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Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

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  • #61
    Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

    I drink the Lance brand kool aid, but jebus. Lance is going to school TJ in practice? TJ is still lethal quick one-on-one, and Lance wasn't exactly known for his jets at Cincy. Mind you, he looked like he was in better shape during summer league and looked reasonably quick. Still, TJ is capable of abusing a lot of NBA caliber players.

    That said, I get the vibe that TJ is in exile. We haven't got a point because they aren't any keepers available for for an expiring contract trade. And if you can't get a keeper, you wait for the musical chairs tune to wind down, and you nab a poor slob that lost out. This year's Watson.

    The article sure wasn't written from the perspective of a coach with waning job security. "Hey Jim, how about playing the rookie second rounder that's new to the position? It's not about wins and losses. Those won't matter very much until... Uh, it comes to YOUR contract.".

    Comment


    • #62
      Re: Jeff Rabjohns on Lance Stephenson and the PG situation

      Originally posted by Sookie View Post
      The only issue with the stop gap...is if we'd end up with..

      stop gap/Price

      or stop gap/Ford

      because if Price and Lance ended up on the bench with no minutes...
      Yeah...when it comes to JO'B...I have no clue what he will do.
      Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.

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      • #63
        Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

        Originally posted by McKeyFan View Post
        What is Lance doing right now?

        Do they just do whatever they want until October? Or is there some kind of practice/drills/training thing going on at this juncture?
        Anyone. Anyone?
        "Look, it's up to me to put a team around ... Lance right now." —Kevin Pritchard press conference

        Comment


        • #64
          Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

          Originally posted by danman View Post
          ...TJ is capable of abusing a lot of NBA caliber players.
          Despite his speed, TJ is probably the easiest guy to guard in the NBA right now in half court sets. All guys have to do is play off him, cheat behind the pick-and-roll, and force him to take long jumpers. If he somehow does manage to get past his man and into the lane, chances are pretty slim that he'll actually be able to finish at the rim.

          Sadly the NBA has TJ figured out, and unless he discovers his stroke from outside, he's pretty much done I'm afraid.

          Comment


          • #65
            Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

            Originally posted by D-BONE View Post
            I've wondered this at times, too. I know AJ has shown remarkable, admirable resiliency in overcoming injuries/health issues in the past. However, at some point you have to look at just the sheer number of different health situation that have cropped up. Is this just another random injury or is it becoming more the norm/pattern?

            I hope he overcomes it and is retained, but it's hard imagine TPTB not having discussed all angles vis a vis his roster spot. They seem very high on him overall, though, so hopefully that bodes well. Still, just from the PG roster and overall roster limit, he and Ford together provide a challenge - TJ because he's not particularly wanted (purportedly) and AJ because you have to think he won't be 100% until well into the season even assuming all goes well.
            I posted this in the thread about AJ's injury.

            Apparently, a Patella break can happen the way AJ's did, because of a certain type of ACL reconstruction surgery. They use the patella tendon to repair the ACL, and a bit of the bone in the middle is taken out because of it. Sometimes (although it's kind of rare, but AJ's injuries are rare so...) the Patella splits in half later on in the person's life because of it.

            I have to think that's the reason it happened. Because how else could you possible break your kneecap without touching it.

            I'm not worried about Price. I don't think there's anything he needs to get back physically once he's healed. But As I said, I have to guess that there's going to be some mental issues he'll have to get over. But this is truly, baby stuff, compared to what he's been through before.

            Honestly, I doubt they'd cut him. He's the only actual PG on the roster the FO likes, and they are rehabbing him here. Why would they waste the money and resources. Why not just cut him from the beginning? And regardless, it does not make your organization look good to players if you do that. (cut guys because they are injured)

            Dunleavy's injury was going to take him much longer to adjust to, and the Pacers seemed to expect more out of him that was fair. IMO. Seems to me like this organization likes to think that a player's injury isn't as big of a deal as it is.

            Either we'll get rid of Ford for a different PG option, trade Solo for a second round draft pick or something like that (or cut him), or we'll go into the season with what we have.
            Last edited by Sookie; 07-20-2010, 01:53 PM.

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            • #66
              Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

              Originally posted by bphil View Post
              Despite his speed, TJ is probably the easiest guy to guard in the NBA right now in half court sets. All guys have to do is play off him, cheat behind the pick-and-roll, and force him to take long jumpers. If he somehow does manage to get past his man and into the lane, chances are pretty slim that he'll actually be able to finish at the rim.

              Sadly the NBA has TJ figured out, and unless he discovers his stroke from outside, he's pretty much done I'm afraid.
              Alternatively, sag off him, don't switch, and collapse on him in the paint. He'll zip right into trouble thinking that he's using his quickness to do the right thing... and then BAM! He's in the air and that's a turnover. In the unlikely event his stroke is "on", its still a pretty simple adjustment to neutralize him.
              Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
              Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
              Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
              Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
              And life itself, rushing over me
              Life itself, the wind in black elms,
              Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

              Comment


              • #67
                Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

                Lance is the man..
                www.born-ready.com

                Comment


                • #68
                  Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

                  I'm not buying into the Lance Stephenson as an answer to the PG position as many around here are, but at this point starting him is absolutely the right thing to do. We are not going to be competitive either way. It is the same thing I was saying two years ago about McRoberts and last season about A.J. Price. When you are in our situation, you play your youth because there is no downside to it. If they work out, great. If they don't, that's fine to. At least you know one way or the other. If McRoberts would have gotten a chance two seasons ago, maybe we find out we don't need another PF before we draft Hansbrough and can take a PG so we don't have this current issue. Maybe we find out that we absolutely need another PF. Instead, we found out nothing and ended up with two similar players in one spot and no players in another.

                  Every available minute should go to the youth this season, just as it should have in the past two.

                  Lance and AJ should get all the point guard minutes.
                  Granger, Rush, and George should get all the wing minutes.
                  Hibbert, McRoberts, Hansbrough, and Rolle should get every big man minute.

                  Is it possible we'd win a few more games if we started Ford, Dunleavy, Granger, Murphy, and Foster than if we started Lance, Rush, Granger, McRoberts, and Hibbert?

                  I suppose (I'd bet against it), but not nearly enough to justify it.
                  "I had to take her down like Chris Brown."

                  -Lance Stephenson

                  Comment


                  • #69
                    Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

                    [QUOTE=Speed;1040109]

                    I'm worried that he learns to play the right way /QUOTE]


                    If the Pacers aren't having a coaching change, you indeed have a reason to worry.

                    Comment


                    • #70
                      Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

                      Originally posted by McKeyFan View Post
                      Anyone. Anyone?
                      I'd have preferred if you had said:

                      Beuller? Beuller?



                      But the answer is that several players are working out at the field house nearly every day while others are here and there according to their whims. If you got by the practice court of the fieldhouse on any given day, you might see Josh there shooting. They can do conditioning and individual drills, but there can be no team activities until October. N' est ce pas?

                      Last edited by Putnam; 07-20-2010, 05:03 PM.
                      And I won't be here to see the day
                      It all dries up and blows away
                      I'd hang around just to see
                      But they never had much use for me
                      In Levelland. (James McMurtry)

                      Comment


                      • #71
                        Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

                        Originally posted by Putnam View Post

                        But the answer is that several players are working out at the field house nearly every day while others are here and there according to their whims. If you got by the practice court of the fieldhouse on any given day, you might see Josh there shooting. They can do conditioning and individual drills, but there can be no team activities until October. N' est ce pas?
                        This is true. McRoberts is there nearly every day of the week. Hibbert is usually with him as well.

                        But I know, this week at least, all the rookies are joining Josh and Roy. George, Stephenson, and Rolle have all been working out with them in Indy this week.
                        "I had to take her down like Chris Brown."

                        -Lance Stephenson

                        Comment


                        • #72
                          Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

                          Originally posted by TooBigNdaPaint View Post

                          AJ Price is NOT looking forward to practices in late Nov or early Dec when he returns. Who would want to face a big and rough playing 6'5" PG in practice or games.

                          I'm sure AJ is looking forward to the matchup. I never saw anything from Price to make me believe he'd backdown from a larger player. My opinion is he can't wait to be able to go against Stephenson.

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                          • #73
                            Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

                            Originally posted by Pacers4Life View Post
                            ^^ I'm sorry... quicker? Does that even make sense to you? Bigger...stronger...QUICKER? I believe the first 2 and therefore not the quickness...

                            On to the topic at hand. Great article... Opens up some avenues for us to discuss... I do not start Lance just bcuz. I give him serious mins from the get-go and watch and see what happens. I think that was coveredn somewhere already
                            You my friend must NOT have ever trained seriously. It's very easy to get 'quicker' while also getting bigger and stronger!!! Quicker in the sense that HANS will be more EXPLOSIVE in terms of his quick-twitch muscles. He'll jump higher and get off the ground quicker as well as run the court faster. He'll be a very good player this year if he stays healthy and can work on his NBA game. I think he'll be a quick study and with the right folks on the floor with him......his learning curve will be shorter. Go Pacers!!!!

                            Comment


                            • #74
                              Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

                              Originally posted by Justin Tyme View Post
                              I'm sure AJ is looking forward to the matchup. I never saw anything from Price to make me believe he'd backdown from a larger player. My opinion is he can't wait to be able to go against Stephenson.
                              Naw, of course, he won't back down and will take his punishment without any malice. But, I was talking in the sense that they are BOTH NYC products with AJ Price from Long Island and Lance Stephenson from Brooklyn. Also, AJ Price knows the short history of Lance Stephenson which includes his rough playing style from the streets and then playing with bigger guys, including OJ Mayo, most of his young life. What's interesting is that AJ Price is 6'2" and 190lbs and was born in Orange, NJ although he lived in East Massapequa, New York. He led his high school team to three straight Long Island Championships and state titles in his sophomore and junior seasons. Lance is 6'5" and 215lbs and was born in Brooklyn, New York City, in the Coney Island section. Stephenson won city basketball championships in all four years of high school, is New York State's all-time leading scorer in high school basketball. After his Senior year he was named New York State Mr. Basketball and was named to the McDonald's All-American Team in 2009 as many posters already know.
                              Last edited by TooBigNdaPaint; 07-20-2010, 05:46 PM.

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                              • #75
                                Re: Why starting Stephenson at PG could be a smart move for the Pacers' future(indystar)

                                Lance is 6'5" and 215lbs and was born in Brooklyn, New York City, in the Coney Island section.
                                Coney Island, huh?

                                I already knew Lance was 6'5", but what I didn't find out until today is that he has a 6'11" wingspan
                                i agree 1000% with the article.
                                well i agree 1000000%



                                Can you count, suckers? I say, the future is ours... if you can count!





                                .
                                Last edited by Putnam; 07-20-2010, 06:07 PM.
                                And I won't be here to see the day
                                It all dries up and blows away
                                I'd hang around just to see
                                But they never had much use for me
                                In Levelland. (James McMurtry)

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