Since the Draft thread is getting lengthy (love all the draft ideas!), I decided to start a new one with more of a focus in mind.  This is taken from Tom's FanShot on Bird's comments regarding the draft:

"One of four guys I like will get to us (at No. 15)," Pacers president Larry Bird said. "They're all different sizes. I think we can use some help in every area. We're going to get a player that will help us."

Larry Bird appears to be zeroing in on his preferred pick in the NBA draft according to Mike Wells' story today. Only long-time Pacers assistant Dan Burke will participate in the pre-draft workouts at the Fieldhouse today.

So, who should Bird's 'top 4' be?  I'm attaching a poll with a list of players in the top 20 (according to ESPN.com's draft page) that should be available right around the range of pick 15.  Vote for the player you think the Pacers should draft.  Then, comment on which four players you think Bird is targeting at that pick.  This ought to be fun!

*Don't forget to 'rec' this to keep the thread going!

In a little over one month, the NBA Draft will fall upon us.  The Pacers own the 15th pick this year.  Supposedly, this year's draft is weak on star power, but heavy on role players.  The Pacers have carved a niche in drafting right in the middle of the draft.  They haven't found a superstar, but they have been able to develop a strong core of young players that are quickly turning this team into one of the deepest rosters in the NBA.

The purposes of this FanPost is to start the discussion on which role player would best suit the Pacers.  While there are few elite players in this draft, many rotation guys can be had in the middle of the draft.  The Pacers could address a big need if they find the right guy.  So, who is that guy?

Maybe rec this FP to put it up next to the discussion on free agency acquisitions that make sense for the Pacers.

This article, from our friends at SB Nation Indiana, claims the search for the Pacers' next head coach is already down to two: Frank Vogel and Mike Brown.  I wanted to hear from the rest of IC Nation.  Who should Indy hire, and what makes him the best coach for the job?

I love what Brown brings to the table - defense and team unity.  I think Vogel offers the same type of skill set, only he's not a proven success (yet).  I loved the vibe Vogel created during his brief stay as head coach, and wouldn't be upset if he were the choice.  However, I can't overlook how successful Brown has been in coaching defense - a strength of this current team.

(Disclaimer: this could be a GIANT waste of a bunch of people's time)

I'm looking for a fun, creative nickname for a current NBA player who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats.  His name is Stephen Jackson.  He used to play for the Pacers, but left on bad terms.  I'm hoping a nickname could symbolize how some truly feel about the person, not the athlete.  Also, I would like to bring up the past as much as possible when coming up with a nickname (Palace fight, firing a handgun in public, etc.).  It would also be fantastic if the nickname could reference a tattoo he has!  The more irrelevant to a group of Indiana Pacers fans and waste of time the nickname is, the better!  Here are a few I've come up with so far:

Stephen "Wears a Sweatband" Jackson

Stephen "SHOOTS at things other than baskets" Jackson

Stephen "Gun" Jackson

Stephen "Sweet gun with a cross-hair tattoo" Jackson

Stephen "spelled with a ph, not a v" Jackson

Stephen "angry person" Jackson

Shoot 'em Jack

Fight 'em Jack

Is it a good start?  If any of them sound good, let me know!  My plan is to use the nickname anytime I make reference to him.  But, I'll be sure to remind you who he really is every time I make reference to the nickname just in case you forget or get confused (i.e. Shoot 'em Jack, a.k.a Stephen "Gun" Jackson, a.k.a Stephen "spelled with a ph, not a v" Jackson).

UPDATE No. 3: According to the Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, "Powe's agent, Aaron Goodwin, confirmed Memphis is one of the teams his client would seriously consider."

ESPN's Marc Stein has also tweeted the Grizzlies are in the mix, but notes he expects Powe to land back in Boston.

---

UPDATE: No. 2 As we noted previously, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports has mentioned the Lakers as another suitor for Powe.

---

UPDATE: NBA.com's David Aldridge tweeted: "Powe reunion in Boston is strong possibility: no one is bigger fan than Doc Rivers."

Aldridge reports Powe will also consider signing with the Knicks and Magic, too.

-- Nick Borges

----

According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, the Cavs have waived Leon Powe.

"[It opens] up the possibility for a return to Boston," he added.

If the Celtics fail to land Tory Murphy after he's bought out -- a rumored move of the team -- it's possible they may look to sign Powe as another option.

I have to wonder if Powe would be given a shot at the 4 if the Pacers signed him.  Surely he can't be any worse than McRoberts, our current starter.  Should the Pacers work a buyout deal with T.J. Ford, they could use the difference of Ford's contract and his buyout price to sign Powe.  Powe was making the league minimum and is on an expiring contract, so it is an inexpensive risk.

After watching the power forward position get manhandled by so many teams this season, it's obvious the Pacers need a better defensive presence if they want any shot at being competitive in the playoffs.  Powe is better known for his defense and rebounding, but can put up points if asked upon.  The Pacers need a third man who provides better defense that neither McDunk and TFunk currently have.  The duo isn't holding their own on defense, and it's beginning to hurt this young team.

While I don't believe Powe is the long-term solution as a starter, he's a glue guy that be a very reasonable price.

From Chad Ford of ESPN.com as of Wednesday morning around 10:30:

Cavaliers interested in Gerald Wallace?

The Charlotte Bobcats seem intent on moving Gerald Wallace to a new team by the Thursday deadline and have aggressively courted the Mavericks, Rockets, Clippers, Pacers and Cavs. The asking price has been an expiring contract and a protected first-round pick.

So far they've been unable to get a team to bite, though there have been rumblings Wednesday morning that the Cavs may use their $14.5 million trade exception generated in the LeBron James sign-and-trade this summer to land Wallace by the deadline.

If these reports are true and all Charlotte is seeking in a trade is an expiring contract and a protected first rounder, I don't see why we don't jump on him.  Wallace is on the hook for three more years (the third year of his contract is a player option @ $11.4 million). Mike Dunleavy has a comparable contract.  T.J. Ford + a first round draft pick is also match salary-wise.

Wallace, although he's a natural small forward, is slightly smaller than Granger and could easily slide into the shooting guard position a la Mike Dunleavy.  He's an upgrade over Dunleavy and at a much cheaper rate (considering Dunleavy is in the final year of his contract, the Pacers would have to consider resigning him at the end of the season) over the next three years.  He adds both scoring and defense - two things that could put the Pacers in serious contention for a middle-of-the-pack playoff spot.

Even if the Pacers acquired Wallace, that still gives them upwards of $20 million in cap space for next season to sign a top free agent at the power forward position.  Imagine a starting lineup of Collison, Wallace, Granger, FA Power Forward, and Hibbert with AJ, Rush, George, Hansbrough, and Foster as the second unit.  That's a deep, competitive eastern conference playoff team!

A trade can be made!  Do it, Larry!  Here's your chance to one-up MJ yet again!

One of ESPN.com writers, John Hollinger, does a regularly-occurring column called "PER Diem".  He typically uses his PER statistics to point out trends, developing statistics, and oddities around the NBA.

In his column today titled, Up-and-coming teams to watch, (alert: this is an INsider article and can only be viewed by paying customers). he highlighted four teams who are "young teams on the rise that are playing better basketball of late and have yet to grab much national attention."

Before he got too far into the article, he made it very clear that the true "up-and-coming" teams in the NBA were the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls.  He didn't side-step the idea that these two teams are much closer to being elite than the four mentioned in his article.  But, the four teams he pointed out definitely deserve some attention for how close they are to being placed in the same orbit as the Thunder and Bulls.

The four teams he mentioned were the Memphis Grizzlies, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, and the Golden State Warriors.

With all due respect to the Grizzlies, Sixers, and Warriors, and for what they've been able to accomplish this season, I didn't really pay much attention to what Hollinger said about them.  For obvious reasons, this post focuses on only what he had to say about the Pacers.  Let's see if you agree with his assessment of the Blue and Gold:

Indiana

The story: The Pacers have won seven of eight since Frank Vogel replaced Jim O'Brien as head coach and now project as a strong bet to make the playoffs -- today's playoff odds gives them a 76.5 percent probability. The theme under Vogel has been younger and more offensive-minded -- Josh McRoberts, Dahntay Jones and Paul George are in the rotation; James Posey and Solomon Jones are out. Notably, Vogel has been more consistent, too. O'Brien would change his rotation from game to game and at times from quarter to quarter depending on matchups; Vogel has kept the same 10-man mix thus far.

The biggest difference has been Roy Hibbert's resurrection. He had a great first month but was awful the next two, triggering Indy's slide and O'Brien's exit. Hibbert scored 24 points in the first game under Vogel, the first time he'd had more than 20 in two months, and 29 in a crucial win over Charlotte that gave the Pacers breathing room in the standings.

The good: Those of you who follow the Future Power Rankings of Professor Ford and me know that Indiana is in pretty decent shape going forward. It's as deep as any team in the league, it'll have a bunch of cap space after this season, and it has a lot of solid, young players who should keep improving: Hibbert, McRoberts, George, Tyler Hansbrough, Brandon Rush, Darren Collison and A.J. Price all are 25 or younger, and go-to guy Danny Granger isn't exactly a fossil at 27.

Additionally, Indy's precipitous slide -- a 6-17 stretch in December and January after a solid start -- was largely due to an offensive meltdown. The Pacers have the size and talent to defend; they just need a headliner who can carry the mail offensively.

The bad: Only one of the seven teams that Indy has beaten in the Vogel era had a winning record; the list includes four of the six worst records in basketball. And of course, we don't want to get too giddy about a short-term bounce under a new coach.

But the biggest question mark with the Pacers is the simplest one: Who's the star here? Granger is a nice No. 2 but out of his depth as a leading man. Otherwise, the Pacers have a lot of decent young players who would form very good complementary pieces around a superstar. Unfortunately, this isn't New York or Miami, so although the Pacers have cap space, it's not clear how they can lure a difference-maker to the Heartland. Without such a player, this team's ceiling is a first-round speed bump for the East's elite.

From a recent article by ESPN's Chad Ford on which players are most likely to be dealt by the trade deadline:

9. Danny Granger, F, Pacers
The Pacers have long maintained that Granger is the core of their team and off limits. However, as our own Marc Stein has reported, a number of GMs in the league now believe Granger could be had for two major assets. Granger isn't having a career season, but he is only 27, has a reasonable contract and is the type of player every coach wants in the locker room.

What is Indiana looking for? Ideally, it'd get a power forward and a 2-guard who can create his own shot off the dribble. It would take a pretty big package for Indiana to let go of Granger, but it sounds as if, for the first time, he's no longer untouchable.

While the majority of IC'ers believe it's a better move to try and use some of the expiring contracts (Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Jeff Foster, Solomon Jones) to put players around Granger, Chad Ford continues to insist the better option may be to move Granger.  He's said in a recent chat that Bird would move Granger if he could get two starters in return.  The most likely pairing would be a Power Forward and Shooting Guard, according to Ford.

So, which NBA teams fit the description of what it would take to get Granger?  Here are a few of my own ideas:

Trade 1: Indiana and Utah

Indiana gets Al Jefferson and C.J. Miles; Utah gets Danny Granger and Jeff Foster

Jefferson and Miles fit the PF/SG combo that would suffice Ford's idea of what the Pacers need.  Granger immediately fills a need in Utah.  The biggest offseason losses are proving to be Wesley Matthews and Kyle Korver.  Utah no longer has anyone who can score from outside.  Granger would fit well in a rotation with Deron Williams, Paul Milsap, Memet Okur, and Raja Bell.

It's becoming quite apparent that Paul George is the real deal and could easily take over SOME of the scoring that Granger provided.  Jefferson would take a lot of pressure off of Hibbert as the only low-post scoring option.  I actually think Hibbert could become a better defensive presence if he didn't have to worry so much about his decline on the offensive side.  C.J. Miles is an excellent 6th man coming off the bench to take Paul George's current role as the leading scorer with the second unit.  A starting lineup of Collison, George, Dunleavy, Jefferson, and Hibbert looks a lot more balanced than Collison, George, Granger, Hansbrough, and Hibbert.

Trade 2: Indiana and Atlanta

Indiana gets Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford; Atlanta gets Granger and Dunleavy

This one's pretty tasty.  The Pacers get IC-favorite, Josh Smith in the deal.  Atlanta would become an even more dangerous offense.  They lose Smith's defensive presence, but Granger is no slouch on the defensive end and would provide a lot more scoring for Atlanta.  They don't lose a lot of scoring from the second unit with Dunleavy replacing Crawford's production.  Atlanta would most likely have a starting lineup of Bibby, J. Johnson, Granger, Horford, and Collins.  That's pretty scary!

This trade doesn't net the Pacers a traditional back to the basket scoring option at the power forward position, but gives them a guy who is multi-dimensional.  Crawford can light up the scoreboard, replacing the scoring load that would be lost from the departure of Granger.  A starting lineup for Indy would be Collison, Crawford, George, Smith, and Hibbert.  Me likey!

Trade 3: Indiana and Memphis

Indiana gets Zach Randolph and O.J. Mayo; Memphis gets Granger, Foster, and Hansbrough

If Memphis believes they don't have a shot at resigning Randolph, then this deal gives them some start power, youth, and cap relief going forward.  While it may be an adjustment figuring out how to play Gay and Granger together since they are nearly identical, it's worked for other teams in the past (see: Charlotte - Jackson and Wallace).  They'd have an identity change, but would remain relevant nonetheless.  A starting five for Memphis would look like this: Conley, Granger, Gay, Darrell Arthur, and M. Gasol.  That's a pretty good shooting team.

Indiana gets a hometown boy who can score like crazy.  They also get a legitimate shooting guard who hasn't fit in with Memphis's playing style.  Mayo is definitely a guy who can create his own shot and would thrive in Indiana under the right coach.  This deal would certainly mark and end to the J'OB era as it would transition to a more 1/2-court style of offense around Z-Bo.  A starting five would be Collison, Mayo, George, Randolph, and Hibbert.

Trade 4: Indiana and New Orleans

Indiana gets David West and Marcus Thornton; New Orleans gets Danny Granger

Like Memphis, New Orleans' hands are tied with West.  He could opt out of his final year and become a free agent.  They could lose him.  If they lose him, then their chances of retaining Chris Paul go way down.  Granger could ease a lot of concerns from the folks in New Orleans.  However, they'd have to trot out a very small lineup as Granger would most likely play a lot of power forward.  A starting lineup could be: Paul, Belinelli, Ariza, Granger, and Okafor.

Indiana gets one of the better scoring power forwards in the league.  They also get a guy in Thornton who showed flashes of great potential last season.  This is the riskiest of all the deals and is also probably the weakest.  But, they would certainly be more balanced at every position.  A starting five of Collision, George, Dunleavy, West, and Hibbert with Thornton coming off the bench is still competitive in the eastern conference.

While I love Granger and hope that we can find a way to surround him with better players, if the right offer is there, Bird has a tough decision to make.  The good news is this team has a ton of options going forward.  And most seem to put this team in a better position to compete in the near future.  Let's just hope J'OB isn't around to screw it all up!

With the trade deadline less than a month away, this site has been pretty hot with potential franchise-saving solutions that will put fans back in the seats at the Fieldhouse.  I will admit, I've been a contributor to the party - mainly for fun.  It would be silly of me to think I have enough intelligence to truly know what the Pacers need, who's available, and how a deal could realistically go down.  That's why I chose a different career path long ago and have left it up to the professionals.

Larry Bird is our professional!  That's a positive or negative depending on who you ask.  He's a polarizing figure in Indy and deserves a lot of credit for putting strong character guys as well as skilled basketball players on this roster after "you know what" happened.  I would lean toward the positive, and would like to input my two cents as to why he's done a commendable job during his tenure as President of Basketball Operations for the Blue and Gold.

I realize there are several aspect of his job, but for sake of a long FanPost, I'll only target his work at drafting young players.

Since 2004, he's overseen seven first-round picks (one in each year from 2004-2006, zero in 2007, one in 2008, two in 2009, and one in 2010).  Let's keep in mind that although he was PBO in title beginning in 2003, he's only had sole control of the decisions since 2008 when Donnie Walsh left.  Here are his draft picks:

1. 2004: round 1, pick 29 - David Harrison
2. 2005: round 1, pick 17 - Danny Granger
3. 2006: round 1, pick 17 - Shawne Williams
4. 2007: n/a
5. 2008: round 1, pick 13 - Brandon Rush; round 2, pick 17 - Roy Hibbert
6. 2009: round 1, pick 13 - Tyler Hansbrough
7. 2010: round 1, pick 10 - Paul George

While the jury should still be out on a lot of these players considering it's only been seven years, it's a really good list.  Bird was able to draft one of the four all-stars in 2005 (Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and David Lee being the other three).  Only one player on this list no longer plays in the league (David Harrison).  All but two still play for the Pacers.  The one who doesn't is in the midst of a career season and is showing signs of maturation both on and off the court (Shawne Williams).  The last two drafts have produced players in the top-6 of his respective class in Player Efficiency Rating for this season.  Tyler Hansbrough currently ranks sixth behind Blake Griffin, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson, and DeJuan Blair.  Paul George currently has the highest rating of players drafted in 2010 (technically, Blake Griffin is a rookie, so George ranks second).

I think this team has a much brighter future after this season when they rids themselves of a ton of cap space and hire a new coach who can better utilize the talent on the roster.  Bird has positioned this team to succeed.  We (the fans) may be overreacting a bit by demanding changes be made NOW.  It takes patience.  Let's give Bird his props for all he's accomplished.

Now, while we patiently wait, let's continue to come up with more ideas on trades that will make this team better!

According to Donnie Walsh, "Anthony Randolph is to be traded within a week."

Are the Pacers actually one of the final 3 in contention to send a draft pick for his services?  To quote the great Bobby "too hotty" Brown, "My mind is telling me no, but my body..." You know the rest.

Randolph has a ton of potential, but something tells me he's not much of an upgrade over what we currently have at power forward.  Knowing J'OB, Randolph would have to earn a starting spot.  This means he has to first, learn the offense.  Second, he must be willing to come off the bench.  Third, he must ride the roller coaster of playing time O'Bie puts each player through.  Our supposed 'untouchable', Roy Hibbert, can't even get consistent minutes right now.

The smart move would be to hold onto the draft pick, let all the expiring players go after the end of this season, use all the cap room to sign another superstar to pair with Granger, then fill the remaining spots on the roster with role players.  Three potential stud free agents that could make immediate impacts on our roster next season are David West, Nene, and Jamal Crawford.

West would be my #1 choice (as he's only making $8 million this season and has a player option for $7 million next season).  The Pacers could nearly double his salary if West went into free agency.  Nene is a perfect partner to play along side Hibbert.  He's got game on both offense and defense.  Although, if Nene opts out of his contract, he'll most likely want to join a championship caliber team, which doesn't describe the Pacers.  He'd be a long shot, but well worth a high price.  Crawford is a lights-out scorer that would help ease the attention Granger gets on a nightly basis.  Although he provides next to nothing in all other statistical categories, he definitely brings the killer closing instincts this team lacks.  He's not afraid to shoot from anywhere and also does well attacking the rim.

If anything, the Pacers have a ton of options.  I'm just not sure if Anthony Randolph is the cure for what the Pacers need at power forward.

So, what should the Pacers do?

Yes, and no.  Do I think the Pacers have parts that would entice New Orleans to deal?  Yes.  Do I think CP3 would welcome a trade to Nap Town? No.  In a wonderful world of make-believe, Chris Paul would love to play along side Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, and Paul George.

But, packing his bags for Indiana doesn't provide Paul with anything closer to what he truly covets: a championship.  Us IC-ers can conjure up scenarios in which we throw all of Indy's expiring contracts to the Hornets in exchange for Paul + horrible contract A (Okafor), B (Stojaokvic), or C (Posey), but it's just not going to happen.

With that said, it doesn't mean the Pacers cannot benefit from Chris Paul's desire to play for a contending team.  I believe a lot of people around the league also know the Pacers have a lot to gain from attempting to be involved in a trade with New Orleans along with one of the contending teams on Paul's wish list.  It's entirely likely the Pacers could move some of their expiring contracts, get a starting PG (not named Chris Paul or Born Ready), and maintain a little bit of cap flexibility in the coming years.  Keep in mind, however, any deal the Pacers make with the Hornets would almost certainly require giving up some young talent (i.e. Roy Hibbert, Tyler Hansbrough, Brandon Rush, etc.).

Over the past three days, Bill Simmons of ESPN.com has mentioned potential trades involving the Pacers on his Twitter page.  He's a pretty intelligent guy who is connected with a lot of people in-the-know throughout the Association.  I don't think he's proposing deals that are laughable, or deals that don't benefit all parties involved.  He's considering the needs of every team.  Here are four potential trades he threw out - all of which involve the Indiana Pacers (for sanity sake, we'll only focus on what the Pacers get out of each deal):

Trade 1:

Indiana gets - Marcin Gortat, Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson

New Orleans gets - Roy Hibbert, Mike Dunleavy,  Jeff Foster, Ryan Anderson, Wilson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Ronny Turiaf, Toney Douglas, $6 mil cash from NY and ORL, Orlando's 2011 first round pick

New York gets - TJ Ford, Peja Stojakovic

Orlando gets - Chris Paul, Emeka Okafor, James Posey, Darius Songaila, Keleena Azubuike

Trade 2:

Indiana gets - Aaron Brooks, Jared Jeffries, Vladimir Radmanovic

New Orleans gets - Roy Hibbert, Mike Dunleavy, TJ Ford, Shane Battier, Jordan Hill, $6 million cash from HOU and GS, Houston's 2012 first round pick (via NYK)

Golden State gets - Yao Ming, Darius Songaila

Houston gets - Chris Paul, Emeka Okafor, James Posey, Andris Biedrins

Trade 3:

Indiana gets - Andre Miller, Joel Przybilla, Jeff Pendegraph

New Orleans gets - Roy Hibbert, Mike Dunleavy, TJ Ford, Greg Oden, Rudy Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless, Dante Cunningham

Portland gets - Josh McRoberts, Chris Paul, Emeka Okafor, James Posey

Trade 4:

Indiana gets - Andre Miller, Joel Przybilla, Darius Songaila, Julian Wright

New Orleans gets - Roy Hibbert, TJ Ford, Brandon Roy

Portland gets - Mike Dunleavy, Josh McRoberts, Chris Paul

Trades 1 and 2 net the Pacers a franchise PG along with some future cap space.  I'm not big on either trade 3 or 4 because it doesn't solve the PG problem, only band-aid's it.  The downside to all four deals would require the Pacers giving away Roy Hibbert.  It would be a difficult pill to swallow, but giving up Hibbert for Nelson or Brooks may be necessary for the betterment of the future for the Pacers.  Overall, I fear neither of the four trades leave fans confident of a completed rebuilding plan.

The jump provides my take on a twist to some of Simmons' trade scenarios.

Continue reading this post »

If the Pacers have any plan of signing a point guard from the free agent pool, they had better act quickly.  So far, all of the known targets (Jordan Farmar, Raymond Felton, and Kyle Lowry) have either been signed or offered contracts from teams not named the Indiana Pacers.  It's shocking they all turned down the riches of a one-year, $3.5 million contract and a near-guarantee starting gig to play for the blue and gold!

Lots and lots of options have floated around the FanPost board over the last two weeks.  Most have been trade possibilities.  While I must admit they are fun to read, IC Nation is batting 0.00 in the trade department thus far.

Allow me to offer two possible players the Pacers could potentially target via free agent signing.

Continue reading this post »

A side note: I don't believe Chris Paul will be traded THIS summer.

Continue reading this post »

From Mike Wells of indystar.com

The first surprise of next week's NBA Draft could come from the Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers are interested enough in Kentucky center Daniel Orton that they're thinking about taking him with the No. 10 pick, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The Pacers are in the process of setting up a second workout for Orton, who left Kentucky after his freshman season. He worked out for the Pacers on June 1.

The 6-10, 255-pound Orton averaged 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds on a Kentucky team whose entire starting five are expected to be first-round picks.

Continue reading this post »

What's better than sliced bread?  I'll tell you: Paul George!

Paul George is so amazing that when he does push-ups, he actually stays put and pushes the earth down!

Paul George is so amazing that he doesn't get frost bite, he bites frost!

Paul George is so amazing that he doesn't use punctuation marks in his sentences, he uses punctuation pauls!

I could go on for days about Paul George.  Get used to it.  He's the real deal.  I alluded to this point already in a thread on MillerTime31's FanPost, but I thought I'd bring it to the masses for all to jump on the bandwagon.  Paul George is the closest thing to perfection anyone will ever get in the NBA.  Every team who passes up on this Golden Boy will be regretting this colossal mistake for decades.  Hop or skip to the jump to hear me out.

Continue reading this post »

From ESPN.com writer Chad Ford's NBA Draft Blog in regards to his observations from the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine:

Avery Bradley and Eric Bledsoe were both helped by two straight days of great shooting and hustle. I would love to see those two go at it in workouts. Their first one together is scheduled for Indiana in early June. If one really shines, he could convince the Pacers, who are in desperate need of a point guard, to grab him at No. 10.

Continue reading this post »

It's been well documented that both Pacers President Larry Bird and head coach Jim O'Brien want to be active this offseason in improving this team through a variety of means.  While conventions say to wait one more season for the summer of 2011 when nearly $30 million come off the Pacers' payroll, Bird and O'Brien have put themselves in a position where they must expedite the process for fear of not being around for the summer of 2011.

Bird's plan, according to his State of the Pacers address earlier this month, is to pursue draft picks, additional players via trade, and perhaps a free agent signing or two.  As for O'Brien, he has one more season to prove he's worthy of staying on board during this "rebuilding" plan.  It would be wise for him to spend a great deal of time in film study preparing a multitude of ways to improve the current roster rather than to be involve in the "roster makeover".  His focus should remain on execution and player development.

In order for Bird's plan to take flight (yay puns!), he needs to take into consideration which teams throughout the league would even be interested in rostering any current player on this Pacers team.  A good GM would identify his available players' strengths to try to match with other teams' weaknesses.  A good GM would not eliminate any possibility of player movement as long as it was beneficial to the team and the city.  A good GM would be willing to sacrifice the short term for the long.

Though I cannot say I am qualified to take on the responsibilities of a general manager for any NBA franchise, I do follow this sport closely and have a good feeling for which players on the Pacers roster can benefit other teams.  Keep in mind the following represents my own personal belief on moves that would help a struggling franchise put more fans back into one of the most beautiful arenas in professional sports.

Jump in, the waters are warm!

Continue reading this post »

As of late, many have come into question the prospects of Hassan Whiteside's potential NBA career.  I decided to devote a FanPost with my own thoughts on Whitside as well as a few other potential Pacer targets.

The Pacers three biggest weaknesses appear to be a defensive big, a cold-blooded scorer at the wing, (not just a a good 3pt. shooter - someone who can create a shot from any point on the court), and a pass-first point guard.

Although they shot themselves in the foot by actually playing well the last month of the season, there is still potential to find a long-term solution to all three problems at pick #10.  I do believe there are some intriguing options to consider.

Hassan Whiteside - He's obviously been the center of the most recent posts.  There are those that say he's got a lot of basketball growing to do.  But his potential ceiling is enormous.  He could be the next Dikembe Mutombo.  Even if he doesn't work out for the Pacers, he will always have value just because of his size - Darko Milicic still commandeers interest from a majority of NBA owners.  If he works out, at worst Roy Hibbert stays in games much longer because he doesn't work as hard on help-side covering for Troy Murphy's defensive ineptitudes.  And, the Pacers become one of the most intimidating front courts in the Eastern Conference.

Donatas Motiejunas - A 7-foot athletic forward who had as similar a European career as current NBA superstar, Dirk Nowitzki.  He's young and would take a few years to learn to play in the NBA, but has the potential to go after a scoring title.  His defense is suspect at best and may not be the best fit alongside Hibbert.  But, he'd be someone who could complement Danny Granger's style of play.

Ekpe Udoh - another supreme defensive big who has the reputation for taking on opponents' best big men.  He's very aggressive on the defensive end and can go after rebounds.  While he isn't as skilled offensively, his scoring more than doubled from his sophomore to junior year (6 pts/per in 2009 to 14 pts/per in 2010).  He is an older prospect (22) which seems to be criterion: #1 from Larry Bird's book, "The Manual on How to Draft a Mediocre NBA Team".  He is a perfect glue-guy to complement Hibbert and Granger.

James Anderson - This guy knows how to put the ball in the basket.  He was one of the best scorers in college basketball this past season.  He could be the cold-blooded scoring threat the Pacers need to complement Granger offensively (i.e. what James Harden is to Kevin Durant).  He can score in a number of ways.  However, he is below-average in the athleticism department and he doesn't do many other things well - rebounding, passing, defense.  He doesn't have as much potential as the three aforementioned prospects, but he is a safe pick (criterion: #2 from Bird's book if you're keeping track).  The Pacers know what they're getting from him.

Gordon Hayward - He may not have top-10 talent, but there isn't a single Pacers fan who isn't secretly desiring this outcome to come to fruition.  This guy would certainly energize a muddled franchise for years to come.  He also happens to fit criterion: #3 - the rule of which that shall not be spoken but is ever-so-visible to most every NBA fan (skin color).  His skill set is worthy of a high pick, but the Pacers seem to have far too many needs to take Hayward with the 10th pick.  But, if they were to consider him, he is a gifted scorer who can create shots in a variety of ways.  He would be better suited playing the SG position in the NBA, and would make a very honest living doing so.  He may never be an all star, but he stands for everything good and honest in this broken world!  His defense is underrated and he inspires teammates to play hard.  He has a lot of the intangibles that cannot be coached.

Eric Bledsoe - He's a super-quick athletic point guard who played second fiddle to the best NBA prospect in college - John Wall.  Because of this, few really got to see what he could do if he were at the helm.  Though he's only 6-1, he is a very long, sound defender.  He proved throughout the NCAA tournament that he can be a capable scorer if needed.  He's very intelligent and is a pass-first type of point guard - a criterion that just missed the final cut from "the book".  While he may not be a franchise PG, he should certainly be available for the Pacers at pick 10.  There are few teams selecting above Indiana in need of a point guard.  Aside from Wall, he sits atop a very thin list of PG prospects in this year's draft.  On a side note, I need help with something.  Anyone remember the last super-speedy PG drafted from Kentucky in a draft circa 2006 that featured very few elite prospects at that position?  Did he ever make the Association?

I would be happy to see any of these players in blue and gold next year.  While none of them appear to be franchise players, they all have potential to upgrade the Pacers' current roster.  With luck, any one of them may turn out to be the next Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Caron Butler, or any other player Levy mentioned as all stars who were selected at pick 10 in previous drafts.  Here's to hope!

Parousing some old Sports Nation chats with NBA writer Chad Ford on ESPN.com, I came across a few of Ford's thoughs concerning the Pacers and their recent play.  It's nice to see that our frustration with the way this season has turned out is beginning to spread to a national level.  Ugh!

Continue reading this post »

The trade deadline is quickly approaching.  We've all heard the rumors already.  But, there's one option the Pacers should, if for nothing else but fan chatter, consider.  Take a hop, then a skip to the jump...

Continue reading this post »

In thinking about Levy2725's post about ways to go about changing the Pacers in a more reasonable way other than "blowing up the team" or "getting lucky" in the draft, a few thoughts came to mind.

Continue reading this post »

I'm a fan of the Pacers.  I feel like we're going through some similar frustrations this season - though your squad looks much prettier than ours.  I recently read this FanPost from Indy Cornrows and wanted your thoughts on it.  How badly do you want to see EB and Iggy gone?  Is it worth getting lesser-talented, shorter contracts?  It's always nice to hear from some of the most passionate fans on the planet!

I've posted several times on our baby brother's Blog Site, Indy Cornrows, but never on Stampede Blue.  So, why not jump in head first with some pretty bold predictions?!

After watching some of the HOF game, I couldn't contain myself!  The 2009-2010 NFL season has officially begun!  I'm breaking down all eight divisions with a little blurb on my thoughts on where they stand compared to each other as well as where I believe each team will finish from 1-4 along with a best guess final record (it's an educated guess based upon home/away divisional match ups, official Vegas over/under wins, and non-division opponents).

I've put a double asterisk (**) next to the two wild card teams. I also gave my predictions for the AFC and NFC Championship game as well as the Super Bowl.  Keep in mind, history tells us only about half the teams that make the playoffs any given season go back the following season.  This year, I have 7 going back.  So, there are going to be some new faces on the list of playoff teams.

At the very least, this ought to get some conversations started!  Here goes...

NFC West

1. Arizona (10-6)
2. Seattle (7-9)
3. San Francisco (6-10)
4. St. Louis (2-14)

This division plays the NFC North and AFC South.  It's probably the weakest division in the NFL. There's only one legitimate team from this division (Arizona) and the other three are all fielding brand new head coaches and are at some form of rebuild mode. I don't trust any of them to be in playoff contention.  With that said, even Arizona will have to prove they're not a one year deal.  I believe Seattle makes the biggest leap in the standings.  San Francisco's QB issues will not be resolved all season and they lose one more game than last year as a result.  St. Louis is making all the right moves, but they still are too young to be competitive.  I don't see an improvement on their win/loss totals from last year.

NFC North

1. Chicago (10-4)
2. Minnesota (9-7)
3. Green Bay (8-8)
4. Detroit (3-13)

This division plays the NFC West and AFC North.   It's an up-and-coming division.  However, they'll never be considered a top division as long and Detroit is a part of it.  But, they have 3 teams that could be vying for a playoff spot.  There hasn't been a repeat champion since the 2005 and 2006 seasons.  Chicago regains the throne in large part to their massive upgrade at quarterback.  Minnesota has balance, even without their QB position solidified.  I believe Sage Rosenfels is enough of an upgrade to keep them competitive.  But, at the end of the day, it's Sage Rosenfels.  He single-handedly turned (literally) the Colts' season around last year.  He will lose more games than he wins for the team.  Their defense and running game will need to pick up the slack.  Green Bay is the next in line to sit atop the league.  But, they're two seasons away.  Their offense is dynamic and the defense is young and full of talent.  A change in defensive schemes from a base 4-3 to a 3-4 will have it's growing pains.  One win in Detroit has to be considered a success from last year.  I'll give them 3.  Matthew Stafford is the real deal and will eventually get this team to roar again, but that's a long ways away.

NFC East

1. New York Giants (13-3)
2. **Philadelphia (12-4)
3. **Dallas (10-6)
4. Washington (9-7)

This division plays the NFC South and AFC West.  In my book, they are the strongest division in the NFC, if not the entire NFL from top to bottom.  It don't know if it's ever happened in the NFL, but it's entirely possible for all four teams to end the year with double-digit wins.  I see the Giants as the only team to win more than 3 divisional games, so they get the top spot.  They are the most complete team in the NFC.  Philadelphia looked really good in the playoffs last year and I believe they've only gotten better over the off season.  Their defense got younger but still remains very talented.  Dallas suffers a bit from the 'new stadium' curse that seemed to plague the Colts last season.  They have the best offense in this division, but probably the 3rd best head coach.  Wade Phillips will lose them a few games as a result of poor play calling.  Only when they learn that Marion Barber is a top-5 running back, will they meet their true potential.  They still end up with the 6th best record in the conference.  Having 9 wins in the NFC West will win the division almost every year, but it's only good enough for 4th place in the NFC East.  Washington has too many questions on the offensive side of the ball to run with the top 3 teams.

NFC South

1. Atlanta (11-5)
2. Carolina (7-9)
3. New Orleans (6-10)
4. Tampa Bay (5-11)

This division probably has the toughest non-divisional schedule playing the NFC East and AFC East.  Like the NFC East, they're a deep division from top to bottom, but not quite as strong.  Because of their schedule, every team but Atlanta takes a step backward in wins from last season.  Atlanta is not a one hit wonder.  They got better on offense over the off season with the addition of Tony Gonzalez and their defense will continue to make strides.  There's no reason they can't win 11 games again this year.  Carolina takes a big step backward this season.  Delhomme just cannot be trusted, and defenses will key in on DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart this year.  Their defense is solid, but will need to force more turnovers than last year's squad (only 25 takeaways) to compete.  New Orleans boasts a top offense, but a putrid defense.  As long as Jason David is a starting cornerback for an NFL team, you cannot take them seriously.  Tampa is the only team in this division who is in full rebuild on both sides of the ball.  They had one of the oldest defenses last year and have decided to do away with many of their aging vets.  They have a solid running game, but too many questions at the quarterback position to win more than 5 games.

AFC West

1. San Diego (10-6)
2. Kansas City (8-8)
3. Oakland (7-9)
4. Denver (3-13)

This division plays the AFC North and NFC East.  It's probably the second weakest division in the NFL.  What is it with the NFL's Western Divisions?  Much like it's NFC cousin, the AFC West is a one-team division.  Aside from San Diego, all three teams are amidst some major overhauls.  On top of that, I believe they'll end up with the worst team of 2009, the Denver Broncos.  I gave them 3 wins - vs. Oakland, Cleveland, and Kansas City, but those won't be easy wins. They could easily go 0-16 thanks to their brutal schedule.  San Diego always looks good on paper, but their head coach is Norv Turner and LT is one year closer to retirment.  Their defens is spectacular, and will win a bunch of games.  Philip Rivers will have his way passing the ball.  He's set for another stellar year.  Kansas City is my surprise team of the West.  They leapfrog both Oakland and Denver to become the division's second-best team.  Their defense is underrated and Cassell is a nice addition to the offense.  Gonzalez is gone, but Dwayne Bowe is in line for a Roddy White-esque breakout season.  Oakland will improve behind its stellar run game.  Assuming he starts, Jeff Garcia will win some games for them, but something is bound to go wrong for the Silver and Black.  It always does!  There's not much to like in Denver aside from Knowshon Moreno, Brandon Marshall, and Eddie Royal.  Their defense can't stop anyone and Kyle Orton is their new QB.  Look for Marshall and Royal to have below-average seasons, which will lead to the departure of Marshall in the off season.

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh (14-2)
2. **Cincinnati (10-6)
3. Baltimore (8-8)
4. Cleveland (4-12)

This division plays the AFC West and NFC North.  It's a very tough division that's top-heavy.  Year after year, they all beat each other up.  This division seems to continue to pump out two teams into the playoffs.  This year will be no exception, but the second team is a bit of a surprise.  Pittsburgh is the class of the North and the rest of the AFC.  They will have the target on their backs, but with the league's best defense, they'll gladly take that challenge.  Cincinnati is this year's Miami.  They will have the biggest turn around as far as wins (Kansas City also has a +6 change in wins from last year, but Cincinnati will make the playoffs).  With a healthy Carson Palmer and an stealthy defense, this team returns to the magical season of 2005 (let's just hope it doesn't end the same way!).  Baltimore is an every-other-year type of team.  They rely too heavily on a defense engineered to take the ball away.  Unfortunately, they're in an inbetween year.  Cleveland and Brady Quinn are one year away from being contenders within the division.  A solid defense and a great offensive line will only get you a handful of wins.  They haven't gotten consistent play from the QB, WR, and RB positions to be competitive.  Maybe Mangini will turn this team around.

AFC East

1. New England (13-3)
2. Miami (9-7)
3.  Buffalo (9-7)
4.  New York Jets (6-10)

This division plays the AFC South and the NFC South.  It is a division on the rise.  But, they're still one or two seasons away from being the best in the AFC from top to bottom.  A certain healthy QB from Beantown will make his team much better than their 11-5 record last season (yikes!).  Their defense has been putting parts together every year.  Will this be the year it backfires on them?  Probably not, but we can only hope!  Miami falls back to earth with a more respectable 9 win campaign.  Their offense is revolutionary and will win them many games.  Tough competition from the AFC South and NFC South will force them to earn all 9 wins.  Buffalo is the team on the rise in this division.  With the addition of T.O, they could quite possibly have the second best offense in the division behind New England.  However, they'll need to rely on their defense to keep them in games which they're not quite ready to do.  New York brings in a new head coach and quarterback.  As a result, hey become the new Baltimore Ravens of the AFC - a fearsome defense, solid running game, and capable quarterback play.  Except, they won't win as many games.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis (13-3)
2. **Houston (11-5)
3. Tennessee (9-7)
4. Jacksonville (8-8)

This division plays the AFC East and NFC West.  From top to bottom, this is the strongest division in the AFC.  Much will be said about the Colts and how this may be the year they fall off the map with all the regime changes.  I don't see it. But, I'm probably being biased. I don't care. Until it happens, they still have the talent on the field to be a  12-win team.  I just don't see them getting beat by any NFC West teams, nor do I see them losing any games against the AFC East.  That's 7 wins.  They play all the AFC's 2nd place teams from last year (Denver, Baltimore, and New England).  They have Denver's and Baltimore's number.  Chalk up two more wins, and they're up to 9.  New England is a toss up, so to avoid the talk of going undefeated altogether, I'll give New England the win.  Now, all Indy needs to do is sweep either Tennessee, Jacksonville, or Houston and go 1-3 against the other two teams to get their 12 wins.  Though this division is no longer a cake walk for the Colts, going 3-3 within the division is still a doable task.  I cannot see them sweeping two of the three teams like they've been accustom to doing year in and year out.  Jacksonville is the team they sweep giving them 2 more wins to get to 11, and they split with Houston and Tennessee to put them at 13 wins for the year and 3 losses.  Houston is my dark horse to make some serious noise within the division and the AFC this year.  Their defense is starting to scare teams and they have built an Indy-lite offense behind Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson, Steve Slaton, and Owen Daniels.  13 wins for Tennessee was a fluke last year.  Their defense lost it's loudest voice over the off season and their offense still didn't address their deficiencies at wide receiver.  Kerry Collins won't be on point like he was last year.  Teams will figure out how to slow down Smash and Dash, leaving them very one-dimensional.  Jacksonville improves from 5 wins a year ago, but still has too many positions in question.  Fred Taylor signed with New England, so Jacksonville no longer has the two-pronged running attack.  Torry Holt was added to a super-thin receiving corp.  The big question for Jacksonville is can David Garrard play consistently enough to keep them in games.

Now, onto the playoffs...

NFC

1. New York Giants
2. Atlanta
3. Chicago
4. Arizona
5. **Philadelphia
6. **Dallas

Wild Card Round (HOME TEAM): Dallas over CHICAGO, Philadelphia over ARIZONA
Divisional Round (HOME TEAM): Dallas over NEW YORK GIANTS, Philadelphia over ATLANTA
NFC Championship (HOME TEAM): PHILADELPHIA over Dallas

AFC

1. Pittsburgh
2. Indianapolis
3. New England
4. San Diego
5. Houston
6. Cincinnati

Wild Card Round(HOME TEAM): NEW ENGLAND over Cincinnati, Houston over SAN DIEGO
Divisional Round (HOME TEAM): PITTSBURGH over Houston, INDIANAPOLIS over New England
AFC Championship (HOME TEAM): PITTSBURGH over Indianapolis

Super Bowl XLIV

Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh

In the battle over Pennsylvania - the City of Brotherly Love vs. the Steel City - love always wins and Philly finally gets their championship!

This is my take.  I can't wait to hear from other Colts fans where they REALISTICALLY think we'll finish when all the dust settles.  In my heart they go all the way and get another ring, but my mind is telling me they just don't have enough to get through Pittsburgh en route to the Super Bowl.  Hopefully I'm wrong!

In response to Man of Pace's most recent FanPost about the rumors of Allen Iverson considering a move to the Pacers, I did some serious soul searching and I believe the Pacers should go for it!  I also believe they can get their hands on the Answer with very little risk involved.  Here's what has to be done:

The Pacers have exhausted their Mid Level Exception on the players they already acquired this summer, so that option is out. The only way the deal works involves a sign and trade with Detroit.

Indiana has about $2.25 million in S&T money from the Jermaine O'Neal deal last year. Since Iverson was reported to be willing to sign for somewhere in the $5 million range, Indiana would probably have to throw in a player to make contracts equal under CBA rules.

There is only one available player on the Pacers' current roster who has a salary that could contribute to a S&T getting done - Travis Diener, who currently has a 1 year deal worth $1.74 million.  Luckily, salaries don't have to match exactly.  According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a team's incoming salary cannot exceed 125% of the outgoing salary + $100,000.  So, in terms of a money standpoint only, the trade would work if Iverson would agree to sign a 1-year salary at $5,087,500 or less.

Diener makes some sense for the Pistions, considering Will Bynum is their only point guard behind Rodney Stuckey.  And, he's only inked for one more year, so they aren't tied down to a lengthy salary.

For Indiana from a financial perspective, it's a one-year experiment with no few strings attached.  Iverson's #1 uni would certainly be a major contributor to jersey and ticket sales.  It's not out of the question that Iverson's jersey would be in the top 5 in sales for the year, which is major money coming back to Indiana.  Also, there's no denying that Iverson's talents on the court would help get fans back to Conseco.  Not to mention he vaults the Pacers into the playoff discussion.  A scoring tandem of Iverson and Danny Granger would give opposing teams nightmares night in and night out.

From a personnel standpoint, it takes care of worrying about a 4-man rotation (possibly 5 depending on the Pacers' stance on A.J. Price) at point guard.  Iverson can play the 1 or 2, depending on match ups.  A combination of Ford and Watson can split time at point guard when Iverson plays shooting guard.

However, It's not all cake and ice cream.  There are several potential catastrophic risks attached to an Allen Iverson signing.  For starters, both T.J. Ford and Earl Watson have been quite notorious for vocalizing their discontent of playing backup PG on previous teams.  So much so, they were asked to be traded and fell out of favor with fans in Toronto and Oklahoma City.  So, coach Jim O'Brien could have some pride issues with which to deal.  Iverson has some baggage of his own in regards to playing time.  He would expect to be the starter.  Could he handle coming off the bench?  It didn't go so well for him last year in Detroit.  He had much to do with the dissension amongst players and coach Michael Curry in the Motor City.  O'Brien better be prepared for a bumpy ride if he asks Iverson to come off the bench to spell Ford and/or Watson.  All the work the Pacers have put into finding quality character players might blow up if not taken care of early.  Don't doubt for a moment that if all goes wrong, O'Brien will be looking for new employment come spring of 2010!

It's definitly a high-risk, high-reward decision.  If accomplished, Larry Bird would need some major props for sticking to his guns and getting marquee talent at a bargain.  He'd finally get that second All Star caliber player to pair with DG 33.  Iverson may literally be the Answer the Pacers have been looking for to help get them back on the winning road.  Sometimes big risks pay off huge.  Just ask 2008 GM of the year Danny Ainge about taking huge risks by bringing in big-name talent to a previously wretched team.

After the Pacers used part of their MLE on the Dahntay Jones deal, they are left with about $3.4 million to spend on another free agent.  They also have $1.9 million on a bi-annual exception and $2.7 million on a trade player exemption. 

The Pacers will most likely use the remaining $3.4 million on resigning Jarrett Jack.  It would also make sense for the Pacers to use their $1.9 million bi-annual exception on Josh McRoberts.  The bi-annual exception only allows a team to sign a player for up to 2 years, which would be a fair deal for McRoberts.  Should the Pacers resign Jack and McRoberts,  they would have 13 players under contract, with only 12 of them being active (Jamaal Tinsley is currently inactive).  They are left with one more dollar amount to sign any number of players they desire.

The Pacers could renounce their $2.7 million traded play exception for cap space, or they use it to sign a player or players who are currently under contract.  The Pacers are already over the cap, so none of the exceptions count toward their team's salary.  As a result, renouncing their remaining $2.7 million does not help them get below the cap.  If the Pacers use the exception to sign a free agent, it would have to be done under a sign-and-trade.

So, the question becomes: What's next?  Who can the Pacers get with their exception?  Below, is a very short list of players who could be of service to the Indiana Pacers at the cost of $2.7 million (in alphabetical order of NBA team).

Walter Herrmann (UFA), Detroit Pistons - At 6-9, 225 pounds, he would be an excellent back up to Danny Granger at the 3 spot.  He's only been in the league 3 years, so he's still raw.  He had a great first season in Charlotte, averaging 9 points shooting 46% from behind the 3 point line in 19.5 minutes per game.  He was traded to Detroit mid season the following year where he was never given much time to play - dropping his mpg average to 10.

Marquis Daniels (UFA), Indiana Pacers - He would be taking a pay cut to come back to play for the Blue and Gold.  But, if cannot command any value from other teams around the league, he may not have much of a choice.  The Pacers are well aware of his skills and would only further strengthen a now deep wing position.

Jamario Moon (RFA), Miami Heat - At 6-8, 200 pounds, he's a poor-man's Shawn Marion.  He's only been in the league 2 years, so he's still a work in progress.  Moon is a high-energy guy who can do little bits of everything (8.5 PTS/6.2 REB/1.2 AST/1.0 ST/1.4 BLK his rookie season).  He's an unrestricted free agent, so the Heat would have a chance to match any offer the Pacers throw at him.  But, with the Heat being rumored as a team interested in acquiring Allen Iverson, $2.7 million may be too high a price to keep Moon.

Ramon Sessions (RFA), Milwaukee Bucks - He would make Point Guard #4 (counting Tinsley) on the Pacers, but he would make life easier on the Pacers in concers with keeping Ford past the summer of 2010.  Sessions showed last year he is a legit NBA point guard who can penetrate and dish.  He needs to improve his long-range shooting, but for a player who's only been in the league 2 years, he has time on his side.  Like Moon, Sessions is a restricted free agent, so the Bucks can match any offer the Pacers put on him.  Sessions is high on the list of priorities for the Bucks, so it would be a long shot for the Pacers but certainly a player with the tools to be an elite PG.

Rodney Carney (UFA), Minnesota Timberwolves - A native of Indianapolis, Carney would be a high-energy  player off the bench for the Pacers.  He has freakish athleticism and can get to the rim with ease a la Fred Jones.  Carney and McRoberts together would bring quite a bit of local flair to the Indiana Pacers.  They would certainly be a fun tandem to watch with the second team offense.

Maurice Ager (UFA), New Jersey Nets - Ager is another Guard/Forward who would be asked to play about 10 minutes a night and bring intensity and energy from the bench.  He's only played 3 seasons and has never been given much PT (his highest mpg was his rookie season at 6.7).  Watching highlight films, you can see he's definitly a player who gets the fans off their seats.  The Pacers may be overpaying if they used the exception on him.

Chris Wilcox (UFA), New York Knicks - An NBA veteran, Wilcox would be taking a pay cut to sign with the Pacers at $2.7 million, but he may not get that much from any other ball club.  Wilcox adds experience and depth to a young front court.  With extended minutes, Wilcox can put up points.  But, with the Pacers, he would only be asked to play 20-25 mpg.  He'd bring a solid dose of 10 and 7 almost regularly.  He would be an ideal replacement for Jeff Foster shold the Pacers opt not to resign him when his contract expires in two seasons.

Matt Barnes (UFA), Phoenix Suns - Here's another solid role player who can play any of the guard or forward positions.  The Pacers would be getting a player with a similar skill set of Marquis Daniels.  He proved the past two seasons for Golden State and Phoenix that he can be instant offense off the bench.  The Suns have already said they don't intend on resigning Barnes, so the price may be right for Barnes to don the Blue and Gold.

Ime Udoka (UFA), San Antonio Spurs - Known more for his defense, Udoka would give the Pacers another defensive specialist to partner with Rush and recent free agent signee Dahntay Jones.  The offense is already in tact, so Udoka would not be asked to carry the load for the team.  His skills are similar to that of Trevor Ariza's.  He hustles, plays strong defens, and can hit open jumpers when called upon.

Anthony Parker (UFA), Toronto Raptors - Parker is probably one of the most underrated shooting guards in the NBA.  He can carry a team offensively and can play lock down defense when asked.  He would be taking a serious pay cut to play with the Pacers, but as trends have shown this offseason, many players are being forced to do so due to the reduced salary cap.  He's started in Toronto the past three seasons, so he would be in competition with Rush as the Pacers starting 2 guard.  But, if asked to come off the bench, Parker would be the scoring option with the second team and could become the NBA's 6th man winner come season's end.

Which player listed above should the Pacers target?

I too am new to the Cornrows and after reading LukeNukem's FanPost about his trade musings, I would like to throw out some other trade scenarios that have me a bit giddy inside.

1. Jamaal Tinsley and Jeff Foster to Detroit for Richard Hamilton.  This trade brings minor financial relief to Indiana ($1.43 mil) for the short term.  It would allow them a bit more wiggle room in an attempt to sign any of the available unrestricted big men (Zaza Pachulia, Anderson Varejao, Chris Wilcox, and Drew Gooden to name a few).  This trade makes sense for Detroit because it gives them much needed help in the two areas of weakness they'll be facing this season.  All their free agents are big men, which leaves Jason Maxiel as the only player of size currently under contract (not counting Villanueva).  Jeff Foster is a rebounding specialist.  And, he's become quite an adept low post defender.  Rodney Stuckey is Detroit's point guard of the future, but he is a scoring point guard.  He's still a year or two away from becoming a player Detroit can depend on to be the leader of the team.  Tinsley has experience and could make an immediate impact on Detroit's hopes of maintaining their position amongst the top teams in the Eastern Conference.  The Pacers get one of the best scorers in the NBA.  He's a clone of the Indy legend, Reggie Miller.  He's all of the sudden expendable now that Detroit has reached an agreement with Ben Gordon.  The Pacers could mix and match lineups depending on match ups.  Rush could move to the 3 and Granger to the 4.  That's a pretty potent lineup of Jack, Hamilton, Rush, Granger, and Hibbert/Murphy/FA acquisition.

2. Jamaal Tinsley for Mark Blount.  I would almost rather have Tinsley sit on our bench for another year than to have Blount.  But, this trade kills several birds with one stone.  It alleviates the Pacers of JT and all his off court issues.  It gives Indiana a big body to insert into a thin rotation of big men.  And, most importantly, Blount's contract expires after the 2009-2010 season.  The Heat have been rumored to be keeping a close eye on Tinsley's pending arbitration hearing, which would lead me to believe they are interested in his services.  He's cheaper than Blount, and would be more useful to them in the long run.  They have only Mario Chalmers and Chris Quinn at point guard.  Tinsley would certainly be an upgrade over Quinn and quite possibly even Chalmers.

3. T.J. Ford and Jeff Foster for Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf.  This trade only takes place if we've got Jack under contract for next year.  If memory serves me, the Pacers attempted to trade Ron Artest for Maggette in 2005 when he was still with LAC.  The only snag at the time was Maggette's injured foot.  He's been healthy ever since and would be a solid wing player for several years.  Turiaf gives the Pacers a much needed presence down low on the defensive end.  He averaged 2.13 blocks per game this year, good enough for 4th in the league.  Why would the Warriors do the deal?  Something tells me Donnie Nelson isn't convinced that Monta Ellis is a point guard.  A back court of Ellis and Ford would be one of the fastest, most entertaining tandems to watch night in and night out.  Foster gets after the ball a little better than Turiaf.  Though Golden State was 11th in the league in rebounding, they were dead last in rebound differential - giving up 5 more rebounds per game to their opponents.

4.  T.J. Ford for Rajon Rondo and Mikki Moore.  This is a big risk for Indiana considering the rumors that Rondo is difficult to get along with.  But, it gives the Pacers their point guard of the future and takes the pressure of Indy to have to match any potential offers for Jack.  Moore's contract expires next season and would give the Pacers room to make moves in 2010.  He would also add depth as a big man.  Boston acquired him last year after Garnett's injury.  He's certainly not a necessity for a very deep Boston front court.  Boston would do this trade if they are truly concerned about team chemistry with Rondo.  The window is closing on them to make another run at another championship.  Ford and Rondo are nearly identical in their style of play, though Ford is a better scorer.

These are just some of the thoughts that keep me up at night.  What do y'all think?