Minnesota Sports Forum

bleedspeed177 wrote:I am hoping we find a guy that comes in and has a career year for us. Some we get the untapped potential out of. Not 100% sure who that is at this point.

I'm with you Bleed. I've been trying to come up with a few names but I haven't come up with any no brainers yet. Terrance Jones is a guy that in theory could be one of those guys but...it seems there is a reason or 2 why he is available. I watched some of the Pacers Cavs game last night and Lance looks healthy and fairly dynamic. The Pacers may have gotten a steal...again.

monsterpile wrote:

bleedspeed177 wrote:I am hoping we find a guy that comes in and has a career year for us. Some we get the untapped potential out of. Not 100% sure who that is at this point.

I'm with you Bleed. I've been trying to come up with a few names but I haven't come up with any no brainers yet. Terrance Jones is a guy that in theory could be one of those guys but...it seems there is a reason or 2 why he is available. I watched some of the Pacers Cavs game last night and Lance looks healthy and fairly dynamic. The Pacers may have gotten a steal...again.

Maybe. But let's not forget he was largely responsible for the Pacers falling apart just a few years ago... and he was embarrassingly awful in Charlotte.

I think he's "fools' gold." He has enough moments that show he can play that they tend to offset all his dumb mistakes or limitations.

There's a reason he was struggling to latch on with a team. By some reports, it seems that his addition to Indiana has as much to do with keeping Paul George happy as anything else.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

bleedspeed177 wrote:I am hoping we find a guy that comes in and has a career year for us. Some we get the untapped potential out of. Not 100% sure who that is at this point.

I'm with you Bleed. I've been trying to come up with a few names but I haven't come up with any no brainers yet. Terrance Jones is a guy that in theory could be one of those guys but...it seems there is a reason or 2 why he is available. I watched some of the Pacers Cavs game last night and Lance looks healthy and fairly dynamic. The Pacers may have gotten a steal...again.

Maybe. But let's not forget he was largely responsible for the Pacers falling apart just a few years ago... and he was embarrassingly awful in Charlotte.

I think he's "fools' gold." He has enough moments that show he can play that they tend to offset all his dumb mistakes or limitations.

There's a reason he was struggling to latch on with a team. By some reports, it seems that his addition to Indiana has as much to do with keeping Paul George happy as anything else.

Sure he could end up being a problem again. Remind me when it was it that he led the Pacers to fall apart? I will add that part of the reason he bounced around as much this year was because of injury. It seemed both teams that let him go liked him. 3 million a year is nothing if say he is as worthwhile has Beasley was for the Bucks this year. Expectations are low with that type of salary and...the Pacers need some talent it's not a particularly impressive roster beyond a few guys.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

TeamRicky wrote:Good points on Ibaka. Millsap and Gay are both having a bigger impact than Ibaka based on advanced stats. Ibaka is younger. On a two year deal with the idea of trying to keep Zach, I'd opt for Millsap. If a 4 year deal, I probably like Rudy Gay the best since he could push Wiggins to 2 and Zach to 6th man. Ibaka is also a good alternative.

Considering the list of NBA players returning anything close to their peak from a torn Achilles is ridiculously small (non-existent) and Gay has been ripped for years as a hollow player whose teams may even be better without him... no.

As for Ibaka, are those rumors about his "real age" still out there? And if so, does that explain in part his plateaued or regressed play? Coincidentally, there are other questions out there about Ersan Ilyasova's real age.

It makes sense. Shabazz Muhammad's dad tried to pull this ruse by one year. But I'm assuming it's a lot more challenging to pull off such a move in the U.S. than elsewhere...

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

TeamRicky wrote:Good points on Ibaka. Millsap and Gay are both having a bigger impact than Ibaka based on advanced stats. Ibaka is younger. On a two year deal with the idea of trying to keep Zach, I'd opt for Millsap. If a 4 year deal, I probably like Rudy Gay the best since he could push Wiggins to 2 and Zach to 6th man. Ibaka is also a good alternative.

Abe, you make a good point about Gay's injury and Wes Matthews and Kobe's shooting really took a hit when they came back from a torn achilles. Given how much we'd have to pay, its probably better pass on Gay and spend our money on other free agents. Gibson and Tucker or Sefalosha seem the most attainable guys that could make a difference.

monsterpile wrote:

AbeVigodaLive wrote:

monsterpile wrote:

bleedspeed177 wrote:I am hoping we find a guy that comes in and has a career year for us. Some we get the untapped potential out of. Not 100% sure who that is at this point.

I'm with you Bleed. I've been trying to come up with a few names but I haven't come up with any no brainers yet. Terrance Jones is a guy that in theory could be one of those guys but...it seems there is a reason or 2 why he is available. I watched some of the Pacers Cavs game last night and Lance looks healthy and fairly dynamic. The Pacers may have gotten a steal...again.

Maybe. But let's not forget he was largely responsible for the Pacers falling apart just a few years ago... and he was embarrassingly awful in Charlotte.

I think he's "fools' gold." He has enough moments that show he can play that they tend to offset all his dumb mistakes or limitations.

There's a reason he was struggling to latch on with a team. By some reports, it seems that his addition to Indiana has as much to do with keeping Paul George happy as anything else.

Sure he could end up being a problem again. Remind me when it was it that he led the Pacers to fall apart? I will add that part of the reason he bounced around as much this year was because of injury. It seemed both teams that let him go liked him. 3 million a year is nothing if say he is as worthwhile has Beasley was for the Bucks this year. Expectations are low with that type of salary and...the Pacers need some talent it's not a particularly impressive roster beyond a few guys.

In his last year in Indiana, he was playing well in a contract year and the Pacers were rolling. At one point, they were 46 - 13 and a significant challenger to James' Miami team. But then they traded for Evan Turner for help off the bench. Oddly, the two are fairly similar in a "need the ball to succeed" sort of way. They clashed... they struggled. The team finished a disappointing 10 - 13 down the stretch.

Then, Stephenson and Turner fought on the eve of the playoffs. Was it the new guy Turner's fault? Consider this...

"Two Indiana Pacers dragged a cursing, cut Evan Turner out of the Bankers Life Fieldhouse court, untangling him from a practice-floor fistfight with teammate Lance Stephenson.

Turner hadn't been the first Pacer to lose his temper with Stephenson these tumultuous several weeks, and Stephenson's relentlessly irritable nature suggests Turner won't be the last."

That Pacers team made the ECF. But it probably had more to do with the weak East than anything else. They needed 7 games to beat the #8 seed Hawks. And 6 games to beat the #6 seed Wizards.

Speaking of Stephenson and the Pacers... Paul George had some "interesting" comments yesterday.

Calling out Stephenson after struggling to guard a former All NBA PF 5 inches taller than him. Calling out CJ Miles for not letting George take a bad last-second shot. Calling Stephenson a 'leader' in the locker room even though he's been there only three weeks.

It sure seems like George doesn't see himself in Indy much longer.



[Note: By the way, the ironic twist in George calling out Miles for the shot... George is 0 - 15 fg in that position throughout his career.]

JaMychael Green and James Johnson would be my two key targets this offseason. Both are versatile, two way players which is what we need and can slot into the starting lineup if required. Probably demand 18 mil per year and would only want to sign them on two year deals.

AbeVigodaLive wrote:Speaking of Stephenson and the Pacers... Paul George had some "interesting" comments yesterday.

Calling out Stephenson after struggling to guard a former All NBA PF 5 inches taller than him. Calling out CJ Miles for letting George take a bad last-second shot. Calling Stephenson a 'leader' in the locker room even though he's been there only three weeks.

It sure seems like George doesn't see himself in Indy much longer.



[Note: By the way, the ironic twist in George calling out Miles for the shot... George is 0 - 15 fg in that position throughout his career.]

And George was ripping the team after the Wolves beat them in Indianapolis towards the end of the season. I wouldn't mind making a run at George, but only if he were willing to sign an extension upon completion of a trade. Which, of course, makes it even less likely than it already was...

Thanks for the Lance and Pacers stuff Abe.

I'll say this for Lance he seems to produce in the playoffs. It he has gotten the luxury of being a high usage player and that may not continue I had started watching the game last night a little while before watching the were asking him guard Kevin Love and I was thinking? "What are they doing? Lance is tough but he can't guard Love" I wasn't watching the whole game so maybe what they were doing made more sense in the flow of the game but...it didn't make much sense to me.

monsterpile wrote:Thanks for the Lance and Pacers stuff Abe.

I'll say this for Lance he seems to produce in the playoffs. It he has gotten the luxury of being a high usage player and that may not continue I had started watching the game last night a little while before watching the were asking him guard Kevin Love and I was thinking? "What are they doing? Lance is tough but he can't guard Love" I wasn't watching the whole game so maybe what they were doing made more sense in the flow of the game but...it didn't make much sense to me.

Guys like Stephenson are guarding 4s because Paul George made it very clear he wasn't going to guard them... even if it was what was best for the team. Even when the top two PFs were out... nope. "Aint doing it." Instead the Pacers had to play guys like CJ Miles there. Or Stephenson.

Just read this... it sums up the situation -- and George's hypocrisy and lack of self awareness -- pretty damn well.

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2017/02/16/doyel-lets-talk-pacers-paul-george-problem/98018218/