Q. Aaron Brooks has quite a few impressive accomplishments. Thad Young, Al Jefferson, and Jeff Teague are very solid players. Paul George is still improving, and he could be a candidate for MVP this year, perhaps. Myles Turner should aim for Most Improved Player this year. CJ Miles and Rodney Stuckey can certainly play well at times. Monta Ellis still has his game and usually looks good. These nine guys could win a lot of games this upcoming season and in the playoffs.
So, what are the chances that Bird will come out and say in October that the goal for this team is to win the East in 2017 and get at least a number two seed during the season?
— Joe
A. Bird is not afraid to announce goals for his teams. Last season he said he would be disappointed if the team didn't make the playoffs. When he coached, he said the goal was to win a championship, because he thought those teams were capable. It was interesting to see him throw that out there, at a time when most coaches were afraid to use the C word, as if it would jinx their chances. His bravado rubbed off on the players, and they went for it.
If he decides to express a goal for next season's team, I think it would more likely be to reach the conference finals. It would seem a little unreasonable to expect it to knock off the defending champions if they are healthy.
Q. I have heard great reports regarding Myles Turner's experience with the USA Select team. While I understand that he is only 20 years old and has limited experience, I am still encouraged to continue to hear good things about his work ethic and talent level. Any news that you can share?
— Michael
A. I can't offer much that you don't already know, if you have followed his off-season in the media. Bird, for one, has had high praise for Turner throughout Turner's time with the Pacers. Before last season, he called him the team's best shooter. This summer he raved about his work ethic.
All I can tell you is that we saw Turner – and Joe Young, Shayne Whittington and Rakeem Christmas – walk onto the practice court after nearly every pre-draft workout. Turner was said to be there nearly every day.
I think he has star quality, both in his skill set and personality. It will be interesting to see how good he can become. I consider his greatest challenge to be developing a post-up game. We know he can shoot from the perimeter, and it shouldn't be too difficult for him to extend his range beyond the 3-point line, but he'll need to be able to score around the basket, too. I think Al Jefferson can become an effective mentor in that area, and Turner seems to be a sponge for that sort of thing.
It's weird to think back and remember he only scored two points off the bench in his final college game, an NCAA tournament loss to Butler, isn't it?
Q. Joe McConnell was the voice of the Pacers during their heyday. Why not get his thoughts and memories?
— Andy
A. McConnell took over as the radio voice of the Pacers in the 1972-73 season, replacing Jerry Baker, when they won their third ABA championship. He kept it through the 1976-77 season, turning over the job to Bob Lamey.
There might be opportunity to talk with Joe before long, although he's had some health challenges lately. In the meantime, feel free to check out the podcast of my One on One conversation with him at my website, www.markmontieth.com. Thanks for lobbing one down the middle for me, too.
Q. Paul George has now played a full season since his horrific injury. Now that he is more comfortable with his leg, what are you expecting to see from him next season? Will he be in discussions for the MVP award?
Thanks, Mark. Love your work!
— Surya
A. It's interesting how often the word "horrific" is used to describe George's injury. I'm not criticizing, I've used it myself. It seems the best word, doesn't it?
I expect to see an improved player next season. Last season was an interesting one for him, in that he averaged a career-high 23.4 points coming off that "horrific" injury, but at times didn't seem plugged in to what was going on around him. He was better than ever in the playoffs, however, averaging 27.3 points on 45.5 percent shooting, along with 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
On the whole, it wasn't bad for a comeback season that George viewed as a prelude to the rest of his career.
"Another season, another year of working out and conditioning my legs, I think I can gain everything back," he said during the season.
Playing on the Olympic team should help propel him into next season. He seems the clear team leader now, after Monta Ellis assumed that role throughout much of last season, and should be. He's by far the most accomplished member of the team, and best positioned to lead it. That role will bring new challenges, though. He's never been that type of personality, even as a child when he grew up with two older sisters. It will be an adjustment for him. He has to keep his ego in check and has to have the team's best work ethic before his teammates will follow him
Q. How good is the Pacers' depth compared to other teams?
— Naman
A. That's a tough one, especially in July.
As of now, their reserves figure to be Lavoy Allen, Aaron Brooks, Rakeem Christmas, Jeremy Evans, Al Jefferson, C.J. Miles, George Niang, Glenn Robinson III, Rodney Stuckey, and Joe Young. That seems a solid group, yet there's so much we don't know at this point. How much does Jefferson have left? Can Niang contribute as a rookie? Can Robinson take a major step forward and fill the role Solomon Hill had late last season?
I think their depth will compare favorably with most teams. You only have room to play four or five players off the bench regularly, so that means we're probably focused on Jefferson, Miles, Stuckey, Brooks and Robinson. Trades can change that group, however, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Pacers make more moves before training camp begins.
Q. With the roster limit being 15 players, either Shayne Whittington or Rakeem Christmas will likely be cut. Is the $2 million on Christmas's contract the next two years guaranteed if he goes, and would that make the difference to Bird between these two similar players (regarding Mad Ants stats last year)?
There are some categories where they played about even (including their weight, both are 250 lbs). The stats in which Whittington was significantly or somewhat better are: total rebound average, steals, assists, FT%, and Defensive rating. However, Christmas excels at: pts/game (13.9 vs. 12.1 for S.W.), blocks, ORB, FG%, and PIE (47 vs. 45). Plus, Christmas was selected for D-All-Star game, and I presume Whittington was not. Would you predict that Whittington is cut, as I would?
— Joe
A. We found out this morning (Friday) that Whittington was indeed released. I wouldn't be surprised if he is brought back if a roster spot is cleared another way.
Knowing Larry Bird, this was an unpleasant transaction. He has a soft spot for the underdogs on rosters, and Whittington had been a good soldier who worked hard and left a lot of tire tread on I-69 last season going back and forth between Indianapolis and Fort Wayne. Of course he was paid well to do it and it was all for the cause of improving his game, so it wasn't exactly a major sacrifice. Still, he worked hard, put in his time and didn't complain.
I think there's a place for him in the league, somewhere else if not with the Pacers. He has size, a decent shooting stroke, and is learning to be more aggressive with the ball.
Q. So how close were we really to locking up Lance Stephenson to a contract?
— Jake (via Twitter)
A. Apparently not very close. Bird acknowledged that Stephenson and/or his representative had reached out to him, and that he talked with them, but said it was unlikely to result in a contract. It seems it could have been done pretty easily if Bird wanted to do it. The Pacers were looking for a point guard to fill that last roster spot (the 16th spot, actually), and Aaron Brooks fit their needs better than another wing player such as Stephenson.
It's amazing how Stephenson's career as gone since leaving the Pacers. I didn't know what to expect, really, but wouldn't have guessed it would have turned out as badly as it did with the Hornets, Clippers, and Grizzlies. I give him credit for never complaining or being a disruption, though. The thought that he is a locker room cancer is wildly off base in my opinion, but he has to be surrounded by the right kind of talent to be effective. George Hill and Roy Hibbert had to make sacrifices for that to happen with the Pacers, and it worked out pretty well for two seasons.
I'll be curious to see where Stephenson's career goes from here. He hasn't lost any talent, and if he needed to be humbled he certainly has been. Ultimately, he's learned the same lesson many other NBA players have learned over the years, including former Pacers Antonio Davis and Al Harrington, who asked for trades to get more playing time: don't mess with happiness.
Q. What is the ceiling for the Pacers next year? Eastern Conference Finals?
— Jose (via Twitter)
A. That makes sense to me. It would be unreasonable to say they should be better than Cleveland next season, although you never know what impact injuries can have. Other teams in the East, such as Boston, also are improved and can make as good an argument as the Pacers for reaching the conference finals, but the Pacers are in the mix.
It will take good health, of course, and chemistry won't come quickly with so many new faces. This is not the season to expect a fast start. Then again, neither was last season. Or the season before that. But it's what happens at the end of the season that is remembered.
Q. Is this the final roster, just cutting Shayne? Or do you think a trade happens?
— Jose (via Twitter)
A. Trades are always a possibility, for every team. I believe the Pacers are still talking with other teams and hoping to make a trade or two, but at this point of the summer it becomes a blinking contest. You have players you'd like to get, but don't want to overspend. Teams hold out hoping for a better offer, or for the other team to drop its demands.
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