Pacers, like Blazers, Need Changes
Indiana has Been Mired in Mediocrity and Law Problems too Long
Larry Bird was lucky enough to avoid being on a rebuilding team as a player. He may not have the same luxury as general manager of the Indiana Pacers.
Fix the old thing over and over again, or get a new product? That’s a prominent question in America regarding just about anything. Indiana Pacers GM Larry Bird would be wise to cease wasting time, money and fans’ patience with his routinely courtroom-bound team. He needs to make some changes.
Portland a Model of Rebuilding
A team Bird should emulate is the Portland Trailblazers. At the turn of the century, the Blazers were an extremely talented team on the cusp of championship glory. That potential turned sour, however, as players such as Shawn Kemp, Bonzi Wells, Rasheed Wallace, Darius Miles and Zach Randolph turned fans and organization off with their off-court antics.
Management in Portland finally realized that even sky-high talent can only go so far when it is handicapped by personal conduct. They shipped out Kemp, Wallace, Wells and finally Randolph to convince fans (and themselves) that they were actually making steps to re-model the franchise in a winning manner.
Despite the recent injury to Greg Oden, the Blazers’ future is still remarkably bright. They have talented youngsters in Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Channing Frye, and Jarrett Jack. They have foreign studs like Sergio Rodriguez. If/when Oden comes back, they will be on their way to relevance in the western conference.
The Pacers are nowhere near a championship right now. In fact, they've been mediocre since the brawl at the Palace in Detroit.
Time to Make an About-face
Bird needs to get rid of every last player that has distracted the team from its goal: winning. Trading Ron Artest two seasons ago and Stephen Jackson last year was a good start.
Jamaal Tinsley, their gifted but erratic point guard, should be next. Both he and Marquis Daniels are still facing pending charges from a fight a nightclub.
Finally, recently arrested Shawne Willliams could also use a change of scenery (rather, Indiana could use Williams using a change of scenery).
Bird may ultimately find it necessary to trade Jermaine O’Neal, who has gone from MVP to MIP (most injured player). Like the Blazers, moves such as these would drop Indiana in the lottery.
Gutting the Team Would Hurt now, but Save Indiana Down the Road
While being among the league’s worst teams would be as appealing to Bird as playing for the Lakers, it would ultimately be more beneficial in the long run. Indiana would get a much better chance at high draft picks over the next couple of seasons. If they get lucky, like Portland, they could swiftly turn things around.
Bird wouldn’t need to rely exclusively on luck, either. By stockpiling young talent, making a wise trade and/or free-agent signing or three, the Pacers could mildly accelerate their growth from laughingstock to NBA relevancy in a few short years. It is much easier to start over that stay mired in mediocrity for half a decade or more.
The Pacers are going nowhere, especially in the eyes of their fans, who have put up with enough losing on the court and enough mishaps off of it over the past few years. Bird needs to show his home state that he’s willing to take the bullet now for their benefit down the road.
