the line and also showed the ability to hit the 12-15 foot shot from around the free throw line. Very nice debut for the big fella in front of the home fans.

Hibbert, on the other hand, struggled when he entered the game, picking up three first half fouls. The second two were iffy, but there's no doubt he was a step late to the party on each play which made the calls reasonable. To his credit, Hibbert started the second half and immediately scored a couple of low-post buckets. But then again, he was at the scene of the crime when the Bulls went on their big third-quarter run.

After the game, JOB mentioned Roy was also at a disadvantage because he excels in the low post but the team hasn't put in much low post offense at this point. Still, considering the affable Hibbert was long gone when the locker room opened up to the media, there's no doubt he's feeling the heat.

This was the best news of the night for me. A team with solid guys and strong chemistry still needs to be on edge. A little agitation keeps everyone from getting too comfortable with their surroundings.For a team that isn't good enough to ever get comfortable, they need to stay hungry for every minute available. JOB was able to send that message tonight, that everyone needs to stay hungry because nothing is set.

Plenty of other toughts and observations:

JOB thought the defense played with the right intensity and mindset for about half of the game. He liked the active hands and was real pleased with the team's 40 deflections. Again, he can teach using half of the game to learn from mistakes and the other half as positive reinforcement.
Luther Head looked as comfortable on the floor as any Pacer despite just recently joining the team. JOB's style of play definitely suits his game as he was quick to get out and not only run the floor but finish. Luther knocked down a couple of threes and finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists but it seemed like he was all over the place. After the game it was obvious that he had memorized the team's defensive memo. He repeatedly mentioned focusing on defense as his priority and letting the rest of the game evolve naturally. If he can consistently bring the type of energy and production he showed tonight, it will be easy for JOB to find him some minutes.
Danny Granger finished with 27 points like it was just another day at the office. I was surprised at the half when DG had 15 points because it seemed like he had four. Of course, his ability to get to the line and make free throws always bolsters those scoring numbers. He really looked in mid-season form, especially at the start of the fourth quarter when he had that look in his eye and ignited a comeback that knocked the Bulls 13-point lead down to two. Since it was a preseason game, DG didn't get to finish the job, but it was nice to see him ready, willing and able to do it on night one.
Granger was a bit up and down defensively. When the team played well he was certainly in the mix, but one bad play stuck out in the second half. 33 was isolated on the wing with John Salmons but was unable to beat Salmons to the spot on the baseline and ended up committing a foul when Salmons made it by him.
Brandon Rush had some of those active hands on defense but floated at times on offense. Rush finished with 13 points but didn't take a shot until the second half. After the game he said, like Head, he was focusing on defense and wanted to let the offense come to him instead of forcing anything early. Still need to see the aggressive offensive mindset he showed in the second half all game long.
Dahntay Jones made a solid Fieldhouse debut before taking a blow to the lower back and finding an ice pack for the rest of the evening. While it was nice to see him knock down his first jumper and first 3-ball attempt, it was equally pleasant to see him get up in the jersey of John Salmons and Derrick Byars on defense.
A.J. Price look real solid at both ends of the floor except for one minor detail. He couldn't make a shot. Literally missed 'em all despite some very good looks. At least we know that shouldn't be a chronic problem, just one of those nights.
Josh McRoberts made his presence felt with a couple of steals and six rebounds. He also had the finish of the night when he threw down a flying one-handed dunk in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to two.
Oh, and Derrick Rose is still really good. Rose took over for a couple of brief stints in the second half to make sure everything stayed in Chicago's favor.
I was sitting near the Bulls bench and enjoyed the treatment given the replacement refs. You could tell everyone on the bench was holding their tongue more than usual and then when the game tightened and the time began running out there was a lot of free advice offered. Suddenly, players and assistant coaches were introducing themselves during timeouts and feeding the refs tips. In fact, I think Lindsey Hunter felt as though he was doing a public service, trying to mentor a young ref to see things his way. Classic.

Short-Handed Pacers Set To Tip Off Preseason

Tom Lewis — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:36:00 -0000

The Indiana Pacers open their preseason schedule tonight when they host Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. The Pacers will be without the services of several players which is both a bummer and a blessing in disguise. Mike Dunleavy, Tyler Hansbrough, Travis Diener and Earl Watson (wife having a baby) are definitely out and I also don't expect Troy Murphy to play on his gimpy ankle. On JMV today (audio link), Murph mentioned he might give it a try against the Bulls, but in this case "we'll see" probably means few if any minutes.

The sweetest lemonade I can squeeze out of those lemons is the fact that rookie A.J. Price should get plenty of point guard minutes. Also, we should get a good long look at Solomon Jones and Josh McRoberts, two players fighting for front court minutes.

Jones remains an unknown quantity so getting a chance to digest some extended minutes will be real nice. Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking to draw any conclusions during the first preseason game but we should be able to get a feel for the guy's game. The key for preseason game number one is to have your expectations properly adjusted.

Me? I'm expecting a discombobulated mess at several points during the game. New faces will contribute to most of the playing rotations, plus a rookie point guard will be running a few of those fresh five-man combinations. Also, the three free agent camp invitees should be pumped and ready to take advantage of an opportunity to play. So when you combine excitement with unfamiliarity you can expect a little bit of everything, from good to bad to crazy. In other words: Preseason game one.

Here are a few more links of interest:

Bruno's latest Caught in the Web offers a preview of the preseason opener which is the first chance to see how the defense is progressing.
Mike Wells offers up five story lines to pay attention to while following the Pacers through their preseason games.
Jim O'Brien with Kravitz & Eddie (audio) sounding feisty and relishing his role as chief agitator while setting the tone for training camp.
Bruno checks in with T.J. Ford as the second-year Pacer finds a comfort zone with his teammates and while understanding what JOB expects from his quarterback on the floor.
Speaking of T.J. Ford, here he is (audio) chatting up the season and the Indiana Fever with Derek Schultz.
Mighty Mike Wells (audio) offers a little preseason preview with Coach Dakich.

Pacers Playing Time And Rotations All Up For Grabs

Tom Lewis — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:33:04 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

No freebies at the Fieldhouse.

Browse more photos »

Despite the gloomy health news making headlines yesterday, the Indiana Pacers are actually playing some basketball down at the Fieldhouse while preparing their re-worked roster for the regular season. Fortunately, there are some interesting reports about (YAY!) basketball with a few items of interest that really caught my eye.

Prior to camp, it was obvious that the new players on the roster along with those who were around last year had heard the message. Defense will be a priority. Almost every player interview, regardless of length, had said player mentioning a focus on defense. With the verbal message delivered, Bruno's latest Caught in the Web reports that the players are now physically getting the defensive message as they work to put all of those words into action, which will eventually evolve into positive results (hey, it's preseason, of course I'm expecting positive results).

Despite the heavy emphasis on defense, don't expect the Pacers style of play to turn into a '90's-Knicks grind. Jim O'Brien sees no reason why a stifling defense can't compliment a fast-paced offense. Still, hi comment about the pace of play and the potential playing rotations had my eyebrows shooting toward the ceiling.

"There definitely will not be a slower tempo," said O'Brien, whose team averaged 105.1 points, second in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the league last season. "We played statistically at the third-highest pace in the NBA and had the second-most possessions and I know when we're playing our best we're a difficult team to guard. So it has nothing to do with our offensive tempo.

"It comes down to utilizing a little deeper rotation, maybe a 10-person rotation and having the players know that our staff ... will lean heavily toward the defensive end when it comes time to evaluating who should play and who should not."

Hmm, a 10-player rotation? Over the past two years, JOB has normally used an 8-to-9-player rotation and seemed to prefer an 8-man rotation in tight games. Obviously, the way a game unfolds dictates how many players are used, but in general juggling ten players consistently could be a challenge. I love the idea of sending waves of fresh bodies at the opponent throughout a game. Plus, with the depth and versatility of the bench JOB will have at least ten players worthy of minutes, especially when you include Tyler Hansbrough and Mike Dunleavy.

Consider a starting lineup of Roy Hibbert, Troy Murphy, Danny Granger, Brandon Rush and T.J. Ford. Along with Hansbrough and Dunleavy, I'd expect Earl Watson, Dahntay Jones and Jeff Foster to all see the floor as well. Boom, that's ten. With Hansbrough and Dunleavy sidelined, Josh McRoberts and Solomon Jones have an opportunity to earn some minutes in a deep rotation to really offer JOB some flexibility in the front court.

Mike Wells reports his observations from practice yesterday along with Jim O'Brien admitting the defense is working to catch up with the offense at this point. Here's what Mike saw during a portion of the team's scrimmage which used a first unit of Hibbert, Murph, Granger, Rush and Ford.

I recall Granger only missing one jumper during the 12-minute scrimmage Monday. He's definitely attacking the basket on a mission. He should spent a lot of time at the foul line shooting free throws this season.

A.J. Price also looked impressive. He put on a nice shooting display when he made back-to-back 3-pointers and was fouled on a 3-point attempt the next time down the court. Price's shooting touch prompted Dahntay Jones to start defending him.

Nice to hear some positive feedback regarding A.J. Price as he tries to maintain his steal-of-the-draft status.

Jeff Rabjohns reports on Brandon Rush and Dahntay Jones preparing to hold down the shooting guard position for the Pacers. Although, it sounds like they're ready to work as a tandem when JOB utilizes a small lineup.

"I think we're going to be on the court a lot together," Rush said. "They're going to move Danny to the (power forward) spot, and have me play (small forward) and Dahntay play (shooting guard).

"I think that's going to work out well."

The Pacers results with a small lineup last year were mixed at best, but the option is much more appealing this year. With T.J. Ford and Jarrett Jack, last year's small-ballers were really small and left exposed at the defensive end. With Dahntay Jones added to the mix, the small lineup could actually ratchet up the pressure defensively while keeping the fast break lanes filled with Ford's choice of fast finishers. Fun? F#&%, yeah!

Pacers Players Chat It Up With Fans

spstevenson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:40:29 -0000

In a day that was supposed to be only for the media, the fans got a chance to go one-on-one with each Indiana Pacers player during a live chat on Friday to commemorate the start of the 09-10 season.

The chats immediately followed a press conference with coach Jim O'Brien and forward Danny Granger. None of the players stayed too long or had any amazing revelations about the upcoming season, but it was a lighthearted affair with more info on the Bat Cave, rookie pranks and facial hair.

After the jump are some of the highlights from the long chat with Pacers fans.

Dahntay Jones
(on what fans can expect): "You can expect us to compete on a nightly basis; a commitment to defense. With the intentions of making a big playoff run."
(about his offense): "I plan to get out on the break, score in transition. We play an up-tempo type of game; we don't run many sets -- we'll just try to get out and score early buckets."

Travis Diener
(on having a bigger role with the team): "I don't know. I guess we'll just have to wait until Training Camp and practice, and well see how it goes. Hopefully my role is bigger and we can win some games and get the fans excited."

Danny Granger
(on keeping his composure in late-game situations): "I think that I have always had a pretty level head, so that helps me keep my composure in tough situations and when things aren't going well. I keep grounded since we haven't had the most team success and I'm measured by the team success."
(on the much-ballyhooed "Bat Cave"): "We're working ways around it to try to figure out how we can accomplish what I want. Whatever the outcome, it will be very cool to see. Look for it on MTV Cribs when it comes out."

Luther Head
(on his recovery from injury): "I've been working all summer on injury-prevention and it's coming along great. I wouldn't say I"m 100% now, but each day I feel better and by the start of the season, I hope to be at 100%."

Earl Watson
(on playing the "1" or "2" position): "I don't know, it changes. Whatever position I have to play. I played a lot of 2 with Gary Payton my rookie year. Under Hubie Brown at Memphis, I played strictly 1. I have to adjust based on the team's strategy."

Brandon Rush
(on taking the big shots): "I would like to be able to take those big shots as well. I understand with Danny and TJ being the biggest playmakers on the team, that they may get those shots. If the opportunity comes around, I would be willing to take those shots."
(on rookie pranks): "The one I hated the most was getting everyone McDonald's and donuts before every practice and game. They did do something to my car -- they put feces in my car. It smelled horrible."

Josh McRoberts
(on when the beard will return): "The beard will make an appearance around Christmas time. I'll mainly do it to keep it interesting around the lockerroom."

A.J. Price
(on personal expectations): "Earn playing time, somehow get myself into the rotation, show everyone who passed on me in the draft that I belong here."

Jeff Foster
(on team expectations): "For us to be a successful team this year, everybody is going to have to buy in to defense."

Troy Murphy
(on his summer workout): "I've really worked on my conditioning this off-season and my diet. I've tried to come into camp in great shape."

Roy Hibbert
(on fouling): "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time sometimes. I've definitely been working on my defense trying to limit those fouls."

Solomon Jones
(on what pumps him up): "Defense, blocking shots, getting big key rebounds. Those things gets me and my teammates pumped up. I figure when we do that, our offense will take care of itself and then get us fired up on the offensive end."
(how he spent the summer): "I spent my summer mostly working out, trying to improve in every area of my game - both offensively and defensively. My transition has been pretty smooth thus far and hopefully it will continue with the help of the Pacers family and Pacers fans."

Tyler Hansbrough
(on Summer League): "Summer league was a learning opportunity for me to get a feel how Coach O'Brien likes to run the offense/defense, so I had a chance to get a feel for how the Pacers do things. Hopefully I'll be able to carry over some of the success from the Summer League into the regular season."

Mike Dunleavy
(on bringing back the mustache): "It doesn't appear likely, but I'm sure there will be some sort of facial hair anomaly."