http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/12/pacers-coach-frank-vogel-fined-for-planting-seed-in-refs-heads/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I definitely don't agree with the NBA fining Vogel for this. He wasn't criticizing the refs. He was criticizing the Heat. I don't really see this as "planting seeds" in the refs' minds, but rather just putting something out there that needed to be stated.

I guess the NBA had to step in and defend the Heat on this one. We all know David Stern wouldn't want to see our small-market Pacers advance any further than necessary.

As a lifelong Pacer fan, I can't wait until the game starts tomorrow. I want to us to come out and punch them in the mouth (not exactly literally unless it's Hansbrough or Fesenko decking on of the Big Three).

I really hope we come out tomorrow with ENERGY and PASSION. Throw the first punch, set the tone, don't back down. I'm sure the Pacers are getting a healthy dose of this right now. Make us proud, boys.

Could Gordon fit with the Pacers? I think so, but I'm not sure what ESPN thinks. Do we have an insider in the house? I'd really like to read about this, so if someone could potentially enlighten us commoners, it would be greatly appreciated. Instead of typing more b.s., I will just post the link and then post song lyrics, or something.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/features/rumors?date=20120116&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2ffeatures%2frumors%3fdate%3d20120116#23727

I've paid my dues -
Time after time -
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime -
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand kicked in my face -
But I've come through

We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions - of the world -

I've taken my bows
And my curtain calls -
You brought me fame and fortuen and everything that goes with it
-
I thank you all -

But it's been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise -
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race -
And I ain't gonna lose -

We are the champions - my friends
And we'll keep on fighting - till the end -
We are the champions -
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cause we are the champions - of the world -

Here's the article: http://www.nola.com/hornets/index.ssf/2011/12/new_orleans_hornets_talking_wi.html

Here are some highlight clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rl1a2Dx5mw

I really don't know much about Gustavo unfortunately. This is interesting news nonetheless. It looks like he could end up with the Hornets, but I'm always happy to hear that the Pacers are doing everything they can to improve their roster.

I'm not sure how NBA ready he would be, but he would be another versatile piece in our frontcourt. I suppose he would be a relatively cheap option, but then again, maybe not if other teams are bidding for his services, as well. I would personally find it funny if the David Stern-run NBA Hornets were able to snag Ayon. Talk about obscure.

Does anyone here know more about Gustavo? I'm personally very curious about him and what he could offer. At this point if you're still reading, I'm just typing words to hit the 150 word minimum. Feel free to provide any comments on this potential addition.

You guys probably have realized I don't have a real job -- I'm a student. As a student studying for finals, I have the time on my hands to peruse the internet for news like this:

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/217470/Crawford_Has_Two_Year_$10M_Offer_From_Pacers

I personally am not really happy to hear the news, as I would have preferred some Mayo on my sandwich. I'm glad it is only for two years and think there is a decent chance Crawford will accept -- especially since the Knicks are only offering 2 Years/$5 Million. That's a huge difference, guys -- $5 MILLION. Crawford would also have the chance to opt out of he wanted to do so.

I'm all for moves that make the Pacers better. I think adding Crawford would make us better, at least in the short-term, which may not be our goal.

Assuming he accepts (big assumption, I know), would you prefer/expect to see Crawford come off the bench or start?

I'm not sure how legitimate this guy is: http://twitter.com/#!/TheRocketGuy

Since Hoopsworld did prematurely report the Mayo trade, take this report with a grain of salt.

Ingram is reporting:

Apparently the possibility that Jamal Crawford might sign with Indiana is holding up the OJ Mayo trade . . .

Indiana has asked for some decisions to be made from other players they're chasing . . .and Mayo is the fall back plan . . .

This guy could just be trying to cover his a$$ on that failed Mayo report, or he could be seeking more attention, but this is an interesting scenario. Maybe the Pacers really want Crawford more than Mayo. I haven't wanted Crawford much, but he would be better suited to come off of the bench with the second unit than Mayo. Crawford would surely get 25-30 minutes per game coming off the bench, a role he would hopefully be okay with -- if we're looking to keep Paul George as our starting 2-guard.

I feel like this guy is legitimate. Here is his twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Powell2daPeople

Shaun Powell of nba.com and espnnewyork.com is reporting that:

"Larry Bird is trying to talk Nene into accepting slightly lower money so the Pacers can chase other free agents."

"Bird won't spend money just to spend; he will wait until next year if necessary."

Regardless, I would really like to see the Pacers get Nene. I would not give him more than $16 million for 4 years, but adding a piece like him could really take our team to the next level. This report, assuming it is legitimate, shows that the Pacers are true players in the Nene sweepstakes.

If Bird has the guts to play hardball in negotiations with Nene, he is showing how frugal and unwavering the Pacers front office is. I applaud Bird for his efforts with Nene. If Nene truly wants to win a championship and wants to put the team first, sacrificing a marginal sum of money should not be a deal-breaking issue.

Here's to hoping we hear more about Nene in blue and gold in the near future.

Take it for what it is: http://twitter.com/#!/MikeWellsNBA

I'll let you find the specific tweet on Mr. Wells' page yourself. I personally would be in favor of signing Nene, as he would bring intensity, rebounding, and girth to our team. At this point, I'm kind of just rambling to hit the minimum word count, as I didn't want to make a Fanshot, as they are not as easily seen. I also did not want to add to the Rosterbation thread, as things can get lost in there as well.

It's a fun time to be a Pacer fan. I look forward to what is to come. Nene would be a great addition to our team. He may not be ideal, but still a great addition. Would he be worth the cost? I don't know. That's not for me to decide. I'm just hoping for the best, and would like to see the Pacers do everything they can to build a championship team here in Indiana.

Here is the link: http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-saturday-pacers-want-crawford-gasol/

We have the cap space to make this happen. Should we, though? I personally would not be a huge fan of signing Crawford. Signing Gasol would also make me question the future of Roy Hibbert in Indiana. The last note of interest in this article is that we remain confident in Tyler Hansbrough at the PF position. We did see good things out of him last year, so hopefully he can impress.

I suppose our roster would look like this:

C: Gasol, Hibbert, Foster

PF: Hansbrough, Gasol, FA (McRoberts, hopefully)

SF: Granger, George

SG: Hill, Crawford, Stephenson

PG: Collison, Hill

Bird has stressed creating a deep team. This would be a very deep roster, but what are your thoughts on it? See any issues that could arise? I would personally like to see more of Paul George, but in this scenario, his minutes could be limited to 20 per night.

Love to see these tweets from Roy Hibbert.  We all love his passion and heart, but, I for one, am thrilled to hear he has been putting on some body mass.  He looked a little thin last year and admits it himself:

"Went hard today in the weight room. Next week I start doing sum on the court stuff. Def seeing a lot of improvement. 2 skinny last yr."

Roy could have a huge breakout year if he puts on 10-15 pounds of muscle.  Also, I loved these tweets:

"People on the streets of NYC tell me u gotta play 4 the Knicks next year. I'm like Yo I can't pick up n leave I'm under contract. N I wanna be a pacer for a long time."

Roy Hibbert, you are my favorite Pacer.  Keep working hard, big fella!

http://twitter.com/#!/Hoya2aPacer

It's no secret.  The NBA is in for a long, nasty lockout that will likely dampen the revived popularity of the league.  I, for one, am ready to weather the storm.  As much as I would love to see the 2011-2012 season played in its entirety, I know small market teams like the Pacers need the current financial system to be altered to ensure our franchise's long-term viability.  I'm not a betting man, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 2011-2012 season was missed altogether.

Also, what could a lockout mean for Frank Vogel?  I'd personally like to have our head coach in place before the beginning of the lockout, just so the players know what to expect in the future.

What do you guys think of Kemba Walker?  As of the most recent mock draft on nbadraft.net, Kemba is sliding to the Pacers at #15.  Just making conversation, of course.  I'd be happy with Kemba at #15.  We could let A.J. Price go and swap UConn PG's.  We also need scoring and leadership.  I think Kemba could provide these qualities.  He is a winner and has always proved his doubters wrong.

Whatever teams select 1st and 2nd in the upcoming NBA draft will be very likely to select Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams.  As of now, the 3rd pick belongs to the Utah Jazz who have two intriguing possibilities.  Utah can either acquire Brandon Knight (PG) or Enes Kanter (PF/C).  The catch is that Utah recently acquired Devin Harris (PG) from New Jersey.  At time same time, they have a jam at (PF/C) with Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, and Derrick Favors.

Depending on the direction the Jazz decide to go, I could see some potential deals with Utah, especially if they go for Kanter.  Let's assume they go for Kanter, and thus, what do you think of these deals?  Are they feasible and heading in the right direction?  And just a side note, the Jefferson deal, especially, could be seen as a salary dump for Utah with the looming uncertainty of the CBA.

Trade for Jefferson: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=3pcm4rp (Include a 2nd round pick)

Trade for Millsap: http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4xmjuxb (ignore Rush here, but rather, include the cash to make the deal work, and also throw in a 2nd round pick)

I would like to make this longer, but I'm a little busy studying for an Organic Chemistry final.  Still, I found Tracy McGrady's rookie stats to be eerily similar to those of Paul George.  Coincidence?  Maybe.  Still, I encourage you to check out the stat lines.

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/tracy_mcgrady/career_stats.html

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/paul_george/career_stats.html

Clearly, Paul George needs to work on his 3-point shot, but even with 3P% included, the stat lines are very similar.  I remember comparison were drawn between these two during the hype leading up to the draft last summer.  McGrady didn't really make a big leap until he got out of Toronto (4th season).  Let's hope Paul George can put in the work this summer and continue to improve his game.  I also feel as if George is a step above McGrady defensively, as he went toe to toe with D-Rose through the series.

So, I'm sure you'll be hearing from me throughout the summer, providing different potential trades and acquisitions that could make the Pacers a better team.  I have a couple interesting propositions.  It is no secret that many of us would like to see Eric Gordon return to Indy to be a Pacer.  Still, he is the Clipper 2-guard of the future, right?  It's not like they would give him up easily.  What do you think of these potential trades?

Pacers trade: Roy Hibbert, Paul George

Clippers trade: Eric Gordon

OR

Pacers trade: Danny Granger, Tyler Hansbrough

Clippers trade: Eric Gordon, Future 2nd round pick + Salary Filler

As a longtime Colts fan, I am not extremely concerned about our current situation.  We are in a tight AFC South division race at 6-5.  We have a solid chance to win the division and advance to the playoffs.  Remember -- when we won the Super Bowl, we did not have a bye.  It could potentially play to our advantage in developing end-of-the-season momentum heading into the playoffs, without resting our starters, preparing for a hard-fought post-season battle.

At the same time, I see that Peyton Manning has not been surrounded by the strongest personnel.  His offensive line is flimsy, at best, while his battered receiving corps has been whithered down to the walking dead.   The absence of Joseph Addai has only made the situation even more unfortunate.  As Peyton Manning's contract is ending, and as Tony Dungy, as well as the voice of Tom Moore in Peyton's headset, are gone, you have to wonder -- does Peyton Manning want to end his career as a member of the Indianapolis Colts?

I understand that we can slap the franchise tag on him for next year, and that we are in the midst of great uncertainty due to the debacle between the owners and the players' union.  Still, you have to wonder about Manning's future in Indianapolis.  Peyton Manning is 34 years old.  You have to wonder how long the iron man can keep his consecutive starts streak going.  You have to wonder how productive he can be with the last 5-7 years of his NFL career, and whether these will be played in the sacredly-donned blue and white or in another team's jersey.

Money should not be an issue for Manning or for the Colts.  The Colts have openly expressed their desire to make Manning the highest paid player in NFL history.  Manning surely knows he will get paid.  He is among the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, without a doubt.  And as Manning ages, most likely, he will continue to claim more records as his own.  Nevertheless, Manning has proven that he is human in the past two games.  Throwing ill-advised and inaccurate passes resulting in interceptions, as well as pick-6's, Manning has not been able to do it on his own.  He has actually struggled in this role of late, working with the likes of an overachieving Jacob Tamme, a damningly inconsistent Pierre Garcon, what remains of Reggie Wayne, and the rest of the Indianapolis crew.

You cannot deny that there are greener pastures for Manning.  I love the Colts; don't get me wrong.  Still, the Colts are aging, and their window may be closing.  Without Manning, the window slams immediately.  Would Manning leave the Colts?  I personally am not sure.  But if he did, I wonder, how would be perceived?  In my mind, I would not forgive him.  He would be public enemy number one, and I would be hoping his team lost every week.  I believe most Colts fans would agree with me there.  I feel as if a Manning-less Colts team would be even more heartbreaking for the city of Indianapolis than a post-Decision Cavs team for Cleveland.

Still, for the unbiased, general sports audience, I do not know who would be seen as more of a villain if this scenario played out-- Peyton or LeBron.  As Peyton puts his body on the line every play, in and out, being forced to stand behind a patchwork offensive line, there is undoubtedly more of a physical toll for him.  He deserves solid protection, as well as a better surrounding cast.  I hope we are able to overcome our injuries and back up #18, in hope of gaining momentum for what is to come.  Until the ship is righted in Indy, and until Peyton signs on the dotted line, I will not be able to help but wonder about what could happen.

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2010/10/12/1746757/nba-coach-power-rankings-phil-jackson-gregg-popovich

What? Are you kidding me? I really don't agree with this.  Jim O'Brien does inspire rampant 3-point shooting, though.  Or in other words, bad shot selection.  Hopefully he bucks the trend this year.  We can only hope that this happens.  I personally don't see that happening.  Another year of mediocrity in the making, with a stronger East.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/08/james-posey-not-looking-for-a-buyout-will-play-in-indiana.php

While this move may be primarily financial on Posey's part, I'm glad he's willing to be a part of what the Pacers are doing.  Hopefully Ford is the one on the way out.  I say anyone is fair game on the trading block with the exception of Granger, Hibbert, Collison, George, and Stephenson.  If we can find ourselves an All-star caliber PF, I would even make George or Stephenson available, as well.

Couple trades to think about:

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=27cpjnk

Indiana gets: Jason Thompson

Sacramento gets: Brandon Rush

Thomspon is a solid rebounder.  I would like to see him play some PF as well as a bit of C.  Since the Kings now have Cousins, Whiteside, Landry, and Dalembert all vying for playing time, Thompson could be available.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=28e5yxs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFw04WIct1k&feature=related

Indiana gets: Andrei Kirilenko

Utah gets: Mike Dunleavy, Jeff Foster

I love Kirilenko's defense, energy, and versatility.  He would be a great mentor for Granger and company along with Posey.  Kirilenko has the ability to fill in at power forward.  Utah would also receive a mentor for Gordon Hayward and another big man down low to combat the Lakers, who did eliminate them from the playoffs.  This trade definitely involves some dreaming, but it would be nice to see something like this happen.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2e6eg8u

Indiana gets: Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Millsap

Utah gets: Mike Dunleavy, Jeff Foster, Brandon Rush, Tyler Hansbrough

I love this wrinkle from the previous trade.  Millsap would be great at power forward.  Still get Kirilenko.  Utah gets a couple young assets and all expiring contracts, to go with the previous points above.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=35zha32

Indiana gets: Michael Redd

Milwaukee gets: TJ Ford, Mike Dunleavy

This actually makes a lot of sense.  Redd will be out until February and we are already stacked at wing and looking to move Ford and Dunleavy.  The Bucks really don't have a point guard on the roster besides Brandon Jennings and Keyon Dooling.  In a swap of expiring contracts, I see both sides being happy with this trade, that is if Milwaukee is able to accept losing Michael Redd who never really gave them anything after signing that huge contract about 5 years ago.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2bdoq95

Indiana gets: Michael Redd, Nazr Mohammed

Milwaukee gets: Jeff Foster, Boris Diaw

Charlotte gets: T.J. Ford, Mike Dunleavy, L.R. Mbah a Moute

Indiana gets rid of Ford and Dunleavy.  Makes up for the loss of Foster in Mohammed.  Milwaukee gets another big man to back up Bogut in Foster and a versatile player in Diaw.  Charlotte gets the PG they need, a shooter in Dunleavy and a versatile, growing player in Mbah a Moute.

Just a fun 3-way twist on the Redd acquisition.

Because of the recent 4-team-trade in which we acquired Darren Collison and James Posey, we now have a hole at power forward.  Murphy had been entrenched as our 3-point-raining power forward before being dealt to New Jersey.

Remaining on the roster are power forwards Tyler Hansbrough and Josh McRoberts.  Even Posey could see some time at PF, if he remains a Pacer.  So, obviously, the 4 is in limbo right now.  We really don't know what we have in Tyler as he is still very unproven as a professional basketball player.  Same with Josh, for the most part.  So... let's dream.  Dream as realistically or as radically as you like.

I will throw a couple of my trade ideas out there.  Throw yours out there, too, and share your thoughts about all the trade possibilities that are proposed.  In the press conference, Mr. Larry Bird said that he is not done.  He has received some calls regarding our wings (D. Jones and Rush probably).  So again, throw your own trade scenarios out there.  For once, we have a reason to be optimistic.

Detroit needs more than one point guard on their roster.  This was mentioned in the primary Collison trade post.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2e3fqhd

Indiana gets: Jason Maxiell, Chris Wilcox

Detroit gets: TJ Ford

I like Blatche as a young asset/talent.  I would be willing to take back Hinrich to acquire him, especially if it meant no more Ford.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=27xjnqd

Indiana gets: Andray Blatche, Kirk Hinrich

Washington gets: TJ Ford, Tyler Hansbrough, Dahntay Jones (Sub in Rush for Jones if you want)

An Indy native.  What do you think?

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=288kped

Indiana gets: Zach Randolph

Memphis gets: TJ Ford, Mike Dunleavy, Tyler Hansbrough (Or a protected future 1st round pick)

I love Love.  He feels unappreciated in Minny.  Come to Indy.  We'll love you.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=25nw47h

Indiana gets: Kevin Love

Minnesota gets: Dahntay Jones (or Rush), Hansbrough, Future 1st round pick

I mentioned this in the main trade thread.  With OKC potentially without enough money to sign Green, they could look for some pieces instead of just letting him walk.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=24vjwq8

Indiana gets: Jeff Green

Oklahoma City gets: Dahntay Jones (or Rush), Hansbrough, Future 1st round pick

Purdue Kid.  Sorry the Indiana package is getting very repetitive.  It's just that I feel these are our best tradeable pieces outside of our Hibbert, Granger, Collison nucleus.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=24dqsls

Indiana gets: Carl Landry

Sacramento gets: Dahntay Jones (or Rush), Hansbrough, Future 1st round pick

On a final note, I would use Josh McRoberts or Solomon Jones as a sweetner in any of these deals if someone wanted them.  And I really don't see using our 1st round pick for next year to acquire a solid PF as a big loss.  We're already a really young team, and if we can get an all-star, team USA caliber PF from dangling a 1st round pick with a couple of other assets, I say it's worth it.

I know that if the Pacers just shed their expiring contracts at the end of the year they would have about $37 million to work with.  I know that taking on salary seems absolutely ridiculous.  I know.  I'm just throwing a trade out there that kind of makes sense to me.  The biggest plus in my mind, besides finding a legitimate PG is that our young pieces could find more time at SG and SF.  Well.. here it is.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2wvu69s

Indiana gets -- Calderon, Trade Exception

Toronto gets -- Ford, Dunleavy

I am not sure if Toronto would make this trade, but if they would, they would have a lot of cap space.  They would also rid themselves of Calderon's contract.  The Pacers may or may not make this trade, if offered.  I know Calderon's contract is a burden for Indiana, but is this trade worth it?

As per JOB, this is what I see as the playing time distribution to be for the beginning of this year.  Obviously, with time, players will either earn or lose minutes depending on how they perform.

C: Roy Hibbert - 30  /  Jeff Foster - 18  /  Solomon Jones - 0

PF: Troy Murphy - 30  /  Tyler Hansbrough - 15  /  Josh McRoberts - 3  /  Magnum Rolle - 0

SF: Danny Granger - 35  /  Paul George - 13

SG: Brandon Rush - 22  /  Dahntay Jones - 17  /  Paul George - 9

PG: T.J. Ford - 25  /  Lance Stephenson - 20  /  A..J. Price - 3

Do you think this is a realistic break-down of how PT will play out?  How would you divide the playing time, if you were the coach? (notice I didn't say JOB)

http://www.pacersdigest.com/apache2-default/showthread.php?t=55682

It's nice to hear some good news about the Indiana Pacers.  Definitely nice.  I just had to share this with Indy Cornrows, especially since all we've seen of late are fan-generated trade proposals.

From last year, we have risen 9 spots on this list.  While only time will tell how fruitful the 2010 NBA Draft really was for the Pacers, it's nice to hope.

Is #17 a fair spot for the Pacers?  Do you see a brighter future ahead than this or a dimmer one?  Do you believe?

I'm not going to try and bring a slew of All-stars to the Pacers for our expiring contracts and young pieces.  I'm just going to put some scenarios out there that make sense.  Provide your input and maybe propose some deals of your own.

Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Hornets

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=26guhbo

I know that Emeka Okafor has a bad contract, but in all honesty, the Pacers aren't going to draw any big name free agents next summer, so if we can pick up a pretty solid big man who can teach Roy Hibbert, Tyler Hansbrough, and Magnum Rolle, I say it's worth it -- since we'll just overpay someone next summer anyway.  Oh, and we also get a pretty solid point guard.  And New Orleans gets Emeka's contract off the books and some help at the wing.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2d9bv26

Again, we take back Okafor's contract, and I would try and explain why accepting his deal isn't absolutely terrible as I explained above.  This time we give them a back-up point guard to Paul, since losing Collison would leave them with essentially one PG.  They also get help down low in Foster, and he has an expiring contract.  You could sub in Posey and his 2 year deal with some other pieces instead of Okafor, but I feel like I would rather take back Okafor to complement Hibbert, despite his contract.

Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2egruhw

This time, we take back a longer contract with Varejao.  Like Okafor above, I really don't mind making this move because we will overpay some free agent this summer of an equal or lower caliber, anyway.  Varejao could complement Hibbert much better than Murphy, and with the post-Lebron Cavs, they could be looking to shed Varejao's contract, and this would give J.J. Hickson more playing time.  Add to that, the Cavs need help on the wing and their best center on contract is Ryan Hollins.  Foster and Dahntay Jones could help there.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2ew6ehl

Subbed Rush in for Dahntay Jones here.  While I feel Pacer fans would be more hesitant to make this deal with Rush, ESPN trade machine actually claims the Cavs would be worse taking back rush than Jones.  Interesting.  Another reason that these deals could be attractive for the Pacers (Emeka and Anderson) despite the longer contracts is not just they could mentor younger players, but also open the Pacers up to trading Murphy off, since Bird worries about our depth at PF.

The number one question the Pacers are facing right now -- How do we address the point guard situation?  Well, since we are not blessed with the likes of Chris Paul, John Wall, or even Raymond Felton, there is no easy answer.  The Pacers have three players who could fill in at PG over the course of the season, right now.

T.J. Ford -- Undersized veteran out of the University of Texas.  Has underwhelmed for the Pacers the last two years.  In JOB's doghouse and reportedly on the trading block.

A.J. Price -- Young second-year player out of the University of Connecticut.  Did not receive extensive playing time last season, but showed flashes of potential when given the chance.  Coming off of a knee injury and surgery.

Lance Stephenson -- Very young rookie out of the University of Cincinnati.  Very impressive in the summer league in Orlando.  Very strong and agile, but still getting a feel for the speed of the game and the PG position.

There is no clear answer.  Winning is nice, but we have to think realistically.  How far could we really go in the East with Miami, Orlando, Boston, and Chicago?  Don't forget Atlanta, Milwaukee, Charlotte, and even New York.  Obviously, it is naive to just look at the short-term.  I will lay out some of the pros and cons of the options we have now, as well as address the idea of adding another PG through a trade.

T.J. Ford

Why the Pacers should start him -- 

He could be the only healthy PG with any NBA experience on the roster for opening night.

He's in a contract year and could actually have a nice season for that reason.

Larry and JOB prioritize winning now over getting a healthy A.J. Price or inexperienced Lance Stephenson playing time, immediately.

A.J. Price

Why the Pacers should start him (when healthy) --

He has played in JOB's offense before, and had some success in limited minutes last year.

Still young and could contribute to the Pacers down the road, so getting him experience would be a plus.

Lance Stephenson

Why the Pacers should start him --

He looked like an absolute stud in the summer league.

Has the most potential of any of these 3 players, as well as the strongest build.

Could be the answer at PG for the future.

Looking at the pieces we have right now, it essentially comes down to this.

Trying to win now vs. Getting young players experience

Letting Lance grow vs. Throwing him right into the fire

Here is an interesting article on Stephenson.  I highly recommend reading it.  I never thought playing him now could be a bad thing.

http://dimemag.com/2010/07/indiana-please-dont-start-lance-stephenson-at-point-guard/

And as we know, TJ Ford and Mike Dunleavy are on the trading block.  Not many takers there, though.  I honestly don't see any deal happening that brings the Pacers their long-desired PG.  We might unload them, but not for much, unless we take back heavy, long contracts which isn't happening.

I personally don't see A.J. Price starting at all for the Pacers this season, barring an injury to the others.  I say it's between T.J and Lance.  If the Pacers do not start Lance, I still would demand that he plays for about half the game.  If this kid is buried on the bench, I will be sick to my stomach.  He was "Born Ready" so let's see what he's got, even if it's against other teams' second-teamers.  It would build up his confidence and allow him to adjust more easily.  This also gives the Pacers a chance to let T.J. build some trade value.  So while I do not endorse T.J. Ford as starter of the Pacers, I think that's the road we're going to take.  As long as Lance gets considerable experience along the way, and is allowed to grow into the role as the starting PG as the year progresses, especially if the season is lost by Christmas, I'm all for it.

Please, share your thoughts.  Is starting T.J. Ford for now our best option, as long as Lance gets about 25 minutes a game on the court?  Or should we let him start and go against other teams' best PGs?

Who's in? Who's out? It's about time to start thinking about the roster for the upcoming season.  With Rolle on the rise and Hansbrough still flailing, and with AJ Price still nursing a bummed knee, it will be interesting to see what happens towards the bottom of the roster.  I will lay out all the pieces we have to work with.  Let's assemble our roster, barring any trades, which will hopefully take place, still.

INDIANA PACERS

C: Roy Hibbert , Jeff Foster

PF: Troy Murphy , Josh McRoberts , Tyler Hansbrough , Solomon Jones , Magnum Rolle

SF: Danny Granger , Paul George

SG: Brandon Rush , Mike Dunleavy

PG: T.J. Ford , A.J. Price , Lance Stephenson

Log jam at PF. What do we do? Cut Solo? Send Rolle to the D League?