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MM's blogs are always really good, and there are a lot of things in here worthy of discussion
http://blogs.indystar.com/pacersinsider/
Time to rethink Tinsley?
Posted by Mark Montieth
I can hear the screeching feedback already, but I’ll say it anyway. Just let me take a few steps back first, in case you want to throw something.
OK, ready.
Jamaal Tinsley’s career with the Pacers might have been rejuvenated with the hiring of Jim O’Brien, and I wouldn’t assume he’ll be traded this summer.
Can you handle that truth? Here’s the deal.
O’Brien looks like a CEO and talks like a sober-minded minister, but he coaches a rather adventurous style of basketball that should be well-suited to Tinsley's game. Don’t be fooled by him. Don’t be fooled by Tinsley, either. They could be made for one another.
Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker and Allen Iverson all played at peak levels under O’Brien, luxuriating in the freedom he allowed, although it came with the demand of aggressive defense attached. Tinsley is no Pierce or Iverson (although he might be a Walker), but the point is that O’Brien is not afraid to let players utilize their talent. If he coaches Tinsley, he won’t handcuff him with ever-changing play calls and rigid structure, although he won’t give him the keys to the car on every drive downcourt, either.
Despite public impressions of Tinsley, people around the team on a regular basis will tell you he cares more than he lets on. Why he doesn’t let on more often is a mystery, not to mention a fault. But give him a coach _ O’Brien, for example _ who shoots straight with him and he’ll respond. Like most kids who grew up on the streets, he doesn’t deal well with people of a political nature, and he’s seen plenty of that in his six seasons with the Pacers.
Make no mistake, Tinsley can be reached. His coach at Mt. San Jacinto, John Chambers, did it. So did his coach at Iowa State, Larry Eustachy. In fact, the story of Tinsley’s decision to go to Iowa State speaks volumes.
He took his recruiting visit on a night when the Cyclones played a nationally televised game with Missouri. They stunk it up and Eustachy blistered his players at halftime and after the game. Tinsley saw it all firsthand, yet still committed.
Eustachy drove Tinsley hard in practice, too, wondering all the while if he would transfer before Christmas. Tinsley wound up staying for both of his seasons of eligibility, although he probably would have been a first-round draft pick after his junior season.
“I just liked how he was demanding,” he recalled once. “You want a coach trying to get the best out of you. That was the greatest thing I ever did, going there.”
What would Tinsley become with a demanding, straightforward coach in the NBA? Hard to say, but Pacers fans remain tantalized by what they saw when he was in the eager-rookie phase of his career, when he was fresh, healthy, unjaded and allowed freedom by Isiah Thomas.
Remember the run? He had 12 points, 15 assists, nine turnovers, six steals and five blocked shots in his 11th game. He had 28 points and 13 assists in this 12th game. He had 29 points and 11 assists in his 13th game. He had 19 points, 23 assists and 11 rebounds in his 14th game, a nationally televised Thanksgiving Day victory over Washington.
He was twice named Rookie of the Month and had two triple-doubles _ still the only two of his career. He wound up having a better rookie season, in fact, than Tony Parker, who was drafted one spot behind him. Since then, however, the comparison has become moot. Parker has started on three championship teams, with a fourth in the offing, while Tinsley has put himself at risk of becoming the NBA’s version of Macaulay Culkin _ an early peaker threatening to disappear from public view.
Tinsley is coming off a solid season, averaging 12.8 points and 6.9 assists, although he shot less than 40 percent from the field. He also played 72 games after three injury-plagued seasons. His careless demeanor, wayward shot and two nightclub incidents, however, have put him in jeopardy with fans, who have put pressure on the franchise to trade him.
Now here comes O’Brien, solid in all coaching matters, ready to offer a lifeline. So, perhaps, will Larry Bird, who recently praised Tinsley by saying “if he can stay healthy, he’s what we need.” That remark drew criticism from some corners and the assumption that he was trying to protect Tinsley’s trade value from others, but I believe Bird genuinely respects Tinsley’s game and likes him personally. Most people who are around Tinsley on a regular basis do, although they remain frustrated by him. Sometimes beneath his shield of glacial coolness you can detect a beating heart. Still, it’s not difficult to understand why fans are not impressed.
As a most unpredictable summer approaches, the Pacers certainly could trade Tinsley. He’s hardly achieved untouchable status. He doesn't show much leadership, he isn't punctual and, regardless of whether he’s found innocent or guilty of the charges stemming from the nightclub incident at 8 Seconds Saloon, the off-court scouting report is that he spends too much time in the clubs.
Problem is, the Pacers are unlikely to find a better point guard in a trade. They also run the risk of watching him pull a Stephen Jackson and flourish in another team’s environment. I’ll bet they’re curious to see how he responds to a different brand of coaching. I’ll bet Tinsley is, too.
Tinsley called the Pacers’ office on Thursday, making the effort to reach out to his new coach, but O’Brien had already left town. They’ll probably talk next week. Wouldn't you love to listen in on that conversation? You might hear the sound of a career being salvaged.
http://blogs.indystar.com/pacersinsider/
Time to rethink Tinsley?
Posted by Mark Montieth
I can hear the screeching feedback already, but I’ll say it anyway. Just let me take a few steps back first, in case you want to throw something.
OK, ready.
Jamaal Tinsley’s career with the Pacers might have been rejuvenated with the hiring of Jim O’Brien, and I wouldn’t assume he’ll be traded this summer.
Can you handle that truth? Here’s the deal.
O’Brien looks like a CEO and talks like a sober-minded minister, but he coaches a rather adventurous style of basketball that should be well-suited to Tinsley's game. Don’t be fooled by him. Don’t be fooled by Tinsley, either. They could be made for one another.
Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker and Allen Iverson all played at peak levels under O’Brien, luxuriating in the freedom he allowed, although it came with the demand of aggressive defense attached. Tinsley is no Pierce or Iverson (although he might be a Walker), but the point is that O’Brien is not afraid to let players utilize their talent. If he coaches Tinsley, he won’t handcuff him with ever-changing play calls and rigid structure, although he won’t give him the keys to the car on every drive downcourt, either.
Despite public impressions of Tinsley, people around the team on a regular basis will tell you he cares more than he lets on. Why he doesn’t let on more often is a mystery, not to mention a fault. But give him a coach _ O’Brien, for example _ who shoots straight with him and he’ll respond. Like most kids who grew up on the streets, he doesn’t deal well with people of a political nature, and he’s seen plenty of that in his six seasons with the Pacers.
Make no mistake, Tinsley can be reached. His coach at Mt. San Jacinto, John Chambers, did it. So did his coach at Iowa State, Larry Eustachy. In fact, the story of Tinsley’s decision to go to Iowa State speaks volumes.
He took his recruiting visit on a night when the Cyclones played a nationally televised game with Missouri. They stunk it up and Eustachy blistered his players at halftime and after the game. Tinsley saw it all firsthand, yet still committed.
Eustachy drove Tinsley hard in practice, too, wondering all the while if he would transfer before Christmas. Tinsley wound up staying for both of his seasons of eligibility, although he probably would have been a first-round draft pick after his junior season.
“I just liked how he was demanding,” he recalled once. “You want a coach trying to get the best out of you. That was the greatest thing I ever did, going there.”
What would Tinsley become with a demanding, straightforward coach in the NBA? Hard to say, but Pacers fans remain tantalized by what they saw when he was in the eager-rookie phase of his career, when he was fresh, healthy, unjaded and allowed freedom by Isiah Thomas.
Remember the run? He had 12 points, 15 assists, nine turnovers, six steals and five blocked shots in his 11th game. He had 28 points and 13 assists in this 12th game. He had 29 points and 11 assists in his 13th game. He had 19 points, 23 assists and 11 rebounds in his 14th game, a nationally televised Thanksgiving Day victory over Washington.
He was twice named Rookie of the Month and had two triple-doubles _ still the only two of his career. He wound up having a better rookie season, in fact, than Tony Parker, who was drafted one spot behind him. Since then, however, the comparison has become moot. Parker has started on three championship teams, with a fourth in the offing, while Tinsley has put himself at risk of becoming the NBA’s version of Macaulay Culkin _ an early peaker threatening to disappear from public view.
Tinsley is coming off a solid season, averaging 12.8 points and 6.9 assists, although he shot less than 40 percent from the field. He also played 72 games after three injury-plagued seasons. His careless demeanor, wayward shot and two nightclub incidents, however, have put him in jeopardy with fans, who have put pressure on the franchise to trade him.
Now here comes O’Brien, solid in all coaching matters, ready to offer a lifeline. So, perhaps, will Larry Bird, who recently praised Tinsley by saying “if he can stay healthy, he’s what we need.” That remark drew criticism from some corners and the assumption that he was trying to protect Tinsley’s trade value from others, but I believe Bird genuinely respects Tinsley’s game and likes him personally. Most people who are around Tinsley on a regular basis do, although they remain frustrated by him. Sometimes beneath his shield of glacial coolness you can detect a beating heart. Still, it’s not difficult to understand why fans are not impressed.
As a most unpredictable summer approaches, the Pacers certainly could trade Tinsley. He’s hardly achieved untouchable status. He doesn't show much leadership, he isn't punctual and, regardless of whether he’s found innocent or guilty of the charges stemming from the nightclub incident at 8 Seconds Saloon, the off-court scouting report is that he spends too much time in the clubs.
Problem is, the Pacers are unlikely to find a better point guard in a trade. They also run the risk of watching him pull a Stephen Jackson and flourish in another team’s environment. I’ll bet they’re curious to see how he responds to a different brand of coaching. I’ll bet Tinsley is, too.
Tinsley called the Pacers’ office on Thursday, making the effort to reach out to his new coach, but O’Brien had already left town. They’ll probably talk next week. Wouldn't you love to listen in on that conversation? You might hear the sound of a career being salvaged.
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