By Conrad Brunner | April 17, 2008

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Whether the topic was the point guard position, Jermaine O'Neal's future with the franchise or the types of changes he anticipated in the offseason, two words echoed through Jim O'Brien's comments: toughness and dependability.

Heading into what promises to be a pivotal summer for the franchise, O'Brien said he and President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird agree on the team's primary needs: solving the point-guard dilemma once and for all, adding depth to the front line and strengthening the team's mental and physical toughness.

"Certainly we think we have to shore up the point guard spot," O'Brien said after the Pacers concluded the 2007-08 season with a 132-123 victory over New York Wednesday to finish with a 36-46 record. "Our point guards, whoever they may be -- they might be these guys -- we need defensive toughness right at the point. When the ball comes over halfcourt, we need somebody that's going to play hard-nosed, tough defense and we need that at every position.

"When I say that we're looking for dependable, mental, physical toughness, I mean that and so does Larry. That's what we want and that's what we're searching for and however long it takes we're going to make sure that everybody we have that wears a Pacer uniform is exactly that."

The Pacers used five different starters at the point in 2007-08, beginning the season with Jamaal Tinsley and ending it with late-season acquisition Flip Murray, with Andre Owens, Marquis Daniels and Travis Diener used in-between.

Tinsley missed the final 33 games with a left knee injury and 43 overall, continuing a career-long trend with health problems. He has missed 165 games the past five seasons, meaning he hasn't been available roughly 40 percent of the time. Diener proved a solid backup and Murray filled in nicely after signing in March but neither appears to be the long-term answer as the starter.

O'Neal, who also had a left knee injury, was out 40 games, bringing his games-missed total to 122 in the last four seasons. He has the option to void the final two seasons of his contract and become a free agent but hasn't declared his intentions. Either way, O'Brien said, the team needs a consistent presence inside.

O'Brien

"To have him out half the season doesn't help anybody. It doesn't help him, it doesn't help our organization," O'Brien said. "He has two years left on his contract and he's been working hard to get into the type of condition he needs to be to play 30-35 minutes for us next year. We're a different basketball team when he's on the court.

"The minutes he has played since he has come back, we're holding team under 40 percent field-goal defense. That gets you not only into the playoffs, it gets you deep into the playoffs, that type of thing. So we wish him a summer of happy rehab and get to the point where he can come back and be an All-Star. We think and he thinks that he's very capable of doing that but he's going to need a summer where he's completely dedicated to his body and his conditioning."

While both Tinsley and O'Neal could be traded, their respective health problems and inconsistent productivity has minimized their value. The Pacers have five free agents: Murray, Kareem Rush, Stephen Graham, David Harrison and Andre Owens. O'Neal could make it six.

Add it all up, and this team could look very different heading into 2008-09.

Dunleavy

Granger

"When you spend two years out of the playoffs, if you can improve your team with a trade, you're going to trade. It's that simple," said O'Brien. "Certainly there are people like Danny (Granger) and Mike (Dunleavy) that are very, very key parts to this. You would have to think long and hard before you would do anything with those guys but I would say that when you finish 35 wins, 36 wins, you better be willing – and we are willing – to make the decisions we have to make to make this a better team and a better product."

With Granger and Dunleavy – the first Pacers teammates to score more than 1,500 points in the same season since Reggie Miller and Detlef Schrempf in 1992-93 – the starting wing positions are locked up. Shawne Williams provides quality depth, provided he shows growth on and off the court. Troy Murphy re-established his value as a solid rotation player with a strong showing after the All-Star break. And Diener proved a quality backup at the point. If a healthy O'Neal can be added to the mix, so much the better.

The cupboard isn't bare. It just needs the missing ingredients.

"I think we have good people," O'Brien said. "I think we have a good nucleus of people. I have great hope for our franchise. What I'm taking away from this is I can't wait to get started next year."

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