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Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

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"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

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"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

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"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

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We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

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If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

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The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

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Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

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We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

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Rule #10

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Rule #11

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Bird Midseason Q&A

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  • #1

    Bird Midseason Q&A

    I know a lot of you guys dont like Larry these days, but I still find his interviews interesting.
    He talks about his expectations and about how the media is making him say he doesnt like Vogel.
    And last but not least the name Lance Stephenson is mentioned in relation to the rebounding topic...I thozght that alone makes it interesting for PD

    http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/larry...ners-potential
    Larry Bird on the Pacers' Season So Far, Turner's Potential

    by Mark Montieth Pacers.com Writer
    @MarkMontieth
    Posted: Jan 20, 2017
    The Pacers are three games over .500 at the halfway point of the season, a bit below the general expectation of many people, including Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. That makes it a good time to sit down with the team president for his thoughts on his expectations for the rest of the season, Paul George's leadership, Myles Turner's potential, Jeff Teague's adjustments, the road record, rebounding issues and his future with the franchise.

    Montieth: You have a lot of new faces and a new coach. It always takes time for a team to come together, so how is this team progressing in your opinion?

    Bird: Before the season, I had the same question. How long do you think it will take them to come together? I'm from the old school. You put guys out there, they should figure each other out pretty quick. That hasn't happened so far.

    I look at the game a little different than most people, and when I stepped on the court, even pickup games, you tend to figure out how other guys play, where they want the ball, how they're most effective. I always just took that for granted. Even the guys I played with in Boston, maybe their talent was better and they understood the game more, but we picked up on each other quickly. Even when we picked up players through trades or in the middle of the season, it didn't seem like it took that long to incorporate them. This year it's taken longer than I thought it would. I don't think we're playing anywhere close to what they're capable of. But in saying that, there's some growing pains.

    One of the things we didn't know was how Myles was going to do. I don't think we've been fair with him 100 percent, as far as bringing him along slowly. There's growing pains with that. You take last year, coming back from his thumb injury, playing him some, having some success and then this year saying, 'Go get 'em, big boy, you're our new center,' … that's a little tougher than I could have imagined doing. I couldn't have done that at 20 years old. So yeah, it's going to take him longer.

    Even now I see him, if he misses a shot, the next time down he's not even looking for a shot. He might take a contested three with a guy running at him, then the next time the guy will be four feet off him and he won't even look at the basket. Those are the type of things you have to learn to live with. I don't think we've been fair with him 100 percent. Jeff coming in, he got off to a slow start and wasn't making shots, I could tell he was frustrated and didn't know exactly what he was doing out there even though he had played in this league a long time and had had success.

    To be where we're at, it's all right, but it's not where I want to be. The most frustrating thing is, our record on the road. With the athletic guys we have and the youthfulness mixed with the veterans, I thought we would be more competitive on the road. That's the one thing that's bothering me.

    What do you think has kept them from winning more on the road?

    When you go on the road, you have to play better than what you usually play. You know it's going to be tougher, you know it's going to be harder, most guys' stats are better at home than on the road. It's got to be a collective effort. You can't rely on a couple of guys in this league. I've always felt if you have three guys play real well, you're going to win the ballgame. On the road you've got to have three-and-a-half.

    Do you think Myles should have been brought along more slowly?

    Most people probably would have. But I ain't got time for that ----. I know what he's capable of becoming, I know what he's going to be if he stays healthy. I know his work ethic, I know his drive, I know his desire. He wants to be great and he wanted it yesterday. The reason I think he can do it and do it quicker is his mentality. The only way you can get there is by playing.

    What do you think he can become?

    I think he can become the best player to come out of the Indiana Pacers.

    Is his best position center, or does it matter?

    I think long-term he's a center. It will be two or three years before his body fills out, but I think he's going to become a big-time scorer and a big-time shooter. He's going to average over 10 rebounds a game and three or four blocks. If he stays healthy, he can become whatever his limits are, because he's going to work.

    Does he need to develop a post-up game?

    Yes, he does. That's part of it. I'm not happy he's out there shooting threes. I get on these coaches all the time, I don't want him to become a 3-point shooter until he perfects the other part of the game. He's gotten out there too quick. I don't mind him shooting a couple here and there. But if you're floating around out there, it's going to take away from what you really are. You can look around the league and say, 'Brook Lopez shoots it.' Well, Brook Lopez is going to win 18 games this year, you know?

    The offense seems to be coming together, since the lineup was changed with Glenn Robinson III starting. Is that what you envisioned?

    You've got to score points. Two or three years ago, I told (general manager) Kevin Pritchard, if we don't start scoring over (about) 105 points a game, we're going to be stuck in last here. This league is changing. If you watch these teams play, in another year or two, if you don't shoot 30 threes, you're not going to have a chance to win the game. Some teams are shooting in the 40s now. If you don't make a change and start scoring more points you're going to get lost in the shuffle. I saw that coming two or three years ago, and everybody thought I was crazy around here. I agree, you have to defend, but you better score. You can think you're going to hold teams to 90 points, but they're going to score a hundred-and-some anyway. It's just the way it is. You better score first and worry about the defense later.

    How do you feel about your defense now?

    I think it sucks at times (laughing). I don't think it's anywhere near where it should be. I think Paul still does an excellent job as an on-the-ball defender. I think Myles will still have his growing pains in the post. I think at times we're very good and other times very bad. But I still think you've got to score. You have to give up something to get something, and we've done that.

    Statistically, rebounding is the biggest weakness. That's the one area where you're getting outplayed, giving up three or four rebounds a game. Can that be addressed with this current roster?

    Look at it. Thaddeus Young averaged nine last year (and is now at 6.1). Paul is under his average from last year. Jeff Teague is probably averaging more than ever. Myles, we don't know, he gets 12 one game and four the next game. We miss a guy like Lance Stephenson and his rebounding. That really put us at another level, having a guy who could rebound like him.

    Going into this year, I knew our weaknesses. I knew we had a small backcourt and rebounding was going to be a problem. Monta (Ellis) has been hurt, so we brought him off the bench, and when Glenn rebounds in big numbers we tend to win. We knew that was a problem for us. It's something we're trying to look at. Glenn's played all right, but he hasn't been as consistent as we like. When he plays decently we win, so going into the year we knew we had some holes in this team. We're not a perfect team. We're not spending $180 million on payroll. But with what we do spend, we try to get the best talent. We are who we are. Just plug in the holes as we go. My goal this year is to make the playoffs and have a solid team going in, and hopefully we have an opportunity to get to the second round and then worry about that then.

    Speaking of that, I know the answer is always the same regarding trades, that you're always trying to improve the team and will if you can. But are there specific holes you're trying to fill?

    You never know. Everybody says, 'They should make a trade.' Well, who's going to trade? There's always that talk out there. There's teams that call, (but) it's the biggest bunch of bull. This is the time you should be getting things done, but everybody wants to wait until the last second because they think they can pull off a big heist. I don't buy that. If you've got a need and you can fill that need, why not do it now?

    There's some people out there talking about different players, but I don't think it's anything that can take us to the next level or make us any better right now. But you never know. We've never been reluctant to give up our draft pick if we think there's something special there that can help us and it's the same this year. If you can get a player you think can really help you, you probably should take a look at that. So, we're open to about anything.

    It's been unfortunate that Stuck (Rodney Stuckey) has been hurt all year. People don't realize it, but he brings a lot to that second unit. He scores some points and plays physical and plays fast when he's got the ball. (His absence) has taken something away from us. We're looking forward to getting him back and seeing where we're at.

    It seems like Paul George is adjusting to the role of a team leader. He's always had older guys around he could defer to. How do you see that coming along?

    Guys come into this league and say, 'I want my own team one of these days,' and then sometimes they get it and look around and say, 'I don't know about this.' It's a little harder than what it really looks. It's demanding.

    Paul's an exceptional player. He plays both sides of the ball. I remember a few years ago, he said, 'I think I need to score 25 this year.' I said, 'No, you're not a 25-point scorer.' He scores a lot of points when he gets to the line a lot. I think Paul can be a 20-, 22-point scorer and still get it done on the defensive end. That makes him be a complete player. If he scores 26 and his man gets 22, he's not as effective – then he's not the player everyone thinks he is. He's an exceptional two-way player. Paul's going to be fine in any situation. But this is a little different. This is his team.

    Does he attack the basket the way you'd like? He doesn't get to the line a lot, and his dunks are way down from a few years ago.

    People don't realize it, but he's played a lot of basketball in the last year-and-a-half coming off a significant injury. I'm not going to say he's tired. Probably mentally he's a little drained. He's not attacking as much as he should, or has in the past, I think he's giving in to the midrange at times instead of going to the hole, but overall I think he's playing well. He's still very effective.

    You go back and think about it, how many games at home has he taken over in the last four to six minutes and really kept us there and made shots to win games? You always like your guys to do better, but Paul's done very well under the circumstances this year. This is two years in a row bringing in a lot of new guys and a new coach, so it's been pretty traumatic, the changeover in the last couple of years.

    Does his hesitation to sign a new contract concern you at all?

    I don't even talk to him about that. I told him before the season started, if you want to sign a max, it's up there, but I don't worry about that stuff. A player is going to do what a player's going to do. I always knew what I wanted to do. Obviously, free agency isn't like it used to be, and I was in a good situation, but you never know. Guys change teams all the time. He's going to do what's best for Paul.

    The trade for Jeff Teague seems to be working out the way you hoped, the way he affects the game.

    We wanted a point guard. I know last year there were rumors I was going to trade for him around this time. There's no way I was going to do that. I wanted to play out the last year with George (Hill). I didn't know down the road we would trade for Jeff Teague; I didn't even think that was a possibility.

    We haven't had a point guard since Jamaal Tinsley. George Hill is a fantastic ballplayer, but a different type of player. He's an all-around player, can do a little bit of everything, a great fit for a team. But, (Teague) is two years younger, a point guard, he draws fouls, and now he's starting to find people at a high rate. He's playing really well.

    I'm happy for him. It has to be tough coming home and playing in front of your family and friends, all the adjustments you have to make. And then getting off to a slow start … he kept battling and now he's playing very well.

    It seems like Monta has accepted playing off the bench. At least he's going along with it. Has that put the pieces in place and addressed rebounding and defense and other areas?

    We're playing better, and the numbers don't lie. Monta's been here and he knows how we do things. He wants to play better and he will play better.

    That's his role now. If he comes out and starts playing really well and we go back (with him starting) and we're winning, you never know. But that's his role now. I wouldn't say he's accepted it, but he's going to live with it. He's been around, he knows what's going on. He's getting older.

    It seems like he's one of the better leaders, the one who's most likely to speak out.

    He'll talk. I'm not in that locker room all the time with them. People think at halftime I go in the locker room, but I don't do that. I think he's vocal, I hear him in practice sometimes. There's different kinds of leaders. I always though Reggie (Miller) was a fantastic leader by example. Mark was more boisterous but they worked off of one another. I've always said, lead by example. You get tired of hearing the same things -- same coach, same player, same things. Paul will say a few things here and there, but he's more of a leader by example.

    You made a coaching change over the summer. How does Nate differ from the way things were done before?

    I don't really want to say anything, because if I say something good about Nate it's interpreted as a slap (against Frank Vogel). But I'm very happy with the way things are going with (Nate).

    You like his approach?

    I've always liked his approach to it. I watched him from afar. He used to work for Kevin, and I liked the way he operated as an assistant coach. He had great respect for Frank. He loved working with Frank. He was very good for Frank. He does things a different way, and the way I like them to be done.

    Part of winning on the road is being mentally tough. How do you address that from the front office? Can this team become mentally tough enough to win on the road?

    I don't know. When we lost on the road (in Boston), you knew the next game we were coming out (strong). Not just our team, but I watch these teams, they come out the first half and just kind of play. You can see it. No wonder teams get out to 30-5 records. They come to play and take care of business and before you know it, the game's over. They're ready to go.

    If you want to win every night, you have to go in there and take it. (Former Celtics president Red Auerbach) used to say, be the instigators and not the retaliators. On the road, you better be the instigator. I'm not talking about ripping people's heads off, I'm talking about playing hard, fighting for rebounds. Just like the other night (in the victory at Sacramento), Cousins would get the ball and drive, and it was like everybody would just back away from him. What are they doing? He's a reluctant passer most of the time, especially on the drive. Why aren't we in there swarming that guy? But they're just backing out of the way and he's doing whatever he wants to do. And you're sitting there saying, 'There's no resistance here.' You've got to be the instigator.

    Having the record we have on the road… you go back to that Philadelphia game early in the season, we have a six-point lead with two minutes to go in the game, or whatever it was, Paul fouls a 3-point shooter in the corner and they get a four-point play. We go down and miss and then we foul them right away and the game's tied. Now they're going crazy there and we're on our heels and you know the game's over. We went from a six-point lead to tied just on bad basketball. Bad decisions. That's what kills you.

    Brooklyn (in the second game of the season), we're up 10 points, we think we're going to walk away with it, they start cutting back door, they hit a couple threes, and things come unglued. Our teams the last few years have been notorious for blowing leads down the stretch. The New York game last night, Washington leads the whole game by 10 or 12 points, then New York comes back and takes the lead. Are you kidding me? Just by guys missing wide-open shots or making bad decisions. That's the time you've really got to toughen up, you've played the whole game, you've got a six or eight-point lead, that's when you've really got to be tough. We don't do that.

    So, can you find that within, or do you have to bring in guys who can?

    It's execution. Better picks. Making sure everybody gang rebounds. You don't need fastbreak points, you're fighting against the clock now. You can sit in a classroom all day and teach the game, but are they going to go out there and execute it? You watch Jerry Sloan's old teams, down the stretch, they executed every time. Or Popovich. You know why? Because they don't run a million plays. They set good back picks, they set good screens, and somebody's going to get a good look or drive to the hole. It's pretty simple, really.

    Do you still feel like you're in this for the long term, or are you in a year-to-year situation?

    I signed a one-year deal, so who knows?

    You're not sure about next year?

    I don't know. I never think about that until the year's up. I'm not 32 years old anymore. You know? That decision will be made later on.

    Do you want to come back?

    I have no idea. I like these guys. You know, you get frustrated with the team on the road when they're losing, but they are good guys (laughing). You can't go down there (for practice) without really enjoying them. There's not a lot of bickering or back-stabbing, none of that stuff. They're good guys to be around and we've been fortunate the last couple of years.

    I go to these games, and I tell my wife this all the time (when they're not playing well), 'I don't get it. They had a great practice yesterday. I don't get it.' Usually that leads to good games. It's like in London, they had a helluva practice (before the game). They were running, they were making plays, making passes. I thought, 'Boy, they're going to be good tomorrow night.' And then they get blown out.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

    Originally posted by InYaFace View Post
    I look at the game a little different than most people, and when I stepped on the court, even pickup games, you tend to figure out how other guys play, where they want the ball, how they're most effective. I always just took that for granted. Even the guys I played with in Boston, maybe their talent was better and they understood the game more, but we picked up on each other quickly. Even when we picked up players through trades or in the middle of the season, it didn't seem like it took that long to incorporate them.
    It appears that Bird still can't see that it was a "bit" more easy to incorporate players in NBA where the standard offensive set was "give-ball-to-your-star-and-clear-out". More than anything else this makes me again feel like Larry is still living in the 80's basketball-wise.

    Originally posted by InYaFace View Post
    Two or three years ago, I told (general manager) Kevin Pritchard, if we don't start scoring over (about) 105 points a game, we're going to be stuck in last here. This league is changing. If you watch these teams play, in another year or two, if you don't shoot 30 threes, you're not going to have a chance to win the game. Some teams are shooting in the 40s now. If you don't make a change and start scoring more points you're going to get lost in the shuffle. I saw that coming two or three years ago, and everybody thought I was crazy around here. I agree, you have to defend, but you better score. You can think you're going to hold teams to 90 points, but they're going to score a hundred-and-some anyway. It's just the way it is. You better score first and worry about the defense later.
    I can not get the fatuation about POINTS TOTAL. I could get the insistence of having better offensive rating, yes. But points are very much a result of pace and in itself - a totally meaningless stat. You want to score effectively per possession, but the number of possessions is not really important (as long as you are not gifting opponent a lot of extra possession by haemorrhaging rebounds).




    Also - recommending PG for two-way play is kinda strange this season. All of us know that PG can be a great two-way player. That player has been completely absent in basically all our road games this season...
    Last edited by PetPaima; 01-22-2017, 05:01 PM.

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    • #3
      Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

      Defense is why the Cavs won last year but didn't the prior year. They greatly improved their D. I don't think I agree with Bird on that point.

      What's most troubling about Bird's statements is that he says he recognized 2 or 3 years that he had to score more points...and mentions that shooting threes is necessary. Yet we don't have any shooters.

      It's really mind boggling. He acquires a pass first PG and there is nobody to pass to.

      So, while on the Bird bandwagon a year ago and prior, I'm off of it...and I think it's about empty.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

        It seems like he wants Turner to become something that he's not and doesn't value the need for a physical defender. IMO we need to work toward Turner's strengths and pair him with a physical big man to cover his weaknesses.
        Why do teams tank? Ask a Spurs fan.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

          Originally posted by InYaFace ( Post about Bird's Interview) View Post
          Montieth: You have a lot of new faces and a new coach. It always takes time for a team to come together, so how is this team progressing in your opinion?

          Bird: Before the season, I had the same question. How long do you think it will take them to come together? I'm from the old school. You put guys out there, they should figure each other out pretty quick. That hasn't happened so far.
          I read this quote and wonder when it is time to panic.

          I understand that need to be patient. But we aren't the TWolves or the Sixers where we have time to be patient.....and this wasn't a rebuild, it was a re-tool. And as Grimp has pointed out before.....we now have a time limit to figure this s*** out cuz PG13's Free Agent Clock is ticking.

          I would be fine with being more patient if this Team has shown more consistency both on and off the road....but this inability to execute in a consistent manner both at home and on the Road while "figuring out" what is causing that inconsistency is concerning.
          Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

            Originally posted by BlueNGold View Post
            Defense is why the Cavs won last year but didn't the prior year. They greatly improved their D. I don't think I agree with Bird on that point.

            What's most troubling about Bird's statements is that he says he recognized 2 or 3 years that he had to score more points...and mentions that shooting threes is necessary. Yet we don't have any shooters.

            It's really mind boggling. He acquires a pass first PG and there is nobody to pass to.

            So, while on the Bird bandwagon a year ago and prior, I'm off of it...and I think it's about empty.
            His comment about being "old school" and "throwing Players out there and hoping that they figure it out" tells me what I need to know. I fear that the best that we can hope for is another 1-4 exit in the 1st round of the Playoffs. I can understand that it's a good stepping stone given that we completely re-tooled the roster with a new Coach.....but I fear that it's not enough for PG13 to decide to stay beyond the 2018-2019 season.
            Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

              Originally posted by BlueNGold View Post
              Defense is why the Cavs won last year but didn't the prior year. They greatly improved their D. I don't think I agree with Bird on that point.

              What's most troubling about Bird's statements is that he says he recognized 2 or 3 years that he had to score more points...and mentions that shooting threes is necessary. Yet we don't have any shooters.

              It's really mind boggling. He acquires a pass first PG and there is nobody to pass to.

              So, while on the Bird bandwagon a year ago and prior, I'm off of it...and I think it's about empty.
              Not sure why people tend to ignore that we are still sitting very well in overall 3pt %. That part of what Bird wants is working. I'm Not satisfied with the completely over simplified notion that more points = more success.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

                Originally posted by CableKC View Post
                His comment about being "old school" and "throwing Players out there and hoping that they figure it out" tells me what I need to know. I fear that the best that we can hope for is another 1-4 exit in the 1st round of the Playoffs. I can understand that it's a good stepping stone given that we completely re-tooled the roster with a new Coach.....but I fear that it's not enough for PG13 to decide to stay beyond the 2018-2019 season.
                This goes with the quote from PG about feeling like there was no structure. Just being thrown out there and asked to figure it out

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

                  Originally posted by Ichi View Post
                  Not sure why people tend to ignore that we are still sitting very well in overall 3pt %. That part of what Bird wants is working. I'm Not satisfied with the completely over simplified notion that more points = more success.
                  You do know that there is only one team in the NBA that shoots less 3's right? There are a couple teams that shoot about the same number. But teams like the Rockets are almost shooting twice as many per game ON AVERAGE. The reality is, we don't have great shooters. This should not be news to anyone and when CJ Miles is the reason you are not last you are in serious trouble in terms of shooting.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

                    Originally posted by CableKC View Post
                    His comment about being "old school" and "throwing Players out there and hoping that they figure it out" tells me what I need to know. I fear that the best that we can hope for is another 1-4 exit in the 1st round of the Playoffs. I can understand that it's a good stepping stone given that we completely re-tooled the roster with a new Coach.....but I fear that it's not enough for PG13 to decide to stay beyond the 2018-2019 season.
                    Like BillS has said, the issue is AAU basketball. These guys coming out, especially after a year of college ball, never developed good fundamentals. They are not going to figure it out because they were never trained to do so.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

                      Does his hesitation to sign a new contract concern you at all?

                      I don't even talk to him about that. I told him before the season started, if you want to sign a max, it's up there, but I don't worry about that stuff. A player is going to do what a player's going to do. I always knew what I wanted to do. Obviously, free agency isn't like it used to be, and I was in a good situation, but you never know. Guys change teams all the time. He's going to do what's best for Paul.


                      The above statement is not real comforting but I understand it. No much can be done if he wants to leave.
                      {o,o}
                      |)__)
                      -"-"-

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

                        Originally posted by owl View Post
                        Does his hesitation to sign a new contract concern you at all?

                        I don't even talk to him about that. I told him before the season started, if you want to sign a max, it's up there, but I don't worry about that stuff. A player is going to do what a player's going to do. I always knew what I wanted to do. Obviously, free agency isn't like it used to be, and I was in a good situation, but you never know. Guys change teams all the time. He's going to do what's best for Paul.

                        The above statement is not real comforting but I understand it. No much can be done if he wants to leave.
                        It does not surprise me one bit that he didn't sign an extension. He's going to be a UFA and ( short of some major injury ) he's going to get the MAX from us or someone else by the Summer of 2018.

                        Let's look at PG13's situation ( correct me if I am wrong in any of the below assumptions ):

                        - PG13 is 26 years old now.
                        - When he exercises his Player Option and becomes a UFA in the Summer of 2018, he will have just turned 28 years old ( his birthday is in May ).
                        - If he chooses to sign a UFA MAX 4 Year Contract ( with a Player Option after the 3rd year ) with another Team besides the Pacers ( which will be less than what /he can get from a MAX Contract offer from the Pacers ), he will become a UFA again by the Summer of 2021. He will then have the option to sign another MAX or ( likely ) Near-MAX Contract offer after turning 31 years old.
                        - If he chooses to sign a UFA MAX Contract offer ( with a Player Option after the 4th year ) with the Pacers, he will become a UFA again by the Summer of 2022. He will then have the option to sign another MAX or ( or likely ) Near-MAX Contract offer after turning 32 years old.

                        JMHO; but unless he has the option to do what KD did with the Warriors this last Summer ( where he signs a HUGE Contract for 2 seasons while having the option to opt out after the 1st season ), my guess is that he will do one of the following:

                        Option 1 ) Sign a MAX Contract offer with a 4th Year Player Option with the Team of his choice so that he can hit the UFA Market again in the Summer of 2021 right after he turns 31.

                        or

                        Option 2 ) Sign a MAX Contract offer with a 5th Year Player Option with the Pacers ( so that he can get a guaranteed MAX Contract ); give the Pacers 1 season to get their ****** together to build a contender and if ( by the end of the Summer of 2022 ) they don't meet his expectations, he forces a trade to the Team of his choice.

                        Although it would make sense for him to go with Option 2, I think that he will bolt Option 1 due to several reasons.

                        - I think that these last couple of seasons ( since the height of the Vogel years and our fall from being Contenders ) has shaken his confidence in the abilities of the FO to build a Team that can contend. This doesn't mean that Bird hasn't tried ( I think he did a good job of bringing in talent ), it means that Bird has done a poor job of getting the right pieces that fit together while not finding the right Coach to properly use whatever talent that we have.
                        - Add in that I think that he can likely get a better long term contract in the Summer of 2021 at the age of 31 ( instead of the Summer of 2022 at the age of 32 ) and it leads me to the conclusion that PG13 won't likely re-sign with the Pacers ( and why he chose not to pursue any Contract extension ).

                        Thinking of it more and more......unless Bird somehow thinks that this Team ( with the current makeup ) will finally build chemistry and figure things out WITHOUT a major change to the roster via a Trade ( neither of which I think will happen ) in the next 4 weeks ( which is before the NBA Trade deadline ).....I'd prefer to move PG13 now or by the Summer of 2017.

                        The problem is that I doubt that the Pacers can make a major trade that will significantly improve this Team this season. There are IMHO too many holes to fix in the course of 2 weeks. I doubt that this Team will "figure it out" ( as Bird puts it ) while coupled with the notion that I think that Nate is the wrong Coach for this Team ( who the Pacers wouldn't fire ). Add in that Bird is not the type of guy that would completely give up because he will be satisfied with a 1st Round Playoff exit.

                        In the end, unless we get some huge trade offer for PG13 that completely fixes the many problems while ending the season with a 1st round Playoff exit.....I am guessing that we are looking at a moving PG13 for the best package that we can get in 5 months while building around Teague and Myles.
                        Last edited by CableKC; 01-23-2017, 03:07 AM.
                        Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

                          Bird: Before the season, I had the same question. How long do you think it will take them to come together? I'm from the old school. You put guys out there, they should figure each other out pretty quick. That hasn't happened so far.

                          This right here explains the Danny Granger trade more than almost anything you will ever read. As I've been saying, Bird does not really believe in team chemistry. He never needed it as a player and he does not understand why others do. You can almost mark the day that trade went down to the day that we ceased being a title contender to where we are now. No, not because Danny Granger was going to be missed on the court (however I will always point out that he while on his last leg avg the same as a healthy Evan Turner) but because Danny was a mentor and leader and friend to the players who were still able to go. He was the sounding board between Paul George & Lance Stephenson.

                          This also very much explains why he could not figure out that Monta Ellis and Jeff Teague were not going to work.

                          However not all was bad in this article. I am happy to hear that he is on the coaching staff about Myles just hovering around the three point line and I thought his comment about Lopez was hilarious.


                          Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

                            Btw there's a different Q&A with IndyStar's Nate Taylor

                            http://www.indystar.com/story/sports...more/96857468/

                            Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird talks with Insider Nate Taylor about the Pacers' first half, Paul George's pending free ageny, Glenn Robinson's ascension into the starting lineup and much, much more.

                            Question: What are your overall thoughts on the season at the midway point?

                            Bird: “I think it took a little bit longer than I thought it would to come together. We’ve had stretches where we’ve played really well. Honestly, I’m a little disappointed in how we’re playing on the road. At the beginning of the year, I thought that if we come together, we can probably win a lot more games than we have so far. Overall, I can’t say I’m too disappointed. It’s just that I know going forward that we’ve got to continue to get better and get (Rodney) Stuckey healthy and see what we’ve got.”

                            Q: The new collective bargaining agreement was signed Thursday. What are your overall thoughts on where the league is going and some of the changes that have been made?

                            Bird: “It’s a little bit different. What it comes down to, basically, is that the guys are going to get paid a lot more money and you have a better opportunity to keep your own free agents. It leads to smaller markets having an opportunity to do that if they’re willing to pay the money. There’s some changes in there that we like and some we don’t like, but that’s collective bargaining. I think the Commissioner (Adam Silver) and the players got together and they did a deal that they felt was fair to both sides. That’s always good.”

                            Q: What are the changes that you see as favorable to the Pacers?

                            Bird: “Well, if you want to keep your free agents, you’re going to have an opportunity to, at least, I think, have a better chance of keeping them. If a player don’t want to be here, and he wants to go somewhere else, that’s just a part of free agency. That’s what’s in the collective bargaining for. But at least you have an opportunity to pay them a little bit more and give them an extra year and be able to keep them and sign them up earlier. I think that’s a plus. I’m not going to sit here and tell you I’ve read that thing inside and out because that’s what Peter (Dinwiddie) is for. We feel that there’s some advantages and the disadvantage is that we’ve got to spend the money. That’s something we’ve got to decide as a franchise, how far we’re going to go.”

                            Q: What are your thoughts on Paul George’s upcoming free agency and the possibility of offering the extra sixth year if he’s named to the All-NBA team?

                            Bird: “I don’t want to get into Paul’s free agency. Before the year started, I told Paul and I said, ‘Look, if you want to sign a long-term deal, we’re willing to do that max (contract) and if you want to wait, I understand.’ But this year, we’re not going to worry about it, we’re not going to talk about it and he’s going to make the decision that’s best for Paul when it comes down to it.”

                            Q: Do you see any changes in the new collective bargaining agreement having any impact on George’s free agency or is your position still the same in terms of offering him the max, whether it’s five years or six years?

                            Bird: “Yeah, we want to keep him here long term. That’s the plan.”

                            Q: You’ve mentioned in the past how you want to score more points and you’ve made a lot of moves in the offseason to get the offense to be better than previous years under coach Frank Vogel. What are your assessments of the team’s offense?

                            Bird: “Well, you can always get better. I think my biggest beef with the team is winning on the road and pounding the basketball. I said earlier I think the last time I talked to you guys is that one of the things I worry about is that we’ve got a lot of ball pounders. If you move the basketball and everybody gets a touch, you’re going score a lot more points. This goes back three years ago when I said this league is changing and the rules have changed. Teams are shooting more 3s and they’re going to continue to shoot more 3s and the scoring is going to go up. If you don’t try to hold pace, I don’t care how good of a defensive team you are, you better score points or you’re not going to have a chance to win. I feel that way and that’s my philosophy and I think scoring is going to continue to go up year after year. You’ve got some teams right now shooting 20-25 3s, some shooting 30-35 and there’s teams shooting in the 40s. Two, three years from now, I think everybody is going to be shooting 40 3s a game. The scoring is going to go up and you better be on pace with it.”

                            Q: You promoted Nate McMillan as head coach in the offseason. How would assess what McMillan has done through 41 games?

                            Bird: “Well, it’s going to be hard for me sit here and tell you. I like Nate. I liked him when I hired him. But anything I say positive about Nate, you’re going to take it as a negative to Frank (Vogel), and that’s not what it’s about. I like Frank. Frank did a hell of a job here. We wish him all the best. We made a lot of changes over the last two or three years, even when Frank was here. We changed a lot of guys on the roster. With Nate came in, we changed coach and a lot of guys on the roster. We’d like to get away from that and have guys longer term and have a team that he can build with and grow with as we go forward.”

                            Q: Are you pleased with the way McMillan has tried to hold players accountable in trying to get them to play hard every night?

                            Bird: “I’m pleased with Nate. I’ve always admired Nate as a coach and as a person and I think he’s a great fit for us. I thought Frank was great for us while he was here. He did a lot great things and had some success. Now, it’s a different time and it’s Nate’s turn.”

                            Q: What has surprised you most this season?

                            Bird: “That it took us longer to come together than I anticipated, knowing that we weren’t going to be a top-1o defensive team. We want to keep our pace up. You get rid of George Hill and (Ian) Mahinmi and you know you’re going to lose something on the defensive end. It’s hard to compare, but George Hill is a hell of a basketball player and he was great for us. But Jeff Teague is a different type of player. He can make plays and score the basketball and he can get to the foul line. It’s just a different team and a different look. I want to score points and our bench has been struggling at times. Some nights are decent and a little streaky. But overall, if you need a basket we know we can go to big Al (Jefferson) and maybe he can get it for us. I think the guys are still learning one another. I’ve never played on teams where I thought it would take this long for guys to really mesh. They’re starting to play better. I think they’ll continue to get better. Obviously, our schedule is going to be tougher from here on out. That’s just part of it. We should be better as a team.

                            Q: How do you think Paul George has performed with his growing responsibility of being a leader?

                            Bird: “Here’s the thing with Paul that I was concerned about. He came off a horrific injury, he came back last year, in his first year back, and went straight to the Olympics and he comes into this season with a whole new group of guys and a new coach. There’s a lot on his shoulders. I’m not saying pressure, it’s just a lot of change and a lot of different things. Mentally, I think he’s a little worn down. Physically I don’t think he is. He’s got his bumps and bruises. I just think it’s been a tough go for him there in a short period of time. Now, do I think he’ll get better as the year goes on? Hell yeah he will. I think we’ll get to the All-Star break and he gets time to relax a little bit and reflect on the first half of the season, I think he’s going to have a monster end of the year. He’s just that good of a player.”

                            Q: Do you see George developing has a leader?

                            Bird: “Oh yeah, you can tell. They look at him and they watch him. The one thing about being the guy is they’re going to watch your every move, so if you say, you better do it. I think Paul’s learned over the years that these guys are watching him and they are following his lead. They are. That’s how it works.”

                            Q: Have you OK with were the team is in terms of its defensive performance?

                            Bird: “I know that you’ve got to defend. You definitely got to defend at times and I think as the year goes on well get better. We’ll never be where we want to be, but I’ve got to say that I’m disappointed in it. Just like the other night (against Sacramento) in the first half I thought they were giving in too much. They were parting the red sea when (DeMarcus) Cousins got the ball. In the second half, they showed a little toughness and fought him and come together on the defensive end to get them back in the game. You know you’ve got to play some defense at some time, but this league is going to be a scoring league and it reminds me back of when I came in that you better score the ball or you’re going to be left in the dust. Scoring is always going to be a big premium in this league, especially with the 3-point shot. But you’ve still got to defend to win games.”

                            Q: How do you think Monta Ellis has handled his reduced role coming off the bench?

                            Bird: “Glenn (Robinson III) hasn’t been as consistent as I think as he or we would like, but the numbers don’t lie. When he plays, we do better. Monta, I’m not going to say he’ll ever accept the role of coming off the bench because that’s his mentality. But the thing is he’s going to do whatever it takes for us to win basketball games and he’ll continue to get better. I think when (Rodney) Stuckey gets back, I think that’s going to help. I think he gives us a big boost. But as far as Monta, I think Monta is going to do whatever he thinks will help us win basketball games. Monta knows I have respect for him and I have respect for all veterans. We’re going to do what’s right by him and we want him to be a big part of this, whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.”

                            Q: What are your impressions of Myles Turner in year two?

                            Bird: “Well, he’s 20 years old. You forget the fact that he’s a young man playing in a men’s league. I always say throwing that kid out there – what I did to him this year – is really unheard of. His body is not mature for where it’s going to be in a couple years. You’re our starting center. Go out and get Dwight Howard. That’s a tough assignment. The other night, playing against DeMarcus (Cousins), probably the best big man in the league. Them are tough chores, but the kid don’t back down. He plays hard. He works hard. He wants to be great. He’s going to be great. To me, I think he’s got a chance to be one of the best players or maybe the best player (in the franchise’s history). You’ve still Paul with a bunch of time left, too, and you had Reggie (Miller) here with all the other great ones. But being a 20-year-old and doing what this kid is doing just blows my mind. The sky is the limit. He’s still playing with Paul George and Paul gets a little frustrated at him at times, but night in and night out that kid battles you. With his work ethic, his desire, his mentality to be great, I think the future is unbelievable for that young man. Paul’s going to be the main guy. Let’s make that very clear. Paul is the guy, but in saying that, this young man, as he gets older and matures and continues to work like he works, he’s going to be a deadeye shooter. He’s a relentless worker and if you’ve got talent like that and you work as hard as he does, you’re going to get better. He’s body hasn’t come close to maturing like it’s going to. For what we did, to just throw him in there and say good luck, he’s done remarkable.”

                            Q: Was that the plan to have Turner be the starting center this year or did that happen base on what occurred in the offseason?

                            Bird: “My plan the whole time last year was to get him in there. I told him before the year started last year, I said, ‘I want to see how good you are at the All-Star break because you should be making your way and getting in there and starting and doing things.’ He got injured and we didn’t know. Finally, I remember me and Frank (Vogel) having this conversation after a few practices and I said, ‘Frank, what do you think?’ He said, ‘You think he’s ready?’ I said, ‘We’ve got to play this kid.’ He goes, ‘I agree with you 100 percent.’ He got his free wet last year and this year just throw him in there and go get them. He’s done pretty (expletive) good. He’s 20 years old. I couldn’t imagine doing that at 20 years old in this league.”

                            Q: Is how far the team progresses this year largely dependent on how Turner improves?

                            Bird: “The more he plays, the better he gets. That’s not just him. That’s with Glenn (Robinson III) and some of the other guys, too. Everybody has to. You can’t just put on one guy. We can’t put it on Paul all the time. Everybody else has got to step up. In the last 15 games, Jeff Teague has come around and shown us what he can do. Everybody’s got to pick it up. If they do, they’ll have a good year.

                            Q: In trading for Teague, you mentioned you wanted his time in Indiana to be a long-term situation, not just a one-year deal. Has he proven that you would still like to re-sign him in the offseason?

                            Bird: “We like Jeff. We like Jeff very much. We hope he’s a part of this franchise for a long time.”

                            Q: How do you think Teague has adjusted to the Pacers and what his feelings are toward the organization?

                            Bird: “I don’t know how he feels about it. I hear he likes to be back home. I hear he always wanted to play here. We gave up a hell of a player to get him. He’s two years younger than George and he’s a real point guard and he gets to the line. I think he’s going to continue to get better. I couldn’t be happier. He got off to a slow start, but he’s pick it up and I think he feels comfortable out there. I think he loves playing with the guys and Myles is getting a lot better looks now than he has in the past and Paul is getting some isolations in the middle of the court that’s playing to his strengths. I think it’s a pretty good combination.”

                            Q: Much of the topic of the trade deadline is generated by fans and the media. For this particular group, do you feel there’s a trade to be made before the deadline?

                            Bird: “We always listen and talk to other teams. If we can do something, we’ll do it. But I don’t think we’re in a hurry just to make a deal to make a deal. We do have our draft pick. We’ve been a team that if we can get the right guy, we would entertain maybe moving our pick. Other teams like that. They’ll love to hear it if you write it. We’re not stressed here to do anything right now. I just think we’ve got to come together and we’ve got to have guys to play a little bit better and move the ball and score points and take care of the other end. If we do that, we should have a pretty good little year, you know?”

                            Q: The team has the same record at the midway point 22-19 as you did last year. Are you more optimistic that this year’s team is trending in the better direction than the team from a year ago?

                            Bird: “I don’t know. I like it better because we’re scoring more points. Obviously, we’re not defending like we were, but we don’t have (Ian) Mahinmi or George Hill, so when you give them two guys up you know you’re going to lose something. I like our team. I can’t complain too much other than the slow start and not winning on the road. If we win some games on the road, we’re going to be fine, but you’ve got to win them. You have to go out and compete and you’ve got be the instigators in the room instead of the retaliators. If they do that, with that mindset, they’ll win they’re share of games. I can’t complain too much because I’ve seen a difference from the beginning to now and you always want to see an improvement.”

                            Q: What else jumps out to you about the team?

                            Bird: “Al (Jefferson) is Al and Al is going to do what Al does. I think C.J. Miles, I’d like to get him more involved and get him going earlier. Whatever we have to do to get him going. I think he’s a hell of a player and I think we can use him, not from a coach’s standpoint, but when he’s on the court try to find him more because if you get him rolling that’s a whole different ball game out there for that second unit. We need them to take some pressure off the starters. If the starters come out and play well, they have to come in and maintain the lead instead of giving it up early. I think one of the problems we’ve had this year is when (Rodney) Stuckey got hurt it really hurt us. I think he’s a good enough player to help maintain some of the leads we’ve had with the second unit. He gets foul and he makes shots. He’s just a tough cookie and we miss him out there.”

                            Q: What are you hoping to see in the next stretch of games?

                            Bird: “Just be more consistent. Keep our ball movement and stay together. We’re not going to win all the games, but we should win our share of them. Just going into the All-Star break on a high note because the second half of the year, the last 30 games, are going to be a grind. I think with Paul getting some rest and Myles getting a little bit of rest over the All-Star break with Jeff and them, I think they’ll be ready to go. That’s what I’m hoping.”

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Bird Midseason Q&A

                              Originally posted by Peck View Post
                              Bird: Before the season, I had the same question. How long do you think it will take them to come together? I'm from the old school. You put guys out there, they should figure each other out pretty quick. That hasn't happened so far.

                              This right here explains the Danny Granger trade more than almost anything you will ever read. As I've been saying, Bird does not really believe in team chemistry. He never needed it as a player and he does not understand why others do. You can almost mark the day that trade went down to the day that we ceased being a title contender to where we are now. No, not because Danny Granger was going to be missed on the court (however I will always point out that he while on his last leg avg the same as a healthy Evan Turner) but because Danny was a mentor and leader and friend to the players who were still able to go. He was the sounding board between Paul George & Lance Stephenson.
                              This. This to the Nth degree.

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