- There is no denying that the time has come for the Indiana Pacers to start the rebuilding process. They finished the 2006-07 campaign with a disappointing 35-47 record, and did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 1997.
Trade rumors surrounding All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal, who led the Pacers in scoring (19.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.6 rpg) last season, were out in the open throughout the summer. A deal with the Los Angeles Lakers was discussed. Nothing happened, and it appears that Indiana will head into the season as a team searching for an identity.
New head coach Jim O'Brien replaced Rick Carlisle after the 2006-07 season. He is a veteran general who was brought in to try and keep the Pacers in the playoff hunt. O'Brien is not known for his work with younger players. He is a fit for a veteran club that has a shot at advancing to the postseason.
If Indiana's president of basketball operations Larry Bird sees the light and steers the franchise in a new direction, O'Brien's stay in Indiana will most likely be a very short one.
On January 17th, the Pacers dealt swingman Stephen Jackson, forwards Al Harrington, Josh Powell and guard Sarunas Jasikevicius to the Golden State Warriors for Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Ike Diogu and Keith McLeod. The deal worked out for Golden State, which qualified for the postseason for the first time since 1994, while Indiana's new players didn't get as comfortable in their new surroundings.
O'Neal, who turns 29 on October 13th, is a five-time All-Star and has had seven productive years with the Pacers. He is still the cornerstone of the franchise. However, the time for change has arrived.
The Pacers are no longer a team that is feared in the Eastern Conference. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find many of the so-called experts predicting that Indiana will be in the 2008 playoffs.
Trading O'Neal for players with expiring contracts, draft picks and younger players would get the ball rolling in a new direction for Bird and the Pacers. A deal with the Lakers would have been the right move for Indiana, which would have most likely landed 20-year-old center Andrew Bynum as part of any package for its All-Star forward.
Bird is going to try one more time to win with O'Neal as the center piece of his squad. Unfortunately, by the All-Star break the franchise will be an even bigger mess and will have missed the chance to get some real value for its most valuable asset.
AINGE CONTINUES STRONG OFFSEASON
The Boston Celtics roster continues to get stronger. Director of basketball operations Danny Ainge inked free agent forward James Posey, who spent the previous two seasons with the Miami Heat and averaged 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds in 71 games last season, to a two-year contract.
Posey, who was a key member of the 2006 NBA Champion Miami Heat, gives Boston some credibility on the bench. He is a solid defender and can contribute on the offensive end as well. Head coach Doc Rivers has to be thrilled with the addition of the 30-year-old Posey, who will most likely be Rivers' first option off the pine.
NOW WE'LL SEE IF YI CAN PLAY
Despite reports that his agent wanted him to play in another city, Milwaukee signed its 2007 first-round draft pick Yi Jianlian to a multi-year contract. Yi was selected sixth overall in the June draft by the Bucks.
The 6-foot-11 Yi is expected to play down low alongside Andrew Bogut, who was selected with the first overall pick by Milwaukee in the 2005 draft, in the Bucks' frontcourt. Yi, who played for Team China Basketball this summer in the NBA Summer League and averaged 12.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in five games, is a project, but the Bucks are hopeful he will develop into an offensive force.
WHAT'S IT GONNA BE, P.J.?
Hard to believe free agent forward P.J. Brown could have any team waiting to hear the decision on his future in the NBA. Brown, who turns 38 on October 14th, is still mulling over whether he wants to retire or play one more season.
Brown, who has played 14 seasons in the NBA, averaged 6.1 points and 4.8 assists in 72 games for Chicago last season. The 6-11 center/forward is reportedly thinking about playing for Phoenix or Dallas. Brown would help both teams with their depth, but he won't be the difference between winning the West and losing in the conference finals.
© 2007 The Sports Network
USA
Your Talkback on this Story